Mommyhood

Being a stay at home mom is pretty awesome. Most days.

Then there are the days when you keep glancing at the clock, waiting for your spouse to come home so that you can get a few seconds to catch your breath.

Right now, we are experiencing an atypical lull in the daily excitement. Probably because Alyssa refused to take her nap until she was so exhausted that she just couldn't take it anymore.

So, rather than cleaning or doing laundry... or napping... I'm taking this moment to reflect.

As I explained to my husband before we moved, living in base housing typically costs more than it is worth. "How is that? I thought it was free!" you may be asking yourself.

Oh, no. Allow me to explain.

Base housing isn't what it used to be.

Recently, the Air Force decided that they were going to privatize their housing. Meaning that another company comes in to build and maintain the homes. Since the Air Force gives you a housing allotment each month, that goes straight to the new company. This is a great thing if you are in one of the newer houses with the new appliances, ceiling fans and refrigerated air. This kind of sucks if you get stuck in the old houses.

At this base, the old housing was built in the 50's using a very interesting floorplan. Also, rather than refrigerated air, you get evaporative cooling; more commonly known as a 'swamp cooler'. "Why is it called a swamp cooler?" you probably aren't asking yourself. Because it blows water cooled air into your home, upping the relative humidity and creating a cooling effect of about 20 degrees.

April 1st, it was above 90 degrees in our home. That is not a joke.
I called.

I let the woman know that it was 94 degrees inside our house at that very moment. She called me a lair. "That's impossible. It's only 65 outside. Are you sure your heat isn't on?"

Yeah lady, I'm sure. And rather than 65, it was 79 outside... That's why it was 90+. Not because I live in a magical home of heating.

She asked me if I had our ceiling fans on.

Ummm... we don't have ceiling fans.

However, I did put an oscillating fan in each room to try and make us as comfortable as I could.

She said that maintenance would be out the very next day to install ceiling fans. Might I add that they have YET to show up even 2 weeks later.

Anyway... we got bumped up on the list and they are here to fix our shit today.

Right now.

As I type this.

On a side note- I get very cranky when I'm hot and that leads to posts like this. I apologize.

I've been having to take Alyssa over to other people's houses during the day so that she can be comfortable. Oh yeah, did I mention the fact that most of the people in the squadron (of the same rank and below, so don't even start that shit with me) have refrigerated air so they have been comfortable this whole time?

Did I also mention that we pay the exact same amount to live in the old ghetto housing as they do in the new awesome housing?

Did I mention that it's almost the same amount that we were paying for our apartment in Las Vegas?

I regret, more and more each day, that we didn't buy a cheap house off base.

But I do have to count my blessings. We could be like some of our friends and still have to pay a mortgage on a house in Las Vegas, as well as pay for the privatized housing. In fact, most of the families that are in that situation are living off base because they can't afford to live on base.

Yeah, it's not as inexpensive as everyone makes it out to be.

If we had purchased the inexpensive house we were in love with, we would actually be banking about $500 a month from my husband's housing allowance.

So yeah. When our lease is up we will probably be moving off base.

There is a patch of land for sale not too far from here, and I really thought about getting it. We could easily put a trailer on it, or even start construction on a house.

Right now, my husband plans to get out of the Air Force when his time is up. We love this place and we don't want to leave, so he wants to work as a private contractor. He would be in the same squadron he is now, working the same (or better) hours, and getting paid over 3x as much.

I think it's a good plan, but I kind of hope he re-enlists. If he makes a career out of it, he can retire from the Air Force at 42 and either continue to work elsewhere without losing any of his retirement benefits, or do something else.

In other news, Alyssa has most certainly been eating her Wheaties. She's climbing up the bookcases (which are all anchored to the walls) lifting, screaming, punching, pulling, banging and crawling on everything in sight.

Plus, she's taken a few steps!

It really looks like she's going to be walking by her birthday.

Part of me is excited, but part of me is afraid... Walking. Next thing you know she'll be using the potty by herself, going to Kindergarten and then, eventually, college.

She's getting too grown up too fast.

Is there a pause button? Can't we stay at this stage just a little bit longer?

It isn't fair, I tell you. They grow too fast.

Maybe we should have another one....