saturday night

It's Saturday night here in my household. Not that it's another night in anyone else's household, I'm just making a note of it. The kids are all finally in bed. Saturday nights are always bath nights. So one by one, each of the chicken nuggets lined up to take their "turn" in the tub. They love baths. They laugh and have such a fun time playing around. They are now to the point where they like to help wash their bodies. My oldest pretty much does the whole process herself. She just has trouble rinsing her hair, but I think it's pretty mature for a four year old!
Everyone got to talk to my lobster today. It was a glorious two hour phone conversation where he talked to each child and then I got him for about forty five minutes. His voice warms my heart in a way that only he can. I must say that it completely lifted my spirits.
May is almost over. As of today, we have gone for four weeks apart. I never know how to count the month mark...should I count it as four weeks, or the June 2nd? It's very unclear. I suppose in my mind I've made it a month. One down....eleven to go...
I'll be honest that there are items of his that I refuse to wash. Maybe it's disgusting or gross, but the pajamas he wore the night before he left are still sitting right where he left them in our room. It sort of tricks my mind that he was just there and he'll be right back. Eventually I'll get to the point where I pick them up and wash them, but I'm not ready. I still need to believe that he was just here...
I wonder when I'll take over his side of the bed. A long time ago (on our first Valentine's day together), he gave me a ridiculously large teddy bear. It's been our tradition always, that when he is deployed (or not with me) I sleep with it. That teddy bear has seen me through three deployments and is now comforting me during this one. But Jake, our dog, hates it. Every night he kicks it out of the bed and I find it on the floor. He doesn't want it anywhere in sight. I think it's because he has grown to associate it with my husband's absence. When my lobster has had staff duty or CQ, the bear sleeps in the bed...so now the bear has been around for a while and Jake has had enough!
I am grateful for the conversation today. It was lovely and sweet and nice. I truly miss him so much. The days go so slowly, but the time flies so fast.