Ah, we LOVE homecoming. We have all been there — the fervor of preparation, worry, anticipation and excitement…it can be overwhelming.
But that moment when you FINALLY get to wrap your arms around the person you adore after being apart for months on end? Well, it makes it all worth it, doesn’t it?
A group of our talented military spouse writers put their heads together and came up with 35 things we ALL do before homecoming. We understand that many of these things may only apply to those of us in the military spouse community who are of the “which heels should I wear” variety. We don’t want the men to be left out, we want to hear from you too …come on guys, what things would you add to this list? In fact, we want to hear from all of you! What are the things you do before welcoming your servicemember home?
1. The laundry!
2. Clean the house from top to bottom, five times. Who can sleep right now anyway?
3. Start (or stop) taking birth control.
4. Landscaping. Enough said.
5. Make a futile attempt to lose 25 pounds, in four days.
6. Try to remember where the recliner was before Pinterest got ahold of you.
7. Mourn the upcoming loss of the DVR.
8. Take a load to the recycling center, destroying the evidence of all those wine bottles and pizza boxes.
9. Break it to the kids that they have to start sleeping in their own bed again.
10. Begin the process of keeping expectations in check. Being realistic about how things will go after homecoming is an important part of the re-integration process.
11. Buy a “Don’t you DARE disturb” sign.