To Do versus Honey Do

Let me begin by saying that there must be some sort of Army rule.  Within weeks/days/"soon" of the Soldier coming home, someone must get sick.  At least this seems to be the rule in our house.  First deployment?  Our kitchen sink looked like a pharmacy, there were so many medications stacked around it.  Turns out, two of the kids had mono.  Whee.  This time, Little G is on meds for strep when I started feeling wiped out and exhausted...today the throat kicked in.  Yay.

So we are going a little slow.  And some things might not get done.  And I'm trying very hard not to get upset about that.

I'm also trying not to put things on My G's "Honey Do" list, that I can and should be able to get done myself.  I don't think it's fair for him to get home to a long list of stuff that needs to be done, especially if the odds are good that he'll only be with us for a short time.  He should have down time; he's had none at home for months.

Here are things I would love for him to do, but I hesitate to dump on him--

• Put the blankets back up in the closet in his special "linen Tetris"
• Re-hang the myriad weird tools that took a flying leap two months ago, narrowly     missing his car
• Move the couches so I can really do the floor 
• Help me trim the star jasmine which is getting out of control again
• Fix the mower (and the shed door, which has remained closed after it took two of us and half an hour to close it)

These are all things I'm sure he'd do willingly.  They are also things that I can probably figure out how to do this week before he's home, energy allowing.  This list is where my true frustration comes in, regarding illness.

Here is my usual "To Do" just before homecoming--

• Clean kitchen
• Vacuum entire house
• Clean linens everywhere
• Get my crap off his side of the sink...actually put some stuff away
• Make sure lawn is mowed (lawn guy comes tomorrow!)
• Make tea
• Take care of catboxes 

The problem with this list isn't that any of it is difficult.  It's that I want to make the house fresh and inviting when he's finally here.  And I have absolutely zero energy right now, plus three scheduled appointments and meetings next week, including a job interview.

So, here is a revised list for both of us:

• Give lots of hugs
• Talk, face-to-face
• Yeah, ok, nookie (well??)
• Someone else to come up with dinner ideas
• Bring back more laughter (we laugh more when he's home)
• Someone else to pet his cat
• Go for walks
• Be thankful

I think that last list is a whole lot more realistic and manageable.  The other things?  Some will get done, some won't.  And it will all be okay, as soon as he walks through that door.