Nerves of .... cooked noodles! What?

Odd analogy I know, but if you have ever been around a toddler "eating" noodles you will know exactly what I am talking about. Cooked noodles can be made into all kinds of "interesting" shapes and you would be amazed at the things noodles can stick to. Chairs, floors, walls, hair, clothes you name it and noodles have a super power way of being able to attach, with or without sauce.


As the count down to R&R is under a month and a half now. I suddenly find my nerves have become more and more like cooked spaghetti noodles. Being bent into funny formations and getting stuck on odd things. How should we plan this? what if this? what if that?

What if he see's me differently when he gets back? Should I change my hair style before he comes home? Buy a new dress? Exercise more? Will he think I am too fat, too skinny, too..... What if he does not like that I changed this or that to the house while he was gone? After spending 8 months with a bunch of military guys. What if the kids and I overwhelm and/or annoy him? How do I plan the most restful time for him? How do I show him 8 months worth of love and fill him up with enough to last the next 4ish months in 14 days? AHHH!!

OK, time to take a deep breath!

Most of you are probably shaking your heads laughing at me or doing the been there done that smile. I have read having my nerves turn to noodles is quite normal. Although they did not word it the same way, the intensified emotions and thoughts seem to be pretty darn common. I don't think many of you can blame me for wishing I could skip this step. :)

On second thought maybe I'll use these nerves of cooked noodles to make a tantalizing pasta dish. Maybe the extra time, thought and care I put in to preparing for his R&R will make it extra special. Maybe he will not care that I have a new hair style but maybe knowing I did it to be my best for him will make it mean something a little extra special. Maybe the clothing I wear will not be remembered beyond 2 seconds but maybe he will try to freeze that image of me all put together just for him in his memory bank to take back on deployment with him. Maybe the (almost) clean house will get noticed maybe not. I say almost clean because unless I ship our kids off to boarding school right before he arrives there is no way to promise perfection. :)

I may not be able to completely stop the nerves of cooked noodles from forming but I can try to harness them and form them into something helpful and productive. A way to help me prepare for his visit vs a way to get stressed out. After all, I would hate to change our hotel reservations to him visiting me at the loony bin! :)