It's finally October, and we have one broken toe

Here's a "not quite right" family picture for ya! See that empty spot between the boys? That's where JP belongs.
For those not in the know, this is our front step. The corn stalks and e-freakin-normous pumpkins were delivered by Dave, Mom's 'gentlemen friend'.

Notice the pretty footwear Eric is sporting? This picture was taken Monday afternoon. Eric broke his toe Sunday night. He's been a real champ about it though. In the world of stuff happening to people, Eric is the prince of Broken Bone Stuff. Despite fears of someone reading this and calling Child Protective Services on us, I will admit that this is the second broken bone young Eric has suffered in his short 8 years. The first was a hairline crack in his wrist. Both broken bones were suffered during the same activity, although something like 4 years apart. You'd think he'd have an aversion to roughhousing with his brother by now. No. If he keeps this up, we can expect another bone to snap around age 12, and again at 16. If it happens again at 20, well, he won't be on our insurance anymore!

As I am typing, I am hearing whines from kids. I sent the two oldest to bed tonight, shortly before 7pm. I'm such a fun killer. Why don't I see the humor in having water balloons in the family room?? Sometimes I amaze myself with how mean I can be. (Sarcasm people, it's SARCASM) I am one month away from having new furniture delivered to my family room, and these monsters think they can have a water balloon war down there? Holy cow, they'll be lucky if I allow them in there ever again. They still don't get the concept of NO FOOD, NO DRINKS in the family room, even though it's been a rule for a very long time. Apparently I need to employ a bouncer for the family room. Check ID's? No, check kids' pockets, make sure nobody is trying to sneak in with a water bottle, (or balloon) or a candy bar.

It is, as I titled this post, FINALLY October. I can tell JP is getting wore down by this deployment. I can 'hear' it in his words when we talk on IM. My husband is not a down guy. He's not exactly Suzy Sunshine, but he knows what he has to do, and he does it. He's not a complainer and he's not a whiner. He's a matter-of-fact get r done kind of guy. Lately he's been kind of sounding almost depressed. I do not blame him a bit, we are in the worst of it right now. This is the longest stretch of the deployment without any family contact, and I'm sure he's getting to the end of his rope. I know him, I love him, he CAN make it until December. I'm sure he just has times (like I do) where it feels like it will never come. I hate to see him like this, and I can't wait for December so I can cheer him up, get him back home so I can see MY husband, the way he's supposed to be, the way he always is. I want him back. After that, it will be smooth sailing, because after he gets back to the sandbox after R&R, it will be a downhill run to the homestretch. After December, he will see that we can make it, and that we are almost done.
When it's all said and done, we win.
We win babe, because we love each other, and that's what we do. We win.