It's so easy to see that the boy is home! (Laura was working)
Reuben and Caity have played hard for many years. He used to say he never really missed having a brother because Caity was mean enough for 4 of them. She is too. He can pull on her hair, kick her, roll her over, bite her if he has to, and that's just to free himself! She's not going to give up the fight - - not if the prize is something as great as sitting in the front seat on the way home! We went to the airport when we were suppose to, his plane was a bit early, so she hugged him down in the baggage claim this time. Caity always gets the first hug. We give up the right immediately, we're not stupid. She's very territorial when it comes to these things. We're OK waiting - we're OK with our eyeballs intact.
So, we picked up the boy in his uniform. He always wears his uniform on the way home because he knows how much I like it. Others on the same plane were telling him he didn't have to do so - but the boy said "Yes I do. It's not the Sgt I'm trying to impress this time. It's Mom." They got it. I met a few of them today too. They were a bit disappointed that I didn't bring Faith to the airport. I would have if he had called and asked me to. I have no problems bringing the little girl down to the USO or anywhere there are going to be a few good looking soldiers! We did go out to dinner, and Reuben stated that he enjoyed the attention rather than it all going to the dog - we know where the eyes fall when she's with us. Not a chance!
You can always tell when he's home too. The refrigerator has meat in it again! He went straight to the store and loaded it up. He doesn't like my salads, egg whites, yogurt, and fruit I guess. You'd think I'd be thinner by now, I swear there must be something else going on in my body - I'm doing everything right. Reuben told me he'd give me a few good exercises to do - - I bet. Army diet! I may have to take him up on it. He was 240 when he went in and 185 now. He was also 6'3" when he went in and on paper he's 5'11 so he can drive tanks. Oh, and he just sort of let it slip that he's changing his MOS from 19 Kilo to 11 Bravo. (See, I didn't get it either, but he was pretty adamant about it) which means he'll go from driving tanks to being a filed beater, a man on the street - with a gun I assume. He's going from Strkyer to Ranger soon - after Iraq I think, but before he gets out completely. I haven't figured out the Army talk for "I'm doing this" or "I'm doing that" yet - it's all very official sounding and there are usually colors, numbers, and letters involved.
We ate a big meal - me and my salad, but the boy had a few thousand calories. Caity and he were at it immediately with the evens and odds to decide who carried what, who sat in the front seat, who got to drive to the store, who got to listen to whose CDs, and so forth. It's constant....they'll fight over who sleeps on the couch tonight. (I gave up my 4 bedroom house and got a little apartment when I moved Laura to Stillwater and Caity to her place. She lost her place and lives with me, so now we're really crowded for 2 weeks). Caity won. Reuben's on the air mattress - with the dogs. I could take the dogs, but he wants them...all of them. He doesn't get much dog-sleeping in the Army.
17 days will be just about all I can take of the screaming, cussing, yelling, fighting, rolling, punching, and chasing - but I know I'll miss it again. I always do. MY BOY IS HOME!!!!!!
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