You know you are a military wife when...

1. You have an SOP of when you can and can't freak out.
2. When your children's favorite channel is the Military Channel.
3. You know the joy of hearing the ripping of velcro at ungodly early hours in the morning.
4. A pile of gear in the foyer fills your heart with joy because it means your husband did actually come out of the field, even if just for a few hours.
5. You have celebrated holidays sometimes weeks or months after everyone else due to the needs of the Army.
6. You shop for home decorations with the forethought of can this be broken by the movers.
7. Sleeping in means you don't get up until 0730.
8. You know that benedryl is a better choice of a sleep agent than Tylenol PM because you don't need the pain relief.
9. You know the menstrual cycles of all of the women in your husband's unit, especially when they are in the field.
10. Your husband only ever wears two pair of shoes, combat boots and running shoes.

If I wanted whine, I'd go to the Class Six.

I would love to remind a few wives that the Army is their husband's wife, you are but his mistress. Being an Army Wife is tough, I would  never dare to make light of that, but seriously, whine doesn't help.
There are a few things that tick me off, too. Like my Techie turning 16 in March, yet again, without his Dad around. We miss him on birthdays, alot. He wasn't here for Gamer Boys this past year and he won't be here this year either. He probably won't be around for mine. It's life, you make the best of it and you move on. It's not about what they miss, but the precious hours that they do get to spend with you that matter. A mistress understands that, a wife does not. It's all about perspective, it's all in how you look at it and make the best of it.
I do not posess a crystal ball that lets me know when they are coming home. The 1SGT nor the CDR call me and give me a heads up on when they are having final formation. I get my information from my soldier, just like the rest of us. Our rule here is that most nights of the week, we eat dinner at 7 pm, whether he is here or not. We do school from 9-3, whether he is here or not. We don't watch TV until after dinner, whether he is here or not. I need a routine, my kids need a routine, the Army - has no routine.
Suck up and ruck on. I read a quote the other day that said, "Embrace the suck." Do you have an option? Honestly? I don't think so. It sucks, I know it sucks, you know it sucks, but it is what it is. When my soldier walks in the door I choose to embrace him for the moments that I have him. I plan impromptu date nights because if I try to pencil them in on the calendar I am sure to be disappointed. If we look at each other and realize that we can run away, for an hour, an evening, a weekend, we do it. I can either bash him with my whine, or I can allow him to crawl in the bed next to me and live in a moment of peace without anyone barking orders at him. As I do that, he is more open to embrace me back and allow me to pour out my anxiety on his chest and to wipe away my tears when I have a moment of overwhelming weakness.
I choose to be his mistress and his lover.