I forgot

It appears over the last two years I forgot how to be an army wife.... How do I know this??? Read on...

We have, over the last couple of weeks, finally moved into our home in Folkestone, Kent. We got our furniture and all other possessions out of storage and opening all that stuff made us feel like kids at Christmas. I think we forgot what we had. It took us a good couple of weeks to finally open everything but we are there now. Well nearly... Our boxes from the US arrive on Thursday and that will be the final push to settle into our new home. And I cannot wait... I am absolutely exhausted.

Shaun has been really busy at work and we already had to attend three different events - a company party, the battalion family day and the dinner at the officers' mess.

The company party wasn't too bad and we were there only for couple of hours. I met some new faces but I knew a lot of the old ones.

The family day was a big event with some local guests. It was great to see some old faces which I haven't seen for years and also to meet some new ones. I met some new wives in the battalion as well as a lot of young officers. The things seem to have changed since the last time we were part of this unit - Shaun was a captain back then and we were part of the young, 'fun' crowd. Now that he is a major I really feel old. Ugh!!! The young officers speak to him in a different way because he commands some of them and the older one are just like that, older. Ooops!!

And finally the last Friday we had a dinner in the officers' mess. These dinners are very VERY formal. They start with a drink and few speeches and then go on to a five-course meal where you generally sit for 3-4 hours, enjoy your dinner and listen to some pipes and drums. Once the more senior people leave the real party begins. I was never really a great fun of these dinners because you are pretty much stuck sitting next to same people for 4 hours and gosh, if they are boring, you are doomed. This time around the guy sitting next to me fell asleep. SERIOUSLY????? It must be my exciting conversation. Every now and then I would look at the end of the table where there was a fun crowd and send my distressing signals. If you've seen the film "Team America" you may guess what those signals were.

So I was sitting there and thinking that I am completely out of my whole groove. The wives were talking about the stuff that I knew nothing about and they were chatting with people with whom they were supposed to be chatting in order to be great army wives. I, on the other hand, didn't and just thought that I was really not cut out to be a perfect army wife. But I had fun chatting to one of the captains in Shaun's company whose wife is finding the whole army life rather scary. I told him my thoughts and experiences from when I was a newly-married young army wife as they were without trying to sound good or strong and he was really happy to see that there are other people who struggle in the beginning as well. I know that I certainly did.

Somehow Shaun and I ended up being the last married couple in the bar where there were now only young single officers.(Where are all my single girlfriends when you need them???) Apparently I get some great brownie points for being "the last chick at the bar". Yay!!!! (If only they knew how boring I am).

We ended up getting home at 4 am - I mean I haven't been out this late since I was in my early 20s. And the following day I definitely felt it. We are no longer young and fun crowd.