R&R: The Time Change Cooking Disaster

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One of the things I was most excited about doing for my husband when he came home in the middle of his deployment for two weeks was to cook for him. We talked on the phone about all his favorite meals, I made lists, shopped, planned and was totally ready to wow him during R and R with everything he loved to eat. I just didn't realize how a 12+ hour time change for him would mess with our plans.

When my husband came home having lost TWENTY pounds of muscle in the first six months, I was a little alarmed and even more determined to feed him everything I possibly could before he left for the second six months. He couldn't even wear most of his clothes. We had to go buy him a pair of jeans he could wear for the two weeks. (Thankfully he gained some of that weight back during the second six months).

So he got home for his two week break and I was ready to cook up a storm. On his second night home I start dinner and by the time I'm done cooking he had fallen asleep. Not just "nap" asleep but "for the whole night" asleep. He slept on the couch from early evening until early morning. Then I had this big beautiful dinner and no man to eat it. Putting it all in the fridge was SO sad, knowing we'd missed that chance to enjoy the meal together and that it would never be as beautiful and delicious the next day heated up in the microwave. So sad.

My dreams of making him a big breakfast were ruined when he was awake at two in the morning and had already have a breakfast hours before I even woke up. If I was lucky I got to make him lunch and then he was asleep again by early afternoon and into the night.

In the two weeks he was home I may have made two or three meals that we all actually ate together as a family. Most of the second week we were traveling and either eating with family or eating out. Most nights he wasn't around for dinner, fast asleep wherever he fell in the afternoon or early evening.

When it comes to military life, having expectations is often futile, but being flexible and understanding the circumstances you are in are invaluable. I learned quickly to let go of my expectations about all our beautiful meals together and just keep reminding myself that he was home and that I should enjoy every single moment of it.