My wife has arrived in UAE, a short deployment compared to some of the year long back to back deployments, 5 months.

I've not re-enrolled in college since the cost of day care exceeds the pay that the GI Bill affords, I get to be Mr. mom, dad, playmate for our two daughters.

I've found it to be slightly more stressful without the relief of my wife when they start acting their age, 2 and 3.

Life's good aside from that and not being able to sleep very well, I suppose I got used to my wife laying next to me, sprawled out and forcing me to the edge of the bed next to the wall.

I hope everyone had a good New Years Day.

Hey Skimo, good luck with the kids. I remember long ago being in the same boat with my wife working out of town. They may seem like a pain in the backside at times, but cherish the moments you get with your kids now. They grow up way too fast, and then they are gone, and you only get one chance with them, so make the best of it.

As you get older, you will find that sleep is more and more a luxury you don't need as much, at least until you are old and feeble. Like Conan said, "plenty of time for sleeping when you are in the ground".

Above all, always keep in mind that you have made a comittment, for better or worse, that you have to keep. Too many young people take marriage far too lightly. Your marriage ought to be more important than your right arm; that you would be willing to have it chopped off over getting a divorce. That's the way it is supposed to be anyways.

Good luck to you. Do what you can, and make the most of the opportunities you get as they come. Otherwise, sounds like you are on the right track.

Good luck brother!

My personal survival tip for a full time father: Make sure you have a goal each day. That goal may very well be grocery shopping (kids love that!). Or it may be a major task in some household chores that you don't do every day. Or playing in the park. It really doesn't matter what it is, if it is a leisure activity or a chore - just be sure to make a family event out of it for the three of you and the kids will love it.

Having a goal or event each day prevents all the days to blur into a grey haze of chores... You need something to look forward to each day (today we're gonna ... ) or you'll go crazy.

And of course - there's nothing wrong with bringing the kids to a place where you can exercise outdoor survival skills and techniques... such as making lunch over an open fire. (Maybe it's not the best season for it with two kids at that age, if both of them get cold and need attention and at the same time you need to make lunch there really should be 3 of you... so keep it simple!)

I know the boat you're in (as far as being Mr. Mom goes). You'd never believe the level of frustration you can hit with little ones you love so much.

MH is right - a goal's important to get you through the day...and usually smaller goals are better than trying to plan "the perfect day" with the kids. There are days when I've got a list of errands to run, and we hit a point where it's like "right, we're done. I can't handle getting the kids in and out of the car and in and out of one more store today. We'll get eggs tomorrow." Know your limits with the kids.

I find the library to be a fantastic resource - story time, movies, books, craft time.

I also am not big-time into bribing kids, but I find small bribes are sometimes worth their weight in gold. I keep chewing gum in the car, and it's well-known that helpful, well-behaved kids get gum when we're done with all our errands/stops. That can be a big carrot to dangle.

Make sure you have something for you after the kids are in bed...a book, a movie - the carrot you dangle for yourself.

And take up family/friends on offers of help - an occasional break pays off out of all proportion to the size of the break.

Keeping you and your family in my prayers.......
your friendly neigborhood,
Adventureboy

Keep to your task, "Mr. Mom." What you are doing is the hope of civilization. If you can raise kids who are loved unconditionally and lovingly disciplined, who are so confident in who they are that they can accept others who are different, who have learned that they are worthy of trust and so become worthy of the trust of others, then you have measurably changed the course of the world. Keep to your task, sir, and keep your eye on that magnificent goal.

Good luck Skimo
All the nest for you and yours

One idea if you have the inclination, take lots of videos for whatever they do.

"WHY" you ask .
OK

1 - Mom who is away, will have a chance see them when you and her are relaxing together

2 - They ( the kids ) will very much enjoy the films a few years down the road.

3 - Take some vid for each one separate at times, and when she marries, give the tape to her husabnd. It wil be a special gift

4 - Here is THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON.
When they grow up and for some reason you try to go back to their childhood years to figure out or remember something, you will be able to do that. This is something I have done to try to figure out some problems we're having in their teen years and I was trying to see if there were 'signs' I should have noticed earlier.

Have a great parenting time