Field Time

Soldier’s been doing some field time recently and I’ve had to explain to the kids why Daddy isn’t home that night.  Bunny Girl takes it in stride, but Monster Boy seems a tad concerned.  He’s old enough to remember the last deployment and when Soldier was gone for the month before BRC last year.  I’ve assured him that Daddy isn’t going that far away and that this isn’t the ““Far, Far Away” where Daddy went to protect the kids”  [That was my euphemism for deployment last time!].  I’ve realized that Monster Boy’s understanding of “in the field” is very literal. He believes Daddy is literally hanging out in a field. Specifically, I believe he thinks it is the main parade field here on post.  Here’s a sampling of Monster Boy’s questions relating to field time:

“What field is Daddy in?”

“Is there grass in Daddy’s field?”

“Why is Daddy sleeping in a field?”

“What does Daddy do on the field?”

“Does Daddy’s Humvee drive on the field?”

“Where is Daddy and his Humvee?”  [Asked as we passed the parade fields tonight.]

I’m imagining that this is Monster Boys’s mental image of field time looks something like this: A bucolic green field, with rolling hills and maybe some wildflowers scattered about, sun is shining with a few fluffy clouds drifting by.  Mike and a few other guys in uniform spend their time playing soccer and cloud-watching while lounging in the soft grass.  A Humvee lingers nearby.