The New Normal

           Hello, dears! It's been an eventful couple of weeks for Team Norris.  Not only is the three-year-old almost fully potty trained, but my favorite railroad hunk managed to get himself a job working in a small yard about 50 miles south of Mena.  This means we've been fortunate to enjoy two relatively smooth weeks of regularly scheduled days. 

           Why is this such a big freaking deal? Because up until now, our "normal" involved calls at any time of the day or night, and a fair bit of anxiety trying to predict the completely randomness of railroad jobs.  The yard job is one of the very few exceptions, and usually these jobs are dominated by guys with more seniority.  However, this smaller yard is a pretty long distance for most of them, and luckily nobody else bid on it.  So instead of middle-of-the-night calls and constantly checking train lists, Jon gets to wake up every morning at the same time, drive to work, and come home in the afternoon or sometimes early evening. 

             It's been a metaphorical acid trip, getting onto a routine that most families take for granted.  We get to have dinner together every night, spend time with our girls, and *GASP* actually PLAN fun stuff for his days off! 

             You have to understand, until now, even birthdays and holidays were up in the air.  We were in a state of constant readiness and flexibility, and it can get damn frustrating.  But now? I can actually plan my day out, plan dinners for the week, and rest easy knowing that the man I love will be pulling into the driveway before the sun goes down.  Usually with an ecstatic three-year-old bombarding the door to get a hug from Daddy. 

              It's been an interesting experiment, shifting our sense of "normal" to this 9-5 life.  But, praise God, I can already see a positive difference.  We're both still tired all the time, of course, but now we don't get as stressed or snippy with each other.  We can plan the future a little bit more, because there's no guesswork as to whether or not he'll be bumped off a board.  And those two days off? Oh, baby, is it gooood!

               We've been at the mercy of the railroad for so long, that I almost don't know what to do with this blessing of Normal.  Enjoy it, I suppose, even though it may not be permanent.  Many railroad families still struggle with the odd hours and long separation, and not all of them can take the strain.  In fact, this whole thing feels almost too easy compared to the old frantic pace. 

                My point is, it's given me more of those precious moments of genuine happiness.  Moments where I'm not pining after who I used to be, or things I'd rather be doing, but really savoring the sights and sounds of my growing family.  I still have tough days, and most mornings I'm still the walking dead. 

                But at least I know he'll be home.