MONROE -- Their soldiers won’t be home for Christmas, but some families are pretending anyway.

“He has gifts under the tree, just like he were here,” said Deanna Pressley, family readiness group coordinator for Monroe’s Bravo Battery.

Pressley’s husband, 1st Sgt. Phil Pressley, has been away from home since training started last December. The National Guard unit left for Iraq in April and will be back in February. The Bravo Battery includes several soldiers from Union County.

On the homefront, Pressley said it’s hard for families to pinpoint the hardest part of deployment.

“It’s all hard ... having to do everything yourself,” Pressley said. Playing mom, dad and chaperone with no one to “vent to,” she said it’s stressful to be a temporary single parent.

The Pressleys have four children, ages 2, 8, 14 and 18. This is her husband’s second deployment and second time missing Christmas. He has been home four weeks total in the past year, including a two-week leave in September.

Who plays Santa?

“Santa plays Santa,” Pressley said, smiling.

Because the unit’s mail was cut off Dec. 15, all letters and packages had to be mailed by Nov. 30. Pressley said mail is the first thing to go when troops pack up, but she did ship out a 2-foot Christmas tree with decorations before the cutoff. Her daughters made Rice Krispies treats. Other families sent similar gifts.

“We’re trying to make it feel a little like home,” she said. Pressley’s daughter asked to leave the tree up until her dad comes home, and Pressley said they will leave a gift for him to open.

“I can’t wait,” she said.

The Family Readiness Group held a Christmas party for the children on Dec. 5.