Bits and Bobs and Bathing

• Today the boy begins his long-awaited journey. He is sequestered in a hotel room until his flight for basic training. 5000 miles away from where I am now. He's really freaked out about some of the details... like showering with other guys. I'm sure that's not his biggest fear, it's just the one he chooses to talk about. Have you ever tried to reassure someone over the phone when you're scared to death yourself? I think I'm going to be sick.

Mothers of toddlers, you have only begun the great worrying machine that is Mom.

• Showers are dangerous. I have a 6"x31/2" bruise healing slowly on my calf from where I fell. The bad thing is, I could have really been hurt if our shower wasn't the tiny cubicle that it is. Since approximately 300 people die from falling in the shower every year (unconfirmed statistic), I consider my bruise a medal for surviving.

• I hope Son #1 doesn't slip in the shower.

• Husband was stricken with the Man-Flu this week. He wanted me to feel his forehead and see if he was hot (not hawt, I can see that from a distance). I told him, "No way, keep your germs away from me", so he called over the 7 year-old. "A2, come see if I am hot". I told the boy to keep his distance. Miss Ky announces, "I'm not coming over so you can kill me!".   Can you feel the love?

 

• I really appreciate all of the new comments I have somehow attracted. They are so lovely, sincere and very in tune with what I am seeking (sarcasm). 

"Keep up the good works with this very informative post"--Uh, it's a cat video with no words...
They were a great help in confirming that I really do need word verification.
Sorry again to the rest of you "real" people.

 

• There's a woman friend here that has been keeping me posted on the latest news regarding our commissary-- which she fears is in danger of closing down if the budget isn't passed. This isn't a new fear, we're always threatened with losing our commissaries when govt, determines the military has too much and they argue over the budget every year. I'm just wondering when the best time is to tell her that we may not get paid in March?

• Miss Ky passed on some training her father gave her the other day when he walked her around the newly planted sheep in the fields around our house: "There's a rope and you can't touch it because it has gravity and it wraps around you and strangles you. Just a little bit".  That's what she interpreted from learning about electrified fencing.

Dear Son #1,


Be safe. Stay away from gravitatated fences and leg-eating showers. You are entering a career field that will always have you guessing whether or not you'll be getting your benefits and paycheck. It's a wild ride. We love you. We are proud of you. We are praying for you all day every day.

Love Mom.

No Regrets

Last night, just before switching off the computer, I decided to put up a quick post with photos of my oldest son from this Christmas holiday here in England.

Only I didn't have any decent pictures of him.

The lighting in our house leaves something to be desired and for most of his stay, one or all of us have been in our pjs.

There are certainly no family portraits or even a family snapshot with all of us in it--ever. That was my one goal this Christmas.

There was one day when everyone felt well, but the littlest brother was at his friend's house for the day.
There was the trip to London to see a show, but the 2nd-oldest child stayed home with the flu.
Every day was bitterly cold or the thickest fog blanket. Fate was working against me.

As I sat staring at a blank blog post in the quiet of the night, I got really melancholy at the realization that I was out of time. Today would be his last day with us- his siblings had school and Dad was back at work, so there wouldn't be anymore opportunities to take a decent family photo.

Sleep works wonders and this morning, I was determined to have no regrets, regardless if it meant stressing myself out (trying to figure out how to juggle everyone, getting them all home before the 3.30 sunset). I worried about it all morning.  #1 Son and I did a quick trip to the seaside and shot some pictures of some nearby ruins, making it home by 1.00pm.

At 2.15 I headed out to begin the race against dusk...

and it began to tip down rain.

3.00, Husband headed straight home-- without passing Go to collect his $200.00.
3.25 I gathered the last child

3.40 We managed to have everyone in front of the house just as the light got difficult. We didn't worry about hair or whether our clothing had some uniformity. I told everyone NOT TO MOVE since I didn't want to have to resort to a flash.

Not bad for our very first full-family photo ever, huh? 

Look who moved. 

Classy all of the way. 

I should become a professional photographer specializing in family portraiture.

It's a Ponderful Life

Imagine for a moment that you are watching that fateful exchange just before Capra's Clarence is dispatched to watch over his charge.

"Clarence, now that you have seen this young man's life up to this point and know what is in store for him in the future, what do you intend to do to direct him on the right path?"

"Well Sir, I expect the first thing I will do is throw a psychotic girlfriend at him to shake him out of the job he's now doing. You know, I don't really believe he was supposed to follow a nursing path to begin with, but the money's good and he is the type of young man to sit where it's comfortable".

"That's good Clarence, what then?"

"Well, I suppose I could encourage him to go live in his Grandmother's basement where there is no room for his things..."

"And?"

"I might have to work on his friends a little, maybe inspire them to look into serving in the military, that might give him a kick in the right direction".

"Alright Clarence, that strategy might work. Knowing what you know about what is in store for your young man, what do you have planned for him in the immediate future?"

"I've been thinking about this one! First I will have him speak to a AF recruiter who is extremely apathetic and not very encouraging. That recruiter could either turn him off completely or make him more determined-- I'm hoping for the latter.  I will inspire his mother to cheerlead him into finding a better recruiter. His step-dad will also encourage him and he will find one who is a little easier to talk to.
He's going to have to travel quite a ways and it will cost him, but he'll be close to his longtime girl-friend who will also be trying to get in."

"But Clarence, you know that the military at this time will be under the false assumption that they are over-staffed".


"That's no worry Sir! With the new fitness testing required I figure a lot of jobs will open up quickly!"

"Go on..."

"Well Sir, then he will have to go through a paper chase like you've never seen. He will have to clear up things in his past that should never have been put on his record to begin with. When that's finally sorted, I will have him accidentally leave his Social Security card behind so that he has to wait another week in the unwelcoming and poorly air conditioned house of his friend. He'll run out of savings and have to cancel his trip planned to see his family when they come to the states. His funds will get so low, he'll refuse to use his birthday money to eat out even though it's what his Grandma will have intended it for. He'll be discouraged, but determined.  When he's finally there to take the ASVAB test after months of organizing everything for that fateful day...

I will make the system crash".



"Brilliant Clarence. You just may earn your wings if all of this goes as planned..."


I can't see the bigger picture. I don't know whether the obstacles being thrown at Son #1 are to keep him from harm's way or to make him really want this. I just have to have faith that the angel in charge of his fate isn't a bumbling fool.

Head Out On The Highway

The all-time strangest international call I've received yet:

Oldest Son:
So hey, guess what I'm doing.

I'm recalling a recent call that began with, "So, I'm in the hospital" and ended with "H1N1" (he was in the hospital for testing, they quarantined him to his apartment).

Me: In the hospital having needles poked into you?

Oldest Son: Nope. I'm doing 81 miles per hour on a Texas highway". He lives in New Mexico

For the benefit of those just tuning in, my oldest son who is 21 years old struggles with some pretty heavy depression moments (which luckily seem to be decreasing in frequency as he ages). While he was in high school, I lived in constant fear of what I thought was inevitable...
This year, he had a very dramatic breakup and for a few months now we've been riding a very strange, calm wave in anticipation of breaking up on shore.
He never mentions her.


First thought in my head is this call is a goodbye, he intends to drive insanely fast and crash his car.

But he sounds energized.

Me: Wwwhyyyy are you doing 81 mph on a highway in Texas?

He's going to see his friend for his birthday. He's fine. He's excited about this little break so it's safe to nag...

"Are you sure your truck is in good enough condition to be doing those speeds? How long since you've check the tread on those tires? Isn't it illegal over there to drive while talking on the phone? Do you have a bluetooth on?! Do you have any money in case you break down? What about the CV joints, are they doing ok? What is the speed limit there, anyway?!"

I'm nothing if not thorough,

even at nagging.

Do you think he'll call me on the way back home?

For My Son

Photo by John Shearer/WireImage.com

Travis Barker
is the one that inspired you as a drummer.

Blink 182 was your muse--
for some of your most well-written songs.

You seem to be losing your heros, first Steve and now...
well, I'm holding on for good news of Travis.
For you.
I'm thinking of you today.