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Mar. 7th, 2007
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Mar. 7th, 2007 02:46 pmThe phone just rang, and my Caller ID told me it was 'Short Stop Candy' calling me from an 800 number. I thought that strange, but I answered anyway. As it turns out, it was a gal wanted me to donate to Navy Reserve relief packages for our troops in the Middle East.
I kindly told her that my husband is currently in Iraq, and that I plan on sending several of my own care packages, thanks.
...
Philip's been gone a week now, and I had a message on my machine from Airman & Family Readiness Center (formerly Family Support Center - and yeah, they made a point to say that in the message!) that there were two "gifts" from Philip waiting for me down there. I've got a fine idea what they are, but I'll be sure to post about it later. ;-)
And speaking of care packages, he emailed me his address yesterday. I have no other information - meaning, no specific needs or anything just yet - but I know that he can receives cards and the like, of course. If you are so inclined, feel free to send him mail at the following address:
SSgt. Philip Cleghorn
USAF / 332ESFS
APO AE 09315-9997
I kindly told her that my husband is currently in Iraq, and that I plan on sending several of my own care packages, thanks.
...
Philip's been gone a week now, and I had a message on my machine from Airman & Family Readiness Center (formerly Family Support Center - and yeah, they made a point to say that in the message!) that there were two "gifts" from Philip waiting for me down there. I've got a fine idea what they are, but I'll be sure to post about it later. ;-)And speaking of care packages, he emailed me his address yesterday. I have no other information - meaning, no specific needs or anything just yet - but I know that he can receives cards and the like, of course. If you are so inclined, feel free to send him mail at the following address:
USAF / 332ESFS
APO AE 09315-9997
I've got a massive headache that hit me pretty quick in the last half hour or so. Ergh.
I'm sure it's weather-related, but it still stinks. The only positive thing about it is that it was pretty cold today, but the forecast is calling for a high of 52° tomorrow. I can have a temporary headache for weather like that!
I'm sure it's weather-related, but it still stinks. The only positive thing about it is that it was pretty cold today, but the forecast is calling for a high of 52° tomorrow. I can have a temporary headache for weather like that!
The Jack Post.
Mar. 7th, 2007 09:50 pmJack is reaching some exciting milestones right now, and I keep meaning to put them down.
1) He has his first very wiggly tooth! It shan't be long at all now before that bud falls out, and I'll have a gap-smiled 5-year-old in my house once again. He's about five months behind (age-wise) when A.J. lost his first tooth, but then Jack cut his almost six months behind A.J. as well. It's funny how that works out, isn't it? When A.J. had his first loose tooth, I couldn't wait for it to fall out - I wanted him to have that "big boy" milestone, and I was so proud of him. For Jack, I'm torn between different emotions: happy because it's a big milestone, sad because he's still my baby and I'm just not ready for my last baby to loose a tooth, as well as wistful - wishing that Philip could be here to see this "first tooth" come out as he was when A.J. hit this same event. Regardless of my feelings on the matter, though, that tooth is coming out SOON!
2) Jack headed out to play this afternoon, only to immediate return with a BIG envelope that had been delivered and stuck inside the screen door. And it was for him - it was his Kindergarten registration packet! When I told him what it was, he took off running through the house, "A.J., I just got a big letter from Kindergarten! The Kindergarten wrote me a big letter saying I can come next morning!"* He's so darn excited, and I can't wait to take him to the Kindergarten Round-Up later this month.
* No matter what frame of time in the future we're talking about, Jack always refers to it as "next morning." At dinner, if I ask him if he'd like leftovers for tomorrow, he'll answer, "Yeah, I want to have them next morning." If I tell him anything is happening in the future, he'll ask excited questions about what he'll be doing "next morning" during said holiday celebration. I love Jack-anese. :-)
1) He has his first very wiggly tooth! It shan't be long at all now before that bud falls out, and I'll have a gap-smiled 5-year-old in my house once again. He's about five months behind (age-wise) when A.J. lost his first tooth, but then Jack cut his almost six months behind A.J. as well. It's funny how that works out, isn't it? When A.J. had his first loose tooth, I couldn't wait for it to fall out - I wanted him to have that "big boy" milestone, and I was so proud of him. For Jack, I'm torn between different emotions: happy because it's a big milestone, sad because he's still my baby and I'm just not ready for my last baby to loose a tooth, as well as wistful - wishing that Philip could be here to see this "first tooth" come out as he was when A.J. hit this same event. Regardless of my feelings on the matter, though, that tooth is coming out SOON!
2) Jack headed out to play this afternoon, only to immediate return with a BIG envelope that had been delivered and stuck inside the screen door. And it was for him - it was his Kindergarten registration packet! When I told him what it was, he took off running through the house, "A.J., I just got a big letter from Kindergarten! The Kindergarten wrote me a big letter saying I can come next morning!"* He's so darn excited, and I can't wait to take him to the Kindergarten Round-Up later this month.
* No matter what frame of time in the future we're talking about, Jack always refers to it as "next morning." At dinner, if I ask him if he'd like leftovers for tomorrow, he'll answer, "Yeah, I want to have them next morning." If I tell him anything is happening in the future, he'll ask excited questions about what he'll be doing "next morning" during said holiday celebration. I love Jack-anese. :-)
The Bears Post.
Mar. 7th, 2007 10:05 pmThe "gifts" I mentioned earlier? Here they are:
Now what makes these particular teddy bears so very, very unique is that they are special gifts from Daddy. Before he left, he recorded sweet, individual messages to each of the boys on a voice recorder, and he then dropped off the recorders at the Family Support Center. He picked out a special bear for each boy ('Cocoa' for Jack, and 'Vanilla' for A.J.) before leaving for Iraq.
Since he has been gone, SSgt. Friday at the Family Support Center has been busy. He took the voice recorders that Philip dropped off to Build-A-Bear Workshops and had them put into the specially-picked stuffed bears. He then wrapped the bears in ribbon and put messages on them for each of the boys before calling us today to come pick up these special "gifts" from Daddy.
Isn't that adorable and touching? Isn't it wonderful that Build-A-Bear works with the base to operate such a loving program in support of our soldiers? The program is called 'Operation: Voices and Love.'
The heart-shaped tags on each bear have this message:
This bear has come to you with a
special message! you are
loved by someone who misses
you and sends you a hug!
When you are feeling sad, just
give this bear a hug and it will
say some special words of love!
SSgt. Friday took us back to a small room where the bears were sitting sweetly on a table. He pretended to really be looking for something before surprising the boys with the bears. They were very gracious, and thanked him for their bears as they hugged them. But SSgt. Friday didn't tell or show the boys the best part - that they could talk! As we rounded a corner and parted ways with SSgt. Friday, I stopped the boys so we could check out the bears more fully. The cute notes didn't tell us where to press, so we tried a few places before getting it right on Jack's bear first. As soon as his bear said, "Hey Jack! It's Dad," both of the boys eyes opened wide in surprise! They laughed and smiled as they each listened to their bears over and over again (and over and over and over!).
On the walk back out to the car, we all wondered how Dad had gotten his voice inside these new stuffed bears. "Maybe Dad shrunk himself and sewed up inside!" "All by himself, you think? Is that possible?" "Well, maybe he asked another military for help, too!"
It was such a fun time. I had tears come to my eyes as we'd thanked SSgt. Friday for the bears, as I could already see how much the boys would love them.
( More pictures with the bears. )
Now what makes these particular teddy bears so very, very unique is that they are special gifts from Daddy. Before he left, he recorded sweet, individual messages to each of the boys on a voice recorder, and he then dropped off the recorders at the Family Support Center. He picked out a special bear for each boy ('Cocoa' for Jack, and 'Vanilla' for A.J.) before leaving for Iraq.
Since he has been gone, SSgt. Friday at the Family Support Center has been busy. He took the voice recorders that Philip dropped off to Build-A-Bear Workshops and had them put into the specially-picked stuffed bears. He then wrapped the bears in ribbon and put messages on them for each of the boys before calling us today to come pick up these special "gifts" from Daddy.
Isn't that adorable and touching? Isn't it wonderful that Build-A-Bear works with the base to operate such a loving program in support of our soldiers? The program is called 'Operation: Voices and Love.'
The heart-shaped tags on each bear have this message:
special message! you are
loved by someone who misses
you and sends you a hug!
When you are feeling sad, just
give this bear a hug and it will
say some special words of love!
SSgt. Friday took us back to a small room where the bears were sitting sweetly on a table. He pretended to really be looking for something before surprising the boys with the bears. They were very gracious, and thanked him for their bears as they hugged them. But SSgt. Friday didn't tell or show the boys the best part - that they could talk! As we rounded a corner and parted ways with SSgt. Friday, I stopped the boys so we could check out the bears more fully. The cute notes didn't tell us where to press, so we tried a few places before getting it right on Jack's bear first. As soon as his bear said, "Hey Jack! It's Dad," both of the boys eyes opened wide in surprise! They laughed and smiled as they each listened to their bears over and over again (and over and over and over!).
On the walk back out to the car, we all wondered how Dad had gotten his voice inside these new stuffed bears. "Maybe Dad shrunk himself and sewed up inside!" "All by himself, you think? Is that possible?" "Well, maybe he asked another military for help, too!"
It was such a fun time. I had tears come to my eyes as we'd thanked SSgt. Friday for the bears, as I could already see how much the boys would love them.
( More pictures with the bears. )
The A.J. Post.
Mar. 7th, 2007 11:29 pmYeah, you knew it was coming. Or at least, you knew that IF it was coming, it was going to be titled like that. *grins*
Last Saturday, while Jack was out at the birthday party in Siberia (really, the snow was THAT bad, I swear!), I had decided on doing something neat just for A.J.
Early in the morning, I'd made the decision to not attend a third Kenny Chesney concert in favor of signing up and paying for swim lessons for A.J. Over the course of last summer, Philip and I worked very hard at teaching him the basics of swimming, and he's got it for the most part. Even so, we want him to have a class or two of certified training before we consider him "good to go." I know it will be fun for him, but it also will be very helpful to me this summer if I have one child who can be completely independent of me in the water. Everything was easy last year: two boys, two parents. This year, more of my attention in the water will need to be given to Jack. Even if HE learns to swim beforehand, he doesn't yet meet the height requirements in many of the pools for him to be without me. And while I am with Jack, I need the peace of mind that A.J. is safe in the water - whether it's diving, going down waterslides, or just playing in the deeper areas with friends.
But a wrench was thrown into those plans when we learned that lessons for A.J.'s level were already booked up. In fact, the only openings available were in the preschool classes. And while I do want to put Jack in swim classes as well, I can't afford both at the same time, and it is more important that A.J. be certified first in swimming. So I inquired as to when the next series of classes would start, and we're to check back mid-April to find out the exact sign-up date in late-April for registration for the next series of classes.
So we'll wait until then, I suppose. *sigh*
Last Saturday, while Jack was out at the birthday party in Siberia (really, the snow was THAT bad, I swear!), I had decided on doing something neat just for A.J.
Early in the morning, I'd made the decision to not attend a third Kenny Chesney concert in favor of signing up and paying for swim lessons for A.J. Over the course of last summer, Philip and I worked very hard at teaching him the basics of swimming, and he's got it for the most part. Even so, we want him to have a class or two of certified training before we consider him "good to go." I know it will be fun for him, but it also will be very helpful to me this summer if I have one child who can be completely independent of me in the water. Everything was easy last year: two boys, two parents. This year, more of my attention in the water will need to be given to Jack. Even if HE learns to swim beforehand, he doesn't yet meet the height requirements in many of the pools for him to be without me. And while I am with Jack, I need the peace of mind that A.J. is safe in the water - whether it's diving, going down waterslides, or just playing in the deeper areas with friends.
But a wrench was thrown into those plans when we learned that lessons for A.J.'s level were already booked up. In fact, the only openings available were in the preschool classes. And while I do want to put Jack in swim classes as well, I can't afford both at the same time, and it is more important that A.J. be certified first in swimming. So I inquired as to when the next series of classes would start, and we're to check back mid-April to find out the exact sign-up date in late-April for registration for the next series of classes.
So we'll wait until then, I suppose. *sigh*
