He's a Marine!

Well Andrew finished the Crucible and got his Anchor, Globe and Eagle pin so he's now a US Marine. We go see him on Thursday and graduation is on Friday. His platoon got Honor Platoon winning everything. I found a picture of him and he's barely recognizable he's so thin. I can't wait to see him.
I'm sad that my brother Matt has been deployed though. I know his family misses him terrible when he's gone. And I selfishly want him to be safe. After all he's my baby brother.
You might be wondering if I'm worried about Andrew. Yes and in all honesty it just haven't admitted to myself what I know is to some. Within a year he'll most likely be on the ground in harms way in Afghanistan. But that's in the future right now he's safe being well trained and I'm missing him like crazy.
We painted his new room and got him a new bed. I'm sure he'll be disappointed it's a twin but after he heads back out we are giving it to Megan and plan on putting a futon in that room along with the computer and a big desk so I can do my work, and Megan homework.

I wish I could make life stand still. I miss my boys being little more than words can ever express.

News from Boot Camp

Oh my I'm just bursting with pride and excitement!! I got a letter from Andrew he's enjoying boot camp for the most part. The only thing he really doesn't like is one DI and standing with his 90 lb rucksack or whatever they call it above his head for 20 minutes. But he's doing fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!

he qualified as Expert on the rifle range
he's down to 180lbs
His platoon won the Initial Drill
And the initial PT competition


I'm so stoked! And proud. And exited and just jumping with it all!

BTW he sends his thanks Trish for the Calvin & Hobbes - His platoon loved them!

Suzanne Brockmann's latest book

Yesterday I picked up a copy of Hot Pursuit Suzanne Brockmann's latest Troubleshooters novel. I was hesitant to gt it as the last few IMO seemed to be targeted to the wrong audience. Most of her readers are women. Reading about gay lovers isn't usually where their interests lay.
For those who are not familiar with her works these are romance/military thrillers. Featuring SEAL team 16 and the Troubleshooters anti-terrorism/protection company (made up of former FBI and SEAL team 16 members) these brave men and women fight terrorism reminding us of the real lives behind the heroes. Ms. Brockmann has always done an excellent job of showing the humanity behind the heroism. These men and women are realistic. They experience pain, fear, heartbreak and although they are able to shoot straight and are willing to face crazed armed fanatics and serial killers their lives like everyone else's are fraught with mistakes, wrong decisions, and the fear of having their hearts broken. Most of the characters are beloved to her readers. Sam, Tom, Max, Jules, Jenk, Nils, Wildcard, and my favorite Muldoon. Others like Robin seem to just be intrusive.
I applaud her desire to include her son in her life and her books. However I remember, hopefully correctly, that she has a daughter too although the last several introductions have not mentioned her to the best of my memory. This latest doesn't - I know I double checked.
There is probably a gay SEAL out there. But I doubt every team has one. This is a life that most don't choose - because they must keep their choice of sexual partners secret, simply not a place where they feel comfortable , or some other reason I don't know. I'm amazed at the number of gay characters in her books. The preaching from the characters is simply distracting on this subject.
I've read every book she's written or published I should say since I was a preteen reading Prince Joe- the first book I ever kept to reread. Same with my now 84 year old mother. I was born into a military family, married into one and now have a son at USMC boot camp- the subject of heroic military men was a vision close to my heart. And I could tell it was the same for Ms. Brockmann. However as time has passed she's written outside her novels of her dislike of the previous administration and her preference for the current one. She's doesn't seem to be able to merge these visions of pro-military with her dislike of the politicians who do not openly disdain those same men and women.
Gay rights and military service would seem to not be related. And in many ways they aren't. She's said that the next novel will be the last Troubleshooter novel and as much as I will miss them I agree that it's probably for the best. Reading these last 4 novels has been like visiting a high school friend - the memories of what you had are so precious but the changes in your lives can't be ignored leaving awkward silences and and an exhausting battle to curb your thoughts and opinions to preserve the illusion that you are both still the same.
For the record I'm torn on gay rights. I do believe marriage is between a man and woman. What two men have or two woman isn't necessarily less but it's not the same. I also believe that no one should be discriminated against in the workplace - period. And that one's sex life unless you are a prostitute is totally not to be brought to the work place heterosexual or homosexual. I don't want to hear about anyone having sex that I know. I like to keep that imagery to fictional characters thankyouverymuch. You should be able to designate anyone you want to inherit and the idea of family only to visit people in hospitals is asinine. Everyone should take precautions like living wills and such married or single. I guess it comes down to I believe in civil unions. Reading a man referring to another man as his husband is just disconcerting to the story IMO. Like having a him inserted where it should say he - I get the meaning of the sentence but I still reread it because I know something is off - rereading a line in a book interrupts the flow of the book.

Pulling back to the book now I have enjoyed her novels and I hope to find an equally talented author to write books dealing with the same subjects. I'm looking forward to see what new direction she'll be heading in and I'm hoping one where she doesn't feel so torn bedtween author, mother and activist.

Now if I could convince Iris Johannson to give Eve Duncan a rest and return to her earlier style- The Ugly Duckling was the creme de la creme of her books. No more mystical stuff that makes me feel like I've missed a chapter or book expaining the Wind Dancer etc.

Andrew has just finished week 4 of boot camp. Wow. I can't believe it. We all really miss him but also are so very proud of him. One of the rules of boot is not telling what they tell us. So I'll leave it with he's doing fine, not too homesick, and more determined than ever to be the best.

Work is going well - love my classes. I have the best bunch of little ones ever.

James got a second job {yea!}

Ralph took a spill at the pool and tore his hamstring man oh man is it bruised. Didn't help his bad back either.

Megan had a great first week of school. I have very high hopes this is the year she discovers a love of learning.

The Countdown has begun

My baby. My little boy. My sweet, gentle, lovable child leaves July 20 for Marine Corps basic training or better know as boot camp. I'm going to miss him so much.

OK I have painted the end tables, cleaned the kitchen and our bedroom. And I do mean clean. And organized. Organized and cleaned the hall closet, the laundry room- Am progressing on the den and the dining room (which doubles as a workroom and the computer area.

My MIL wants us to move the computer into what is now Megan's room and move Megan into Andrew's room when Andrew goes to boot camp- however they don't have kids so they don't realize the computer is in a central location for a reason. The reason being so mom can see what the kids are doing on it! Megan has almost succeeded in signing herself up for clubs online that cost a lot of money for what they are. Club Penquin and such at 50-60 a year for a 7 yr old to play on. I so don't think so!

I just read my SIL Trish's blog and am going to look into a Zumba class. Sounds good!

TMJ -- TMI?

Well the toothache turned out to not be the tooth but rather TMJ disorder. I took a LOT of Motrin and I mean a lot about 4 every 3-4 hours for several days and it wasn't helping so I was just about ready to call the dentist and request narcotics when I decided to take some Sudafed for my stuffy nose and the pain went away. Came back and I took more Sudafed and bam went away. So the TMJ is being aggravated by my messed up sinuses. The TMJ had never bothered me before. My jaw clicks but only when I open my mouth really wide something I don't do often.

Anyway... Now I'm taking lots of Sudafed instead of lots of Motrin.

My vacation started today and I didn't get anything accomplished - I have a week to get so very much done so it's off the computer and into the kitchen I go :)

Winding down

Wow Graduation is over. School is out. I am tired. I have so much planned for the next few weeks and so what happens another tooth ache. I'm not sure if it's one I've had worked on or the adjacent one. It do know my entire right side of my jaw hurts. Every tooth. Throbs and aches and sometimes I get sharp pains in it. I'm sure it'll cost another 1500 to fix it. Ugggg.

Anyway I plan to paint the coffee and end tables an off white called Swiss Coffee not nearly as dark as it sounds very close to white. Need to have the carpets cleaned, and a few other projects.

I have three more weeks of school but all is good on that front. Looking forward to redoing everything for the next year :)

New background - thanks Trish

I have a new background and am looking forward to an entire month off! Of course I'm not getting paid then either. But the time off will be wonderful - going back to work afterward will be hard.
Getting a new dishwasher and cleaning house - that's it. Everything is same old same :)

Mother's Day

Holidays suck. Every blasted one of them. I am beginning to conclude life is just get up go to work, come home, clean up after the ones who don't do it themselves, get ready for the next day and then do it again. Every day. Fun is a dirty word. Happy is a sin. Love is a fairy tale. Live is work work work. Happy Mother's Day to me.

Long time no posts- catch up time

Wow lets see. Everything changes and nothing changes. Life goes on with good days and bad days. The kids are growing up sometimes too fast other times not fast enough. Megan is so mature one moment and so babyish another. Whining one second and then so mature another. An example. Yesterday she had a blister on her palm from the monkey bars, it tore, the corpsman at Andrew's Marine competition came to her rescue with Neosporin and a band aid. She whined about it for hours. Along with being hot, or thirsty or something else despite it not being hot and having plenty of drinks. Then today she comes in her hand all bloody the same had as she hurt yesterday and calmly goes into the bathroom washes the blood off and puts a band aid on it. She cut her finger on a thorn. Now those hurt. But no crying or whining. The girl is like that - if she bleeds she calms right down its the little things that upset her. Weird!

Andrew went to the Marine Recruit games yesterday and his recruit team won the games. He needs to work on his chin-ups as we used to call them - now they call them pull-ups; and sit ups are crunches. He graduates from HS May 18 and goes to boot camp July 20th.

We are heading to Dallas the first week in July to see family. Andrew and hopefully James will be able to do with us.

Speaking of James. He's working, Dating different girls, and partying. The last one seems to be his main past time nowadays. We worry. We wait. We'll see what happens with it.

Ralph is working a lot of hours. I had to take a pay cut. We all did. Enrollment is down - the economy.

I gave up soda pops. Lasted 2 weeks and then slowly started again. I'm back where I was. Time to redouble my efforts to cut them out.

That is pretty much it. Nothing exciting.

Time is flying. Andrew was sworn into the Marines January 5th - Classes resumed for me the 5th too - I have 3 new students. Ralph is working tons of hours and is just dragging now. Hoping he'll get a little time off once the club opens.
James is working and dating and doing more dating than working it seems.
I'm already trying to imagine Andrew being gone. It's so hard. I really start missing him and get very sad when I think a head a few months. I start to get him something for his room then think he's gonna be gone to boot camp in a few months. OK 7 months but time flies now. I seems just a few years ago he was a little boy sleeping at the end of our bed because he was scared of the dark. That was 12 years ago. So long ago. Yet it seems like yesterday. Heck Megan was born last week it feels like sometimes.