Fabulous Army Life

We had a hyper-happy Thanksgiving this year as Nate returned from Iraq on Thanksgiving Day! His entire family was able to be there to greet him and it was a simply glorious day. Welcome home, Soldier!

This is the first year that my younger son has had a teacher that also taught my older son. It's been fun to relive the 3rd Grade with Mrs. Cameron, a teacher that both my children have really liked. One of the units that she teaches is based on the book, Indian in the Cupboard . The project that goes along with this book is for partners to create an Iroquois Longhouse using as many natural products as possible, complete with models of the Indians and various artifacts.  Joshua, my purist and rule-follower, had to be convinced that glue was allowed ("after all, you can't just go pick GLUE out of nature, Mom!") ... but he finally consented that it was made of enough natural materials to use. He and his friend Caleb researched, planned, and created their longhouse largely on their own.  They did get assistance with hot glue but carried out their plan independently.  They had a good time working together and some of their conversations were hilarious. J: I want t...

Okay, okay, so it wasn't really a party ... but we did have a good time! Our volunteers gathered at the battalion headquarters to load gift baskets and transport them to the temporary barracks where our Soldiers will be returning. In each room, we did a little minor cleaning, made beds, placed gift baskets, and prepared the rooms for the Soldiers' return. It was freezing cold and we were traipsing up three flights of stairs in two different buildings to make it happen, but our volunteers were fabulous. We finished in record time and are so happy to have prepared these rooms for our heroes.  Welcome Home, Red Dragons! Fabulous volunteers ready to make up single Soldier rooms! My adorable nieces came to help the Soldiers.  Here, they look out over the Motor Pools and say, "That's a lot of Army stuff."  =)  Love them! Our note to the Soldiers ... Welcome Home, Heroes! Beds made and gift basket prepared. Hand towels, wash cloths, hand soap are in p...

In Joshua's 3rd grade class, they were assigned a "Hero Box" project ... Think of the bravest, strongest, smartest person you know and create a box describing why that person is your hero. No surprise that Joshua chose his brave, strong, smart, heroic father for his topic. It was so sweet to watch him put this together ... and I know Nate is honored to be the hero in his son's life. Joshua's school project ... a "Hero Box" describing your hero. Joshua shows off the front of his 'hero box.' The top of the box The bottom of the box

Saying goodbye to my husband for months at a time is something that never gets easier for me.  For my kids, it is at least equally as difficult.  They have a fantastic father who is involved in their lives, loves to spend time with them, and is a true role model for the kind of men I hope they grow up to be.  When he is gone, it takes a definite toll on their emotions. One of the ways I like to help them cope with the separation is through children's literature.  A former Reading Teacher, I have always enjoyed a good book and have seen the power of books in children's lives.  Military kids are no different and we have employed a variety of books to make us laugh, help us cry when we need to, and open discussions about this deployment. With each book, I try to find a tangible reminder of the lesson learned there ... a simple craft, a letter to our Soldier, or a small gift.  I have been amazed at how my kids cherish these small tokens and hold on to them ...

Phase III of our Single Soldier project consisted of taking all the goodies that have been donated and purchased and organizing them into gift baskets. We had a great group of volunteers throughout the day helping with this gargantuan task. BIG thanks to Elena, Christine, Annmarie, Kimberly, Valencia, Georgia, Beverly, Katie, Lani, Victoria, Nina, Leslie, and Debbie for all the amazing progress today! Some super ladies worked hard today to prepare for this redeployment.  I'm SO very appreciative of everyone who came out to help today! We started an assembly line for creating the single Soldier 'welcome home' baskets.  It was a fine-tuned machine by the end of the day ... and we ended up with 181 assembled baskets! The assembly line starts with a laundry basket, welcome home poster, and a Ziploc with a few paper goods -- paper plates, cups, and plastic ware. Next, they get a bath towel and a package of Wet Ones wet wipes. Adding hand towels, wash cloths...