tidbits from Family Weekend that I just remembered

As I sit and paint or tear out carpet in the new house, my brain takes it own vacation and thinks about all the things that have been going on lately.

Yesterday some thoughts about our Family Weekend surfaced and I thought I'd share. And I may have briefly mentioned some, but I'm sure not in detail:

---> Mike now knows it's NOT a good idea to drink a dozen Monster Energy drinks in 3 days when you've had no junk food in your system for 10 weeks.

---> Some Soldiers can eat like humans and some can't. LOL Mark (our adopted Soldier) was eating with a knife and fork in a most humanlike manner while Mike was strategically piling items on his plate so he could get the most food on his fork and into his mouth with the least amount of work. I had to keep telling him he had time to eat, no one was going to take it away.

---> We didn't realize the barracks were heated already and that they weren't used to air conditioning...so both boys were walking around looking like Eskimos with bedspreads wrapped around them.

---> NyQuil is NOT something the Army gives out and they will not be used to it so when you see your Ft. Knox Soldier (who will no doubt be infected with Fort Knox cooties just like every other Soldier there) make sure they take the recommended dose and don't take a big swig (that might just be a guy thing). They WILL end up complaining because they slept 4 hours of their precious freedom away (even if they really really did need it).

---> Letting them sit and relax and do nothing is far more interesting to some of them than running all over creation looking at historical sites (Mike is really into history and he didn't even want to consider going to check things out). We did a lot of sitting in the hotel room or at a restaurant, telling his sister and Mark about things he'd done or that his dad or I had done...and I think that helped make the bond with his sisters stronger, since they are so much younger. It also helped him reset his system and not be so busy he was more tired than when he left the base.

Maybe some of these thoughts can help other parents heading to see their Soldiers...or not.

I had a really good memory yesterday but as I was tearing out carpet and forgot my really cool all weather notebook I bought for just such thoughts...I have since lost it. I will see if I can't get it back and will be armed with that notebook for future "really good thoughts"

Gotta go paint and pack...

Later All!!