Another letter came today!

Mike wrote to his sisters, and they are thrilled! They are both writing back right now.

He did send an address for us to send mail to him now. So now we can write to him!!! Woohoo!!

I also just looked up how to get there, it's only 13 hours by car. And our route goes past Stone Mountain, Nashville, and then he's close to Churchill Downs so we can go check that out. (I'm a big horse junkie).

He says graduation is in November. No date yet, but I'm ecstatic with any information at this point so we'll just go with that...

:)

OMG! I GOT MY FIRST LETTER TODAY!!

I was sorting out some bills that came today, and found his letter stuck to the back of an electric bill!!! It's been here for hours and I didn't even know it!!!

I'm so happy I can't even think right now.

He didn't date it so I can't figure out how long it took, but he said in it that he won't have an address until the 21st and it was postmarked July 24th.

He sounds like he actually enjoys it!! He said how much he's learned, and how it's great when they work together. He's made some friends with the same MOS as him. The highlight of his letter was when he thanked my husband, Tom, (his step dad) for teaching him good work ethics and discipline. I thought Tom was going to cry. It made my heart fill up and get all warm seeing that written there. I'm sure Tom was just about to burst. He really has always made Mike push himself to do his absolute best, and when we pulled Mike from public school and started homeschooling him, Tom took him to our restaurant and put him to work on a regular schedule (he was 15 at the time). This is where a lot of his serious "training" came from. That kid was one of the best employees we ever had, and not just because he's my son. He worked hard, did what needed to be done, and never once complained because he got burned or because the kitchen was an average of 130 degrees every day. He was respectful to everyone, the customers LOVED him because he's just so nice and good looking. And yes, the waitresses also spent far too much time in the kitchen when Mike was working, but he'd most likely be embarrassed about all that.

I'm so overwhelmed with emotions right now...I cried because I didn't get a letter or a phone call...now I'm crying because I got a letter. Sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy.

I need to work but now I might have to take 5 and have a cup of coffee and just enjoy this feeling. :D

Driving myself nuts while I wait

I need to make more shirts and maybe some coffee cups. bumper stickers. Anything to keep my too preoccupied to get depressed.

You'd think I'd never been able to deal with him being far away before. THAT I can handle. It's being out of touch that totally is no fun.

His sisters are really missing him a lot now too. I keep dreaming that I missed his call and he thinks I don't want to talk to him after that so he never calls me back.

For some reason I just think he's going to think this is all no big deal. He seemed surprised that I wanted to know when graduation was going to be and planned on being there. Maybe he just didn't realize before he left...IT'S A BIG DEAL!!!

Every other mom I see blogging seems so damned together! I wish I could just stop obsessing about him calling me or keeping me informed.

I'll go drive myself nuts while I make some more art...

See you all later!!

:)

My "Army Sister" TShirt was on Today's Best Page on Zazzle!

And this one was Mike's birthday! How cool is that? I'm going to share it here since I'm pretty darn proud of getting on the Today's Best page (TWICE now!! LOL)...

Proud Army Sister TShirt by WendyMilonas
Click to visit My Zazzle Store where you can customize my designs!

Program for National Guardsmen's families going unused

I saw this in our local news and thought it would be good to spread the word: National Guard and Reserves Family Readiness Program going unused.

Happy Birthday Mike!!!

My son is officially 20 now. Happy Birthday Kid! :D

This has become quite the consuming thought for the last few hours. He's 20. It's his birthday. I don't even know what he's doing for sure. I'm positive he's not doing what he used to do on his birthday. I doubt the Army lets you sit around playing video games while you chat with 50 friends and eat Doritos.

My friends are trying to cheer me up. I hate to be down in the dumps but it's hard to kick the crappy mood today.

I keep wondering if he'll even call me at all. or write. I'll take a letter. I just want to know that he's ok.

I keep writing when I'm tired. I think that's when I lose control of my ability to suck it up and just roll with it. I need to post when I'm awake, alert and (hopefully) in a good mood.


I'm not sure why this is so different from him being up in PA, 1800 miles away. Of course, up there he had his dad's family to support him (not that they all did but some were there for him). He was working a really good full time job, AND driving a tow truck to help out his friend (no pay - just tips) AND he was a volunteer fire fighter. He also raced ATVs and Motorcycles when he could. He is not the kind of person to just sit and be safe. BUT he did call me at least every other day, sometimes he'd call every day for 4 days in a row. If he didn't call, I'd see him online.

I know that no one can guarantee that anyone is going to be safe. Even civilians get hurt or even die every day doing "safe" things. I guess I just have to leave it up to a higher power than myself to do what needs to be done. And I'll also have to learn to live with it.

I know he's busy but...

I sure wish I could just hear Mike telling me that he's ok and that things are going well for him.

I think I am doing pretty well during the daytime, but when I start to get tired...watch out! I get really depressed about this whole thing. I guess when pride overrides fear completely I'll stop sounding so whiney.

Maybe.

I really am proud of him. I feel bad that he thought he had no support from his dad and step-mom. I know he sounded mighty ticked off shortly after he told them he enlisted. I guess his step-mom has been pretty crappy to him the whole time he's known her, but his dad's reaction really hurt him I think. Why do people care more about their own feelings than their kids feelings? I never got that. I mean, sure I'm scared to freaking death that something is going to happen to Mike. BUT He's just gone off to fight for OUR country, something he did not have to do. HE CHOSE it. That's something to be PROUD of dammit! And you know he needed support before he left, not stress!! God forbid something happens to him and the last thing he remembers is being mad at his dad for not supporting him 100%. I can relate to not wanting to lose him, but I can also relate to taking those big steps and doing something you believe in, no matter how dangerous. No, I wasn't in the military but I did everything in my life on my own, and sometimes you gotta pull some courage out of places you didn't know you had...it just helps if you have someone behind you giving you a little bit of their courage when you can't find yours.

I did mention I was tired, right? I think I'm babbling.

Later all,

:)

Mike's sisters are feeling the stress now

We are having problems with Mike's 9 year old sister acting out and I'm not sure if it's the stress of me being so unpredictable lately (could start crying for what she thinks is no reason) or if she's just scared something will happen to him. She was pretty quick and figured out the risk involved before he left for Basic Training.

I think I need to start finding some other outlets for them. They were supposed to be writing to Mike every day but they keep avoiding it. I'm fairly sure they are afraid to open up right now.

I keep trying to tell them he's fine (and myself too). I mean, he's at Basic Training...ok, so he's sleep deprived, physically exhausted and being stripped of all but the most basic of emotions...but he's still in the country, and he's got medical care nearby if something does happen. So...technically, he should be fine. Right? (ok, I'm not convincing myself here. LOL )

Well, we have 2 hours of gymnastics practice to race off to. I'm going to try to get through one practice without looking like a sad sack. I'm gonna smile! A lot! Of course, then they might think I've lost it...but whatever.

I'm in control of my own little hell here, I might as well try to make it bearable.

Later!! :)

My Army mom design got listed on Zazzle's "Today's Best" page!

Holy crap!!

I made the shirt design because I was depressed and needed to get it out of my system so I could focus. I never, in a million years, expected to get an email saying:

Congratulations!

Your product, Proud Army Mom TShirt, has been selected as one of Today's Best on Zazzle!

This means it will appear on the Zazzle homepage for the rest of today and it will also be added to the Todays Best Awards Showcase. Keep up the great work!

Bask. Glow. The honor is yours to enjoy.

-Zazzle


Talk about creative therapy. That was one blob of depression that turned into a whole day of randomly smiling like a crazy person. LOL

OH, and someone bought one too!!! I'm almost busting at the seams right now.

Maybe I should make some other ones??


Ok, on the other side of my world...I've been abusing my already overtaxed brain....what if Mike gets a chance to call someone and it's not me? What if he calls his dad and stepmom and I miss out? I KNOW they'd never call me to tell me he was ok or that he called, just so I could relax. And what if I never get his address?

I think I might just go to bed before I make myself nuts. I know thinking all this is useless but it's harder to push it out when I'm tired.

I'm off to pass out for a few hours.

Free Banners

Buildasign.com is offering up to 10,000 3'x6' banners to welcome home US Soldiers.

As of today there were just past the halfway point, so hurry over and see what they have to offer!

My Kid went off to Basic Training and I need to blog

My son decided he wanted to join the military a LONG time ago. I'm thinking he was around 9 years old. He'll be turning 20 in 7 days. He started Basic Training on July 7.

I'm not sure if he had a week of insanity or what...but he called to tell me about his tattoo one day and then two days later called to tell me he'd enlisted. There was also something about getting 4 points on his license somewhere in those few days.

He moved up to be near his dad in PA about a year ago so I really haven't got any information...just what he provided before he went in. He's a 19 year old male. Getting his start date for Basic Training and where he was going out of him was a major accomplishment. I know he's in Ft. Knox. I know he plans on being a Scout.

That's the only clear info I have.

He did say he joined the National Guard but immediately tried to switch to full Army. Last I heard they were still trying to figure out how to do that. Not sure if that ever happened.

So, now you know all that I do.

Before he left, he did call to see if I was going to be in this house for a while (moving is a possibility) so I am guessing that means he might try to write?

I'm reading goarmyparents.com forum every day to keep from crying when someone looks at me.

Toby Keith and Tim McGraw are killing me this evening. Before Mike left, Toby Keith songs made me really proud...now that he's gone, I'm in tears before the third note. And Tim McGraw...If you're reading this (the song, not that I'm expecting him to read this)...puts me in the bathroom to cry in private for at least 10 minutes.

I'm hoping this gets easier, but I'm not so sure after reading everyone else's posts on goarmyparents.com.

It's 4am, I should get some sleep...

nite! :)