<p>Well, we are back and recovering. My feet will never be the same.</p>
<p>What a trip it was...after wishing it and dreaming about it for many moons, to finally see the boy in the white works and dixie cup....too much!</p>
<p>*Had calamari with Nurseypoo, MOM2LOLA2011, and their kids and mine. You have no idea how outstanding NP's son and Lola are...so mature, so motivated. NP and Mom, you are my girls!</p>
<p>*It worked out great having the gf there. She kept Spider sane and was so easy to have around. She's a keeper, I'm coming to understand. </p>
<p>*I was the fool who sat in the sun on the metal bleachers for 4 hours waiting for the first glimpse of the boy in uniform. Got to see him for less than 60 seconds...worth it! We saw hundreds of kids come out and Spider was the only smiler. It is very ironic because he is known for being very serious and not ever smiling. </p>
<p>*Man, did we eat some great food! The very best meal was a tapas place across from Loewe's called Kyma. Ah-mazing crab cakes and clams Mediterranean. Chart house was a let-down...they burnt my steak. We did get free mud pie out of it though :) Spider visited Buddy's like three times for crab legs, his new favorite food.</p>
<p>*We bought out the mid store! Bumper stickers, blankets, tees, polos, sweatshirts, scrapbook, an endless supply of blue and gold items. Yeah!</p>
<p>*Favorite moment (besides Lola seeing my "Team Spider" shirt and going, "Hey, we know you!!) was when the plebes jumped the gun on the oath. Priceless!</p>
<p>*Other than some aggressive vying for position to get photos of the oath ceremony, I didn't see any untoward parent behavior. I sure did meet dozens of the nicest families and have a long list of phone numbers and email addresses. I did see (Foxtrot's?) cadre instruct "Say bye mom, bye dad" but I didn't see that as a response to anything. </p>
<p>*Noticed that the cadre at the Alumni Hall loading dock warmed to their task as the day wore on. They were really into it by the end. Go cadre!</p>
<p>*Spider's in November Co, 26th platoon. He's in a four-man room.</p>
<p>*I didn't cry at all until the last goodbye and then just teared up because Spider apologized for being mean to me the night before. It was the apology not the goodbye that did it.</p>
<p>*I saw a bag with the name Duc on it so, I think it might be our CC Duc from Oklahoma.</p>
<p>*The Foundation had a reception at the O-Club the afternoon before I-Day with the Dant and the Sup. We got a nice photo of all the NMMI preps. Thank you Captain Wallace and the Foundation. Any of you out there soon to be seniors...you get a Foundation offer, you take it!</p>
<p>All my CC buddies...thank you for your love and good humor as we start this thing off.</p>