<p>You are soooooo welcome PJMOM2011. Tomorrow will be exactly one month till Parent's Weekend. (Not that anyone is counting!) I also had an incredible phone call from my PC yesterday. When asked, "So how are things going?" He said, "Good Mom--I'm doing good!" I lifted my head to the sky and said, "Thank you. Finally, he's "good"!</p>
<p>PJmom2011, sent you a pm.</p>
<p>PJmom I would highly recommend contacting the moderators and having them remove your son's name from your post. Not that your post has any negative things in it, but from now on your son's name will be attached to your posts if someone looks for it and that might not be the best thing for him while he's a midshipman. Just my two cents....</p>
<p>We took a 5:45 am flight to La Guardia on Sunday and we met our son in front of chapel before mass (he was expecting his dad, but not his mom or girlfriend!) He was just beaming and smiling and so surprised that we'd all come to visit. There were so many of your sons and daughters at mass-I recognized quite a few from their online photos! And, yes, we got to sing "Eternal Father." </p>
<p>We brought pizza and birthday cake and had a very enjoyable afternoon on the waterfront deck, with a terrific view. Several of son's friends stopped by to wish him "Happy Birthday" and have a piece of cake and to share stories about indoc and life at KP as a plebe candidate.</p>
<p>It was great seeing our son's smile and how well-adjusted he seems to be. He thanked us over and over for "the best day ever" and all of us are counting days until we return for Parents' Week-end. His friends later told him what a "lucky guy" he is.</p>
<p>I can't lie to you...it was just as difficult to say "good-bye" the second time as it was on July 5 and not without a few tears. I suppose it will never be easy. </p>
<p>It was wonderful spending time together on Sunday. Our experience was great and positive and for those of you living close to KP or able to take a "day trip flight" as we did, I would recommend it. After leaving KP, we even had time to catch an exhibit at the MET and have a drink before flight home!</p>
<p>My P/C misses his dog terribly and I know I can't bring the dog on Parents' Weekend. I was thinking of bringing the dog up this Sunday just for a visit, but are dogs allowed on campus?</p>
<p>kathynp: As your p/c has probably already learned there is a quote that goes "It is better to beg forgiveness, than to ask permission" I forget who said it, but this may apply to your situation. I know there are private houses on campus and there is a dog who used to (or still does) wander around the waterfront. I think you'd be okay as long as you kept him on a leash.</p>
<p>There was an adorable black lab puppy on leash at waterfront last Sunday!</p>
<p>I saw a worker with his dog playing by the pool just before indoc.......so i would guess that dogs are allowed and I love the quote KP100. Here in the south we say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."</p>
<p>Thanks guys!! I'll let you know if I go--I'm sure that would make his day! I don't know what I would do without this site!!</p>
<p>Really shouldn't put the names of these plebe candidates on this post.</p>
<p>Ole Dad, you are right. I wouldn't normally have done that, but those names of students had already been put on this website by a mother. Will be more careful, thanks for the caution.</p>
<p>Do your KP students know that there is a chapel lounge that is open all the time? Students study, sleep, visit, and watch TV and videos down there. Also, there is a refrigerator that is available during the day, with sodas, etc. for the students.</p>
<p>The chapel does not have the regimental separation, so it's a place to come and relax and get to know upperclassmen.</p>
<p>The chapel program offers retreats, apple picking party, trips, free tickets to the Christmas program at Radio City Music Hall. There is a student run CFC for the protestants and for the catholics a Newman Club. There are also Jewish, Mormon and other groups holding activities and meetings.</p>
<p>The protestant chapel program has a complete mix of all different denominations worshipping together. The chapel service itself is a meshing of formal with more relaxed worship so each student will have something that he/she is used to. Each one of us adapts a little from our normal traditions, so we can fit together, but the basics are there. We study the Bible, we worship the same God. It is working very well, and the students are happy. If a student has special needs these are quickly and carefully taken care of. For instance if a student wants to have communion every Sunday, that will be accommodated. Also, if a student doesn't feel comfortable with the program, the chapel will find a church nearby and see if they can arrange transportation. After acceptance, they can get special permission to go to their church.</p>
<p>There is a Bible Class Sunday mornings at 9:30am, small group Bible studies, accountabilty groups, music worship teams where they can express themselves in that outlet. Around the Christmas season there is Operation Angel tree. Often there are barbecues, games such as capture the flag etc., superbowl parties, Christmas parties, etc. etc. There are also seminars, where the students chose the topic. Homecooking is brought in for soup seminar, chili, curry, gumbo, pizza, and barbecue seminars.Now there has been added Cookie Cafe at Land Hall on Thursday afternoons where the students can come for cookies just out of the oven, and a cold glass of milk and chat. There is some talk about students of wanting to learn to bake, so that will be added.</p>
<p>In essence the chapel program is building a community. Because of the cloistered atmosphere at KP, there is now being introduced InterVarsity, so they can meet students from local colleges.</p>
<p>Students often wonder what to do when they have liberty, and sometimes decide to go to the bars because they are lonely and have nothing to do. The chapel program is introducing lots of alternatives. Besides, as one top ranking midshipman just told us, the nicest, most highly respected and most fun students at the school are involved in the chapel program.</p>
<p>Most of what I have put down is the protestant side of the chapel program because that's what I know best, but the other religions have lots going on too. This is not just a service on Sunday mornings and that's it. There are things going on all the time.</p>
<p>Thank you KPMOM and thank you USMMA for supporting this. My son loves the program as do many of his new friends. This gives him something to look forward to each Sunday.</p>
<p>I know this cost money is there anything we parents can do to help? Do the contribution during chapel go to this program?</p>
<p>I hope you will be around parents week-end I want to give you a parent hug!</p>
<p>KPMOM You & the other "spiritual family" at KP are a Blessing! Thanks so much for being there for our Plebes, especially when moms & dads are 3000 miles away!
Truly is a small world !!! Looking forward to meeting you on P/W.</p>
<p>(I'll be happy to contribute, too!)</p>
<p>My son loves the chapel program and looks forward to any and all time spent there! Thank you, and to echo Supportmom.......how can we help from afar?</p>
<p>Tell your P/C's to come to waterfront tomorrow between 9am and almost 1pm--I'm bringing food!!! Lots of mom hugs too!!!</p>
<p>Talked to our son earlier today from Waterfront. Asked if he saw a family from Maryland visiting with lots of food and the family dog??? He said YES. Hope you had a wonderful visit. All day, I've been remembering our visit just one week ago!</p>
<p>The new protestant navy chaplain will be arriving Sunday afternoon. He looks like he's a good man. We are looking forward to working under him as volunteers. I hope that we can be a good support to him.</p>
<p>Dad G. has enjoyed leading and preaching for 6 weeks in the last two months. You have great kids. He has told many sea stories from his years of sailing, and used them as illustrations, so they understood the lesson in the Bible.</p>
<p>The catholic chaplain may be a part-time priest in the area. They are still finalizing that. Whatever is done, your students are covered. There is also a good Jewish and Mormon program.</p>
<p>The chapel program is growing and expanding. It's exciting to see it vibrant. A community of caring students is developing and it's fun to be part of it. The students love the programs.</p>
<p>The visit didn't go as well as planned...</p>
<p>I got up to NY in four hours which was ok. I took the Northern Route across the Throgs Neck. I got there at 915 am and saw MMAMom2011's son who helped me with the "psycho dog", (who by the way got loose twice!!). </p>
<p>The dog, by the way, loved the Waterfront! She broke her leash and then slipped out of the collar and jumped into the well in front of Yocum Sailing Center. I had to jump in after her to get the collar on. The good news is, she can't jump a four foot concrete fence. The bad news, is neither can I!! (I'm sure the video will be on YouTube any minute now!)</p>
<p>Then MMAMom2011's son went to find my son. HE WAS ASLEEP!!! He had 0000-0400 watch and slept through his alarm. (I wish he had told me he had watch, I wouldn't have come up!)</p>
<p>Then I had brought enough food for the 4th division and no one was at the Sailing Center, or their families had brought them food. So, I carted all that food home!! (My office appreciated it today.)</p>
<p>Too add insult to injury, it took me 7 hours to get home! (Normally, 4) Thankfully, my daughter's boyfriend was checking traffice cameras and routing us around Delaware and through Maryland back home, or it would have taken me an additional 2 hours at least.</p>
<p>So, all in all, seeing my tired kid, who wasn't hungry and spending 11 hours on the road, was not my idea of fun--but on a positive note, I did get to SEE him!! He looks skinny, tired and (I think) happy!</p>
<p>MMAMom2011's son WAS hungry--he ate alot--thank God!!</p>
<p>The End.</p>
<p>LOL KATHYNP!!!! First, please accept my sincere gratitude for feeding my son (he too has lost too much weight!!) Second, I only heard how wonderful you are and about your "wild" dog - which the boys thoroughly enjoyed, so I loved getting details! Lastly, I'm going up this Sunday, so I'll look forward to reciprocating the "feed" since your son won't have watch next Sunday (I'm assuming since he just had it). Wow... you must be exhausted. Thank you!! I know my son appreciated your time and effort and certainly we do too!!</p>