<p>Hey Moms! How is everyone. SPRING has Sprung in GA with 80 degree weather and POLLEN! I heard a DJ say on the radio this morning that everyone in GA drives a "yella" car for a month in the Spring. </p>
<p>The countdown is truly on. How are you all doing with the 3 months til some of our kids leave for USNA, USMA, USAFA; the preparation for some of you with HS Graduation time coming up, and the end of Plebe year for some of you?</p>
<p>Whats the latest?</p>
<p>Anybody planning a big PARTY for going away? I am just in the beginning stages of mine and think it will be at my sisters' cabin and invite family, friends, BGO for BBQ and 4-wheelin. Would love suggestions! And anybody that lives nearby is sure welcome to come :)</p>
<p>Amazing that it is soon. I was looking at the calendar with D yesterday and beginning next week (Spring Break) she is on a snow ball downhill to graduation! Every waking moment has something going. Concerts, competitions every week all over the state, judging for next years audition positions, Senior Ball, Senior "everything", work - you name it, she's doing it. She doesn't have time to even think about thinking about leaving for AFA! Though, she got her new address from AFA - WOW - THAT IS COOL! I already have it memorized (she does not, priorities of a mom!). </p>
<p>No HS grad party planned - no bon-voyage to AFA yet planned. I would like to do a great fun party for her - but she's disinclined to have such a party. She said since all the friends are going away to one place or another, it should be a group party to celebrate all the seniors transition to their various places accross the country. So, I am thinking of hosting a pot luck for all the parents/family/kids/friends of the seniors in her "group" with games, prizes, self addressed stamped envelopes to D for everyone to collect (no one else will have an address yet so they don't get one!!!). Have all the seniors tell of where they are going and have the younger kids show their support. Parents mingle around. Sound fun? Maybe at the beach though the backyard pool may suffice. </p>
<p>What do you guys think? What are some of you doing?</p>
<p>We too did something with getting a group together to celebrate all of the kids next phase in life. It was fun. </p>
<p>Another thing that we did in the fall was got a big group of all of the Class of 2006 parents together; there were about 40 of us moms one evening (He came from a graduating class of 100). We had each of the kids send their parents a little ditty about what they were up to, made 100 copies before the get together- those that didn’t get one from their kid the mom wrote. Every one brought a shoebox and some Halloween treats and we packed a box for each of our kids with one copy of each of their former classmates little blurbs. Moms had a great time, and the kids thought it was great. We may have started a tradition at our school!</p>
<p>Us Plebes about to Be no More parents are getting excited for Intercessional – those who have kids coming home, mine may be and with a friend – Sea Trials and Herndon. Luckily he didn’t draw training block 0 and we will be attending all of the Plebe recognition functions. (Originally had block 0 Sailing Cruise but that has already changed :) ) The boy will be off on a sailing cruise and a sub cruise this summer. Just waiting to see where he goes for his sub cruise of course is dreaming far away!.Timing works out that for now he is scheduled to be home for about 5 weeks. Of Course all subject to “The Needs of the Navy”</p>
<p>MomofHopefull and Profmom! Great ideas for parties! And I love the idea of doing the envelopes and passing them out. I will def do that at our BBQ.</p>
<p>SO much to think about and to do!! </p>
<p>Profmom... what do you think the hardest thing was overall for your son this Plebe year? What was the worst thing? what was his favorite?</p>
<p>As this is getting closer, I am realizing I need to focus my attention on something - party planning sounds like a good idea! Mom's - we have a big change on our horizon (yes, I know my D has a bigger change on her horizon - but there is little I can do to help her in Beast beyond write, write, write some more and consider a pseudonym in order to write more and then remind the mayor to write and email her friends and teachers to ask them to wrtie ... do you think she'd think I went to far! :D :D ha ha ...) </p>
<p>Sounds like I should stick to the party plan for now, doesn't it? Can't really get to muc of a head start on the support via writing bit, can I?!!</p>
<p>I will ask him... Just by things he has said in the past, the hardest thing probably it not owning your own time, thus not really being able to plan well. He would have his study schedule all planned out and then get voluntold and out the window it went. That is very hard for someone who is very organized and a planner.</p>
<p>Never said anything about "the worst" although I don't think Boxing was too enjoyable...this one I will need to inquire but I may get a nothing really kind of anwer which then will tell me he doesn't want to relive anything!</p>
<p>Loved going on Military Orders to away football - who wouldn't have liked going to Stanford! Likes the EC's, never at a loss of things to get involved with. Has really liked most of his classes, and has found most of the instructors approachable and interested in their students.</p>
<p>My daughter didn't want a party, but she relented for my sake. It was a blast! We had close to 100 people with a lot of her friends, some teachers, lots of family, and her MALO. Everyone wrote a note to her in a book and they all filled out envelopes so she could write to them. (I threw them out last week. :( ) Also, we gave stamped envelopes to everybody. Since we didn't have her address, I had everyone sign a list and provide an e-mail address. As soon as I had her "official" address I sent everyone an e-mail. It sure helped during Beast to get so much mail from her friends.</p>
<p>We had a similar party with family, friends, teachers, as well as number of coaches and wrestlers from schools he competed against. Besides the envelopes, one thing we did, which is now one of LFWB's favorite things, was to get a WWII vintage recruiting poster and have it on a card table with Sharpies and had everybody sign it. We then had it framed and it can be something he'll have forever. </p>
<p>Heck, I'm right here & stayin'! No way am I missing the bon voyage to these great kids. Besides, I have to stay here to pick up all those pieces after ya'll drop them off.</p>
<p>When I saw M2L's countdown at 75 days, I felt a lump in my throat. To compound the emotion, I pulled out a poem that was given to me. I found it online and copied it here for all of you. I think you'll like it.</p>