<p>D just called - we got to talk for a full hour - maybe even a little longer. Speaker phones are a wonderful thing! It was a great talk & she sounds wonderful - has a very good attitude & told so many stories I wish I had been recording the whole thing! She is pretty tired & perhaps a bit stressed, though very relaxed today. Earlier this week we decided that I would go to A-Day, if she wanted (didn’t think a surprise would work). So when I asked if she would like me to be there she got so excited. As we hung up she told me she has new reason to be thrilled about A-Day and return for 2nd BCT with gusto! She kept saying something akin to “now I have something totally cool to look forward to - thank you soooo much, you have no idea how fabulous this is for me.” Frankly, I don’t know when the last time she sounded that excited about the prospect of seeing me!</p>
<p>She only told us good stories - said there are certainly some bad stories to share someday but she doesn’t want to relive them in order to share them at this point. Maybe by parents weekend, but (as she put it) probably not until Christmas when I’ll have time to re-bury them in my psyche! Staying positive is the most important thing and reliving them is just not in the equation at this point (glad to hear, I didn’t want to hear the bad! I prefer to think she is at a character building summer camp!).</p>
<p>Our son sounded great. He called on his way to his sponsor family's home. Said he has been looking forward to Doolie Day Out all week, but now part of him just wants to get back to the Academy immediately. This, just three days after a "the world is ending" letter. I'm glad I got to hear his voice. Just the sound of his voice tells me wordlessly far more than his letters can. The Academy is already shaping him noticeably. His comments and answers were crisp, exact, and confident.</p>
<p>Isn't it amazing how much our S & Ds grow up in just 3 weeks. I am amazed and grateful to those incredible cadre who can put that final finish out these young men and women.<br>
I too can quit stressing and sleep well at night.</p>
<p>You all sound like you've had wonderful calls. I'm so glad everyone seems to be doing well.
It's 3:10 pm here in NC and we are STILL WAITING for the phone call. I'm afraid I may become permanently attached to the phone in each hand. Just waiting for that ring...</p>
<p>CDK called and sounded good. We talked for about an hour and then they food ready for lunch, so he went to eat. We suggested he take a nap and then call again to talk to his brother and sisters. He had wonderful things to say about the squad and flight- He is getting the hang of what is required for the military respect-still learning and feels good physically. He is looking forward to the Academic year and Jack's Valley. Totally enjoys Intermurals-</p>
<p>Our son called and left a message while we were at church, then went with a bunch of guys to a movie (Transformers), then called again. We talked for a long time. He is doing well. Hardest thing, he says, is keeping his bearing. He is such a smile guy.</p>
<p>Son called and talked for an hour. That's the most I've heard him talk in years. He is having a good time of it there. He didn't have anything negative to say. He told us all about field day, his roommate, and the food there. He was very excited that his host family had Mountain Dew, Doritos, and burgers on the grill.
It was very nice to talk to him, but I can't wait to see him at Acceptance day.</p>
<p>Stealth, I keep looking for your boy and trying to find out which squad he's in but I can't. I tried to find him when we had a lightning warning and outside intramurals watched inside intramurals, then again on Field Day... I saw him at the airport on the 27th and got a hug and like a minute to say hi (he really didn't cut his hair!!), and then I saw him once when we were marching into a briefing but I didn't dare stop. He's a hard one to get ahold of!</p>
<p>I gotta go change back into my service dress, complete with trousers that are way too big and a cap that makes me feel blind and leaves a racing stripe on my forehead! Woo-hoo! ;)</p>
<p>I think we were all posting at the same time so I copied this from my original thread so So Cal fams could see.</p>
<p>We just heard from our S today! He is with about 15 other guys with the wrestling coach. Apparently the Basics DID NOT get access to their cell phones.
He sounds very upbeat and says he is where he should be. The squadron is like a big family! I asked him about the CA Basics on CC and he said Kelly, Georgina & Caleb are cool.
He was nervous about wrestling because in High School he wrestled 140s and went in at 160. He said he was holding his own in the wrestling room.
He has taken his beatings just fine. He said he gets what he deserves. He said the hardest part was trying to keep a straight face when the cadres are trying to make you laugh. Especially when they start barking at you through the sock puppet that looks like a dog.
His roommates are great and work as a team by each person doing what they are best at.
Field day was alot of fun even though they didn't win at much. Fourth of July fireworks show was the most spectacular he'd ever seen.
I am relieved and finally will be able to sleep at night!
I hope everyone gets their phone calls soon and it is as great as mine!</p>
<p>I got a 2nd phone call! DDO was awesome. She loves her family. Thinks she ate to much but it was worth it, steak, hot dogs, ice cream ontop of fresh from the oven hot brownies and whipped cream ..... two of them (she is a sucker for brownies!) .... "Happy" to go back to AFA today and get moving with BCT2. That ten minute call was filled with tons of info. Most of all she wanted to confirm that I would be at A-Day & that I had already gotten the air plane tickets so she would know it was for real! She just chatted & chatted faster & faster - they were on a cell phone on the way back to AFA - as they got closer she talked faster! And, please bring this and that to parents weekend and bring this... that... etc.... oh, and this too.... I asked if she has any injuries - none to speak of - just the expected everything aches type of stuff. Can't believe I got a 2nd call - good thing we were home - almost went to a movie!!!</p>
<p>We finally got the phone call from son! He was last in line to use the phone at the host home. It was so funny to see a post from him on CC right after I posted on CC. At least he got to use the computer while waiting for the phone. He's doing good, just has a bad cold that is being passed around his flight. Sounded really hoarse, but said they all were from all the yelling they do and cheering at Field Day - Flying Tigers won! He said things were much more bearable and that it is just so amazing to be where he is. The phone call was wonderful, if I can just figure out a way to get to Acceptance Parade... Sure would like to see him before PW.
So thankful for DDO.</p>
<p>Cam called twice. 1.5 hours then 30 minutes. We haven't heard so many words from him since he became a teenager. He moaned and groaned about how awful it is, but his stories had us rolling on the floor. He appears to be keeping his sense of humor, really enjoys his cadre (go figure) and has made some great friends.</p>
<p>I think Dara (my wife), Ana (his girlfriend), and I will be able to breath for awhile now. The pictures of him on webguy always looked so gloomy.</p>
<p>Did get my phone call, but we only talked for about 20 minutes. He had spent the day with the gymnastics team and there was only one phone. He sounds great, says he's tired but happy. His plan for DDO was to eat lots of cookies and sleep. He was never a big eater before but says he is now. Can definitely sense a change in him. It was a good day. :-)</p>
<p>AHHHH! I missed my phone calls! redhead called back several times, but I was working. When I got her missed called I was SOOOO upset!!! I did get a nice long v-mail though, and in that she sounded GREAT! She writes very very long letters, (not sure how she gets the time) and in them she sounds wonderful. she LOVES it there, and has not changed one bit. she sounds very happy and is doing wonderfully, so i am pretty relaxed about it. i miss her a TON, but it's great to know she's happy there. she is an element leader, and enjoying that as well. :)</p>