<p>Oh and tears come and go. Not a tremendously productive work day. My husband made me cancel several patients. He's not focusing that well today either.</p>
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I cried so much over the next few days that I thought I was turning into a democrat.
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<p>Holy Krikes! How the HELL did I miss THAT? :eek:</p>
<p>LOL! Aw, man! that was a belly-laugh and a half! :D</p>
<p>Now, a question for those among you who are alumni....</p>
<p>Are you feeling the same way I am? the "Holy sh**. Here they go..." feeling that only we can really appreciate?</p>
<p>If my kids ever go, I'm going to be a brooding, introverted, machine for four years. I know it.</p>
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Thanks for thinking of us parents, Zaph - you know we're not about making this experience "all about us", but it's nice to be asked!
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<p>Ah! But you see? THIS is now IS all about YOU. The kids are off. You've done your job. NOW you have the time and the RIGHT to think about yourselves for a while.</p>
<p>You've earned the right to be proud, and while you can be there for your Mid or Cadet, they unfortunately CANNOT be there for you now. It's the way it is, and why being a SA Parent has an aura and a cache all its own, and which only those within the fraternity TRULY understand.</p>
<p>You are now going through your own rendition of attending the Academy. It's just that you do it differently. Some day, perhaps, I'll be blessed enough to join your ranks. :)</p>
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Please tell me she'll be okay.
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<p>She'll be fine. Trust me.</p>
<p>You done good. You HAVE to believe that. Now it's up to her.</p>
<p>Be proud. :)</p>
<p>Shoot--I just went to WP to look at THEIR pictures! Figure it's as close as I can get for a day.... </p>
<p>Everything is crashing down--we have a milk cow missing, a friend's hired man was killed by a bull, we have trees down all over everywhere so the ditches are clogged and we have no irrigating water, the transfer case went out on the big truck so can't haul hay, the little guys kept crying during swim practice, the dog got ripped up by the mountain lion, I'm fighting with the NCAA and I'm trying to enter a chocolate-induced coma. I know she'll be fine--but keep posting that for me--will ya?</p>
<p>You will be fine...promise.
And a year from now you'll be so proud of everything she's accomplished!
Just wait till Parent's weekend...those tears will be tears of joy and amazement.</p>
<p>...and shock (at least at first).</p>
<p>Trust me, the kid you see then won't be the kid you see now. </p>
<p>Yes, they DO feed them. WELL. ;)</p>
<p>heartcross- This is what your daughter has wanted for a long time, I imagine. Try to be as excited as she is. It will make it harder on her if you exhibit any of your stress. I'm in the same boat as you are, but I am determined to be excited and if I lapse (which of course I will) I will not let Jake ever know.</p>
<p>heartcross- I forgot, I am praying for strength for all of us.</p>
<p>heartcross,</p>
<p>It sounds like you're going through an awful lot right now. The chocolate really helps, but it's so hard when so many things are going wrong. Your daughter will be safe and will become an even stronger person than she is. Based on all that's going on, Indoc might even be easier than hanging out at home right now...</p>
<p>heartcross & other moms: One more thought I'd like to share with you today. Z said: "Trust me, the kid you see then won't be the kid you see now." </p>
<p>If you are like me, that's actually one of the things that I was most worried about -- that the plebe summer/plebe year/USNA experience would change my kid in ways that I would grieve for. I worried that there would be a hard edge replacing the funny, open, optimistic kid I dropped off on I-Day.</p>
<p>Your milage may vary, but my experience has joyfully been that all the best qualities in my kid are still present and as powerful a force as ever. Some of the weakness have significantly diminished, and many new strengths have emerged. The kid you see in August will have grown in ways you can't even imagine right now, but the kid you said goodbye to this week will not be gone.</p>
<p>It's hard on everyone in the family but a proud yet sad time. They have to do this and as you know you have to let them. It doesn't make it any easier but as my father would say "you now have new brothers and sisters." Yes, they will be okay-their brothers and sisters will help each other. This may help. My father would light a blue/ gold candle everynight at dinner when my oldest brother left for Naval Academy. He did the same for my next brother at West Point with a gray candle. He continued with a blue /orange candle when I went to CGA. I'm sure the remaining four siblings wondered if there would be any place for food at the table. This is the start of the most rewarding and closest bonds formed for a life time. I certainly do not have the gift of writing (what do you expect from an engineer with a 2.0000 and go GPA) but my prayers will go out to those new plebes and their parents. God Bless</p>
<p>Yikes. Heartcross may need something stronger than chocolate. Geez, I've got some 30 year old bourbon I could send her...... LOL</p>
<p>As Scarlet would say, "Tomorrow's another day!" Keep hanging tough.</p>
<p>I just got home from a trip to the local chocolate store. I picked up a box of "buckeyes" for our B&B host family. The ladies in the store comforted my proud tears and even sent me on my way with some home town chocolate for my self! </p>
<p>I should have purchased some of the duty free Jamacan Rum from the cruise last week. It goes well with chocolate, doesn't it? </p>
<p>heartcross, I just said a special prayer for you. I think I've been close to how you are feeling. Sixteen years ago I thought I was ready to be a stay at home mom. My husband had just been relocated to Iowa the day I came home from the hospital with our second child (born c-section). I stayed in Indiana to heal and get the house sold. We had to close on our home and move the same week my husband was at a mandatory sales conference in Wisconsin. I drove cross-country by myself with a 6-week old, a bull dog and my oldest (2010 cadet) was only 2 years old, in training pants AND had a full blown case of chicken pox! I remember pulling off the interstate just west of the Illinois state line at a rest stop to water the dog and take the oldest to the potty. I had just put the baby in an umbrella stroller and buckeled him in. I clipped the dog's leash around his neck and placed the loop handle on one of the stroller handles. I stressfully walked up to the restroom building with my 2 yr old holding on to the stroller as I balanced the dog's empty water bowl while pushing the baby. I stopped at the drinking fountain, locked the wheels on the stroller begging my 2 yr old to not let go of the stroller and expecting the 50 pound bulldog to sit still while I filled his water bowl. What fairy tale was I dreaming about? </p>
<p>The bulldog couldn't wait for me to lower his bowl and lunged forward, the 2 yr old let go of the stroller and my six week old's head hit the concrete as the stroller tipped over! I LOST IT! Fourtunately, the baby's head did not hit hard. I can now look back and admit I was WAY out of my element. You bet I cried a bucket of tears that day. We have all grown older and wiser.</p>
<p>Ah, thank you all. The milk cow is found--she's in heat and jumped a five foot fence. The friend that was supposed to milk will just skip for the day--she won't make any milk anyway and she's too dangerous. The water is found--a neighbor went up with the backhoe and cleaned the ditch. My oldest can move irrigating water when she gets home from work. I think we have things worked out with the NCAA.</p>
<p>Our plebe-to-be and another parent were on the same flight from Denver--dh and dd are giving them a ride from BWI. The girls already knew each other from SS. Believe me, I AM proud of these kids, mine especially. I know she will be fine, but I just need to blubber a bit. The lady taking the tickets at the plane this morning was crying so hard she forgot to take the boarding pass! She's my kids' swim coach and a good friend. Dd goes off with much prayer and good wishes--as do all these kids. They will survive--and thrive! Thanks for listening--no one else quite understands...</p>
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Merlot & chocolate anyone?
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<p>Jamzmom:</p>
<p>:D:D:D</p>
<p>OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just wish you could hear the laughter from SC. Zap, you are priceless!! The thing is, & LFWBDad will know what I'm talking about, IT'S ME! Zap, you nailed it. LOL LOL I am in total stitches. Prayerfulmom! Look! Its me! </p>
<p>You new parents.... Don't follow my example.</p>
<p>Except she is even hotter!!!</p>
<p>Ha ha Zap has outdone himself...LFWB DAD-DOWN BOY! Only thing missing is the BCG's.</p>
<p>Well, I don't drink (I figure if you're going to have all those calories, they might as well be chocolate!) but if I did--there I'd be! Just talked to the soon-to-be-plebe. The sun is shining! For now, anyway... 44 days to PPW!</p>
<p>My "virtual self" doesn't need the glasses. She is perfect! I can't say I like her shoes too much tho ;) OK, you guys, knock it off! We're here to support some awfully teary-eyed proud parents remember? LOL </p>
<p>Today is the BIG day for our USNA parents!! Rally round!! GO NAVY!! I wish they were having better weather but with all the rain, maybe no one will notice that Navy2010 is causing a flash flood watch all her very own. Hope Annabelle is in her foul weather gear. </p>
<p>Go get 'em Jake, Heartcross's dd & all the rest!
On to USAFA tomorrow!!</p>
<p>Ooooo! The sun is shining!?!? YAY! I put in my order but didn't know if it would work or not. So glad to hear that.</p>