<p>works best on AIM</p>
<p>I always ask, "What is the most exciting thing that happened today?" "What did you like?" "What did you hate?" I love the idea of asking about the funniest thing.... but wait.... I can already hear the answer.... "dunno."</p>
<p>And phantombf.... I suppose we get actual words if we count... yeup, umm hmm, mmm, k, ahh, oOo....</p>
<p>They are so funny!</p>
<p>2010bandcomom"RenoMom, I think that are kids must be cloned. I sent an e-mail with three questions to my son today and the reply was:
no
good
good"</p>
<p>I don't send emails... that's my husbands job. He gets more info than I could ever get!</p>
<p>I run the front lines dealing with the day to day stuff through AIM. I get a lot of "grumpy" from our son... we just chat when we have the chance... I send postcards & letters & "goodies!" He knows mom & dad are there... dad is realistic & mom's for the emotional "stuff." In my humble opinion emotional is the way to go... who needs to be realistic!.. It's a balance & I don't think we have failed him so far.</p>
<p>And when he gets REALLY stressed I just tell him what he tells me... "Don't be a girl!"</p>
<p>OK I say... "don't be a girl! :)" He gets it. </p>
<p>It's tough for these fine young midshipmen. What's great for them is that they have a really strong support system.</p>
<p>What's great for us, the parents, is that we have this site!</p>
<p>It's all good!</p>
<p>I get a mix of responses. Either they are one word answers or long, lengthy conversations. Of course he called me when I was in Aruba and decided to vent for 45 minutes. I don't even want to look at cell phone bills as they roll in this month. I'm bracing myself. As far as asking what is the funniest thing that happened today, I can already predict his answer. There is nothing funny.</p>
<p>lol - our plebe son is exactly the same. one word answers (even on AIM). But there is hope, I had the pleasure to takng our son and some other plebes to Mahatten. After the the shock of leaving campus wore off they started talking about things that have happened to them and others, I just sat back and listened. They had great stories and laughed and had a great time talking about their Academy life. They seen other Plebes in town and joked around with them also. There was no talk of going home and they talked alot about next Trimester. When we were alone the next day, I told my plebe that you don't build relationships like this at another College, He agreed but when it was time to take him back he went back to one word answers and got real serious. I think the 2 1/2 weks of Indoc is spent on teaching one word answers to parents.</p>
<p>love the book jamzmom. It will be under our tree. Agree on the airfares..coming for Thanksgiving was about double normal fare. Have not looked at Christmas fares...think I will do today. Speaking of cell phone bills everyone...wait till they go to sea...yikes...now our son loves to call and fill us in to the tune of over (well I cannot even bring myself to admit the $$) i wish other than email there was a better way to communicate when they are at sea...the interesting thing is when he is at the academy we rarely hear other than the usual ya! ok! lol! good,fine,gotta go...must be the sea air that makes them chatty...</p>
<p>We booked our s airfare for Christmas probably a month ago. The prices were pretty high so we called the agency that booked him for trip out there for indoc and got a much better fare but he's flying on Sat morning instead of Fri night. There was a huge price difference.</p>
<p>The realization of my plebe actually leaving home and going 4 hours away from home sunk in for me starting the month before he left. We were both basket cases by July 5th. Waiting outside of O'Hara for a glimpse of him coming out and then at lunch muster was almost too much for me to bear. </p>
<p>I remember the night before I dropped him off telling him a story of my own journey in nursing school. In college, they saved psychiatric nursing until the last year. I remember that first day in the back ward of a state psychiatric institution in NJ. It looked like we, the nursing students, were the patients that day. I can remember the terror in all of our eyes. Over time, we adapted and I DID graduate and have spent the last 30 years in nursing, mostly loving every minute. I never chose psychiatric nursing as a specialty, but use the skills I learned in that class almost every day.</p>
<p>I told my pre-plebe that story and said that sometimes we need to face the things that scare us most (like INDOC) head on, so we can truly realize what we are good at. </p>
<p>He made me promise that I would NOT pick him up if he asked me to. I told him I would not pick him up, because I felt he needed to go through that experience, or he would regret it the rest of his life! (I truly believe that!) Even if he decided that KP was not for him.</p>
<p>Now he tells me that he feels INDOC was a breeze compared to what he is going through now. </p>
<p>It probably was. </p>
<p>Now I hear him complain about this or that and ask him, "So do you want to transfer to another school?" He always answers, "No Way!"</p>
<p>Now I figure the less I hear from him, the more I know he is doing well.... I never realized that bringing my children up independent and strong would backfire on me when the "empty nest syndrome" reared it's ugly head! I also know that the better he is doing, i.e., not calling me or one word answers to my questions, the better I am doing. That psych nursing just keeps coming back to haunt me.....</p>
<p>I just purchased book for Christmas also. Not that he's a big reader but I'm clueless as to what to get my son for Christmas. I'm considering buying the Spyderco Harpy knife also for his gift since somewhere in the past I read that was the knife of choice. Any mids have it and have opinions on it? At least I don't have to purchase airfare. My biggest dilema is how to get him back and forth to school during holiday break without hitting traffic.</p>
<p>I just posted last years thread re ideas for christmas...it might help</p>
<p>Spydercos are good knives. My spyderco doesn't have a marlin spike on it, so I took my plebe knife with me. . . I know any other KP mid is going to go "Two knives? You're retarded." Laff. But I took two knives -- the spyderco for actually cutting stuff, and the plebe knife was kind of a nice tool for anything -- the flat blade as a lever/screwdriver. . . the marlin spike is just useful for lots of stuff besides splicing line. It probably would have been nice to get a spyderco with a marlin spike on it if they have it. A leatherman also works out nicely...multipurpose for all those cadet jobs.</p>
<p>Supermansmom~</p>
<p>have you looked into Amtrak? That is my saving grace! </p>
<p>And maybe at least you could meet them OUTSIDE the city.</p>
<p>We have a different situation for Christmas. Our son will fly to Hawaii & meet us, grandparents & older brother there to do a cruise. This cruise was planned a year ago (before s/ was accepted into USMMA), to celebrate a 50th, 25th & 10th wedding anniversary. We will then fly home with two boys (22 & 19y.o.) & celebrate Christmas. So, I'm going to have the house set up for a Christmas celebration!(before we leave) I'm going to have "their" story ready to read, "It's the night before Christmas."(they have to listen to it every year by us in front of a fire. They say they "hate" it!) I'll have mugs of hot chocolate & then we will celebrate the gift of the season.</p>
<p>What we are going to give our son is a fly reel for his custom made fly rod that we got him for HS graduation. (our friend makes these sweet rods) & a camera, hoping he can use both on his first sea year voyage. And probably a knife, that you all were talking about. You can never have too many knives.</p>
<p>Now, I just have to figure out how to pack all the clothes he needs for this adventure!</p>
<p>I THOUGHT that was you!</p>
<p>I'm filling out my adoption papers even as we speak. I'm sure we're related, and looking forward to seeing you in Hawaii and over the holidays.</p>
<h2>You guys have WAYYY more fun planned that we do. :)</h2>
<p>Naw, just joking. But sounds like a GREAT plan. Take lots of pictures for all those memories!
-Z</p>
<p>And, why aren't you in bed? It's really late, your time.</p>
<p>Ah... always wanted to be adopted... my sister(OLDER sister, well... only sister) told me our family found me under a cabbage leaf, I wasn't really a part of the family! :)... been waiting to find family! I'm excited about being adopted!</p>
<p>WOO-HOO!</p>
<p><i>At least I don't have to purchase airfare.</i> </p>
<p>That would be one thing I wouldn't expect superman's mom would need to do. :)</p>
<p>I guess there are no military discounts for airfare; but what other kinds of discounts do the M/Ns receive with their military ID? My plebe is going to Disney and asked if they honor military with discounts?</p>
<p>Always ask about military discounts! It's amazing how many are out there.</p>
<p>regarding the Disney discounts, check out mousesavers.com</p>
<p>I have copied the following information from mousesavers.com regarding ticket discounts:</p>
<p>
[Quote]
*Military & Civil Service Ticket Discounts
Active duty and retired military, DOD civilian employees and their dependents qualify for discounts on Walt Disney World tickets. The savings mainly come from not paying tax (6.5%). </p>
<p>Disney has the right to check ID at the gate. Military personnel may bring in non-military guests with the military discount as long as they accompany the non-military person(s) and at least 50% of the group are qualified for the military discount (i.e., active duty, retired, DOD and dependents). If military personnel purchase tickets and give them as gifts to non-military users that they will not be accompanying, they risk having the recipient denied entry and the tickets confiscated.</p>
<p>Discounted military tickets are available through your local base MWR office. The prices and the exact passes that are available will vary from base to base.</p>
<p>Another place where active duty and retired military can get discounted tickets is a small Navy Exchange in Orlando that has an ITT/MWR office. It is located near the airport on Tradeport & Earhart Drive. The MWR office phone number is (407) 855-0116 or (407) 851-4396, or you can email them at <a href="mailto:mwrorl@aol.com">mwrorl@aol.com</a> for current hours and prices. Thanks to Cathy C for info. </p>
<p>Those with Military ID (and their dependents) can purchase discounted tickets (including Annual Passes) at Shades of Green (SOG), the military-operated resort located on Disney World property. To see the SOG prices, click here. Thank you to Lisa and Gale M for the info!</p>
<p>Active duty or retired military, reservists, National Guard and DoD personnel can order discount tickets by mail order by calling the Navy Region Southwest at (619) 767-6000 or the Air Force Central Ticket Program at (210) 652-2855.</p>
<p>Civil Service employees of certain branches of government (such as NASA) can purchase discounted Disney tickets at their exchange shops at the same rates as military. Typically the tickets must be ordered and will take a couple of weeks to arrive. While the employee must purchase the tickets, reportedly anyone can use them. Thanks to Melissa for the info.*
[/Quote]
</p>
<p>and this info for rooms only reservations:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Resort Hotel Discounts for Military and Veterans</p>
<p>Active Duty and Retired Military with proper ID get 40% off "rack rates" at the official Disney World resort hotels for the following check-in dates: 10/21/07-11/3/07, 11/11/07-11/17/07 and 12/9/07-12/15/07. Limited availability - not all resorts will be available on the dates you choose. Use code FFR.</p>
<p>About Booking</p>
<p>For phone bookings, you pay a deposit of one night's room rate plus tax. No change or cancellation fee will be charged if you make your modification more than 5 days before arrival.</p>
<p>You can book one room per valid military ID. Thanks to Small World Vacations for info.</p>
<p>To reserve a room with the Military discount, call the Disney Reservations Center at (407) W-DISNEY or contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel, and request the specific offer code.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And yes, I am a disney geek. :)</p>
<p>And proud of it :)</p>
<p>TY DM. I've stayed at Shades of Green and it's nice and by Disney standards "affordable." Not sure if they have Shades of Green in Cali, but for sure in Orlando. :D</p>