-
Youth Sports are Important for Parents too!
“As parents, we often think of youth sports as organized events. I think the more important ones, may be the unorganized variety.” Summer time is here and it is, as usual, crazy busy! Throw in a PCS or deployment for you and it is just gets worse. Finding time for all the unit events, saying good bye a million times (or at least a few) to good friends or acquaintances, making friends at your new location, finding time for a vacation, finding a new spouse job – yep, the head starts to spin a bit! But what about the smaller people version? They go through a lot as military brats…
-
Are You Part of Your Local Community?
“As we took our first break, one of the other workers, asked us what we had done to earn community service hours?” Volunteers at workBecoming part of the outside the gate community is often very difficult for military members and their families. We PCS often, have different interests, go to unit functions and with young families, it just seems like we are too busy to really connect. But there are so many good reasons to find a connection in your local community. Here are few of the reasons we continue to be a part of the community after living the military lifestyle for many years: 1 – Participation makes you feel good…
-
Have you Heard about Blue Star Museums?
Blue Star Museums Kicks Off on Memorial Day! What does that mean to you, a member of the military community? If you are an active duty, National Guard or Reserve member or family member, you have access to more than 1,600 museums this summer for free! Right, we agree, what a great program. This is the third year for this program and it started with 900 museums and is growing each year as the Arts open their doors wide open to the military community. FREE entertainment for your family on a crazy summer schedule! Maybe you just PCS’d into a new area and need something for the family to do. …
-
Supporting your Military Child
There is no doubt about it. Military children are strong, resilient, and adaptable. But it can be a very stressful lifestyle and when there are resources that can help transitions, PCSs or deployments just a little easier it is important to share them. Here are 10 of our favorite resources out there for your family. Military Family Support is what we are about! 5 great resources for your military child going through deployment: ‘We can be together when we are apart’: Some easy ways for babies and toddlers to stay connected from Zero to Three when a loved one is deployedIdeas for Children While your Loved One is Deployed: Here are some ways author…
-
Month of the Military Child and a Get Together
The Month of the Military Child provides a great focus on a special group of Americans! One unique way to enjoy military kids: Good friends traveling across many miles to see each other. Military brats will always find a way to get together. MilitaryAvenue’s Dan had very special guests: friends from high school and on into adult hood. Both guys were young when they met at Keflavik Naval Air Station, Iceland and when follow on PCS assignments for their parents brought them together again in Virginia, the friendship bonded. Now, both have wonderful children of their own which we held, hugged, laughed about and told stories before we digressed into…
-
Tips, Tricks, and Photos from Pinterest
A few of my favorite tips, tricks and photos for the week: Images of our US Military and Families: Source: Uploaded by user via MilitaryAvenue.com on PinterestPets are family, too April – Month of the Military Child: Source: militaryblog.militaryavenue.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on PinterestThere are SO many words that can describe a Military-Child. Resilient is the word that pops in to my head, first and foremost. Other great descriptions: Loyal – Adaptable – Strong – Supportive – Compassionate – Empowered Military Family Financial Readiness: Source: soc.li via MilitaryAvenue.com on PinterestAmazing budgeting worksheet from wholeliving.com. I especially like the ‘Save to Spend’ section which encourages saving for ‘fun money’, ‘household projects’ &…
-
Ah the memories…
I am coming up on a milestone, my twenty-year High School graduation-anniversary. Some would say 20 year High School Reunion but, alas, there will be none of that for us. I graduated from a small DoD School at the now closed Keflavik NAS, Iceland. Thank you for the memories! Funny how this post from Wife on the Roller Coaster suddenly triggered one for me out of the blue. June 7, 1992, I graduated from high school in the middle of my /final/ pcs as a military-brat. We hopped on a plane back to the states June 10, 1992. There were moves after high school. Mom and Dad PCSed two times while I was…
-
Organizing The Road Trip
The Road Trip. Part of the Great American Military-Family Experience, right? We do it to PCS across the country. We do it to visit family and friends who we moved away from so many years ago, a visit home. We do it to for some R&R, to get out and see parts of the country so many American families will never see. The Road Trip, it is part of the ‘American Military Family’ definition. So how do you prepare for such a great part of your experience as a military-family? I recently ran across some great posts that I thought I would share with you. Whether you will be travelling…
-
The Army Profession, Drawdown, Army Families and more! DoD Bloggers Roundtable
Army children in youth program … see below for creditChandler said, Secretary of the Army – no cuts to Army programs for families without his specific approval. Did you know that the US Army end strength (total number of active duty soldiers) under the Defense Departments current plan and budget will be at 490,000 after the drawdown is complete? That is the loss of eight brigade combat teams and other resources (80,000 soldiers to be specific). The number of cuts seems to be a bit of a moving target as we talked just recently (December) with the DoD Blogger Roundtable and the number was 50,000! The Sergeant Major of the…
-
Pinterest and the Military Family
Hours … I have lost hours to Pinterest. But maybe lost isn’t the right word because Yes! I have successfully re-created some of the great ideas I have found. Dinner has become more exciting, I’ve discovered the many uses of vinegar, and it has helped me on my quest to keep “2012 the year of Organization.” I also created some resources that you, the military family, might find useful. There is a sea of information out there and this is a great way to keep it organized. Find what you like, pin it to your own board and you’ll have it when you need it (or have time to read it!) Military…
