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Happy Mothers’ Day
Happy Mom’s Day to all of the moms out there in the blogging-world! I am the very lucky Mom of 3 boys plus one on the way in August. (Yes, 4 boys! plus hubs who can sometimes act like a boy … makes for 5. I am THE Queen of this castle 🙂 There is *J*, my 16 year old step-son; *E*, my 7 year old; and *C*, my 5 year old. *L* (Surprise!) will arrive around 8/9/2010. Our house is bustling as I trip over legos and balls – Baukegan and Transformers – plastic Army Men and Star Wars Figures – wherever I go! …But tomorrow isn’t all about…
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Help for the Stresses of Military Life – FOCUS (Families Over Coming Under Stress) – DoD Roundtable
I have a love for military families! It came from so many years of observing them enjoy life around the globe! Young spouses, children, teenagers, couples, the entire spectrum have a zest for life! For my kids they became the aunts/uncles and cousins that always seemed so far away! The good neighbors that watched our pets while we were on leave. Military kids are not really “brats” but they like that moniker I think. It is a bit edgy! But, they know how to stand for the national anthem and when to be respectful. Military families serve our country in many unique ways and sometimes due to this service they…
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Angst and Insecurities
There is a bit of teenage-angst in my house right now. *J*, 16 years old, driver’s license, girlfriend, soccer, nearly-straight A’s, lots of friends from school, three parents that LOVE him, (I’m step-mom),want to give him his space and yet recognize that sometimes too much space isn’t good either. He’s not quite sure what to do with the raging hormones, the insecurities, the pull between friends, two families, and self. Mom is a single-mom.  It is just Mom and *J* in that household. *J* is treated a little bit older, I suspect; perhaps more of a confidante. Dad is a dad of three sons and soon to be four, plus his lovely bride…
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The Military Community is Thankful this Thanksgiving
A Very Happy Thanksgiving from our military-family to yours. I took an informal poll of what you, the military family, are thankful for this year; then I compiled those answers with my own thoughts. Wishing each of you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!(By the way these are absolutely in no particular order.) My husband. He spent a year in Iraq and was with us only in-heart last Thanksgiving. Distance somehow made our hearts grow fonder. Love that does not dwindle but only seems to grow. I’m thankful for no deployment this year, and a new job for my husband that has him home more for now. @householdsix Reunions. Between a…
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Military Family Life Question of the week: What has your favorite assignment been and why?
We all have stories being military families… stories of places we LOVED living, stories of places we weren’t so fond of. Perhaps the dust-storms in Texas just aren’t your thing or perhaps you could have done without the humidity of South Carolina. Maybe you couldn’t get enough of the history of Charleston or the free museums and cherry-blossoms in DC. This is the life of the military. It’s more than an adventure, it is life-changing! You get to see the sites, opportunities to do things you wouldn’t have had you stayed & lived in your hometown. You have expanded your world beyond borders. My favorite place was Keflavik NAS, Iceland…
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Financial (In)dependence
My son opened his first checking account this last weekend. He is 14 and can barely hold onto a nickle before it is spent. Financial Independence. I was 16 when I got my first credit-card. I was preparing to travel to England with our high-school drama team. We were stationed at Keflavik NAS, Iceland and I was no actress. But it was an opportunity to get off of “The Rock” as we so lovingly called our little part of the island. Mom & Dad decided I needed a way to pay for things beyond carrying around a lot of cash. The card was attached to my parents’ name too but,…