2012 New Years Update

Congrats to your son Kinnem.

The youngest son left this morning to join his older brother who went back on Sunday.

The house is much quieter now, we will have to get used to......

Cooking for two again.
Our family room not filled with son's friends.
The high water bill for multiple showers....remember when we used to have to force them to shower.
Not picking up glasses left in the oddest places.
Numerous trips to the Grocery store.
No more wet towels on the bathroom floor.
Not having to hold up clothes and yell "Who's is this"
Not always having to look outside to see if we have a car to drive.
Not having to hear "Dad, Mom...we're out of milk again"

Funny thing is, I know we will miss it all.

Good luck to all the cadets in this new year.
 
All quiet here too..

DS (AFROTC) and DD (grad student) left yesterday together - both are going to the same college. I start feeling sorry for myself for having to get used to them not being here again, but then I stop and think how lucky I am that they are both only 100 miles away, and my husband and I get to see them more often than a lot of other parents get to see their DSs and DDs. It was tough for DS (and his parents!) when his Plan A and Plan B didn't work out last year, but the BIG plus side was his staying so close - plus the fact that he gets to be a part of one of the best AFROTC detachments in the country (okay, I know I am biased, but I still believe it is true:biggrin:).
 
Thanks for the updates jcleppe and GemStateMoom. Wish your kids all the best this semester and that they're safe at home again soon.
 
Cadet Delahanty returns to campus trading up - about 60 degrees fahrenheit worth. One of his last acts was to buttress an oafish crew of 50 year olds endeavoring to hoist a new bay window up to the second floor.

His mother asked what he would like as a special meal on his last night home, and he replied "Beef Wellington or meatloaf. Either one works." While I fully support the Army's policy of non-discrimination, this may be taking it too far.
 
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Parent Delahanty,
Your posts are always so humorous and fun to read. I hope some if it rubbed off on Cadet Delahanty. :biggrin:
 
DS left this AM for 2nd semester as a 2nd year college programmer. Very upbeat, named squad leader, great grades Tier II major, great PRTs and the good news of 175 2 year scholarships available for class of 2014. Fingers crossed not knowing how many programmers applying for that 175. The CO seems to be doing everything he can to help him get a scholarship. Sure would help dads wallet being OOS.
 
DS left this AM for 2nd semester as a 2nd year college programmer. Very upbeat, named squad leader, great grades Tier II major, great PRTs and the good news of 175 2 year scholarships available for class of 2014. Fingers crossed not knowing how many programmers applying for that 175. The CO seems to be doing everything he can to help him get a scholarship. Sure would help dads wallet being OOS.

Sounds like things are going great for your DS, and I hope you get good news on the scholarship front! DS is a 100, but he knows a 200 in his detachment that was just awarded a scholarship.:smile:
 
DS completed his inventory PFT yesterday. Scored perfectly on pullups and crunches. 18:35 3 mile run. So he scored 297 out of 300. At one time he would have been ecstatic with this score, but he was disappointed and upset about it.

1. He finished the run with plenty of gas left. He felt he didn't do a good job of managing his "lap" time. I told him to take his watch next time instead of relying on someone who is slower (he finished in the lead group of 4). I swear, sometimes he's not too bright! :biggrin:

2. Evidently they run on a course through Columbia. His lead group was slowed down by a cop who attempted to stop them. Evidently some "short, white male was performing some, shall we say 'sexual', acts in front of a group of women joggers". The officer was looking for him. Don't know if she thought one of these tall fellows in Boots and Uts was him or not. Anyway, they slowed down, told her they couldn't stop and had to go, and off they went. Maybe it cost him a point.

Those 4 mile runs in Key West and elsewhere, along with all his other workouts over Christmas break, payed off.
 
OMG 18:35 on a 3 mile run, @ 6 min mile, and he is upset? :eek:

I am impressed.
 
Woe is me

OMG 18:35 on a 3 mile run, @ 6 min mile, and he is upset? :eek:

I am impressed.

I only ran 18:35 because I was stopped by a policeman. Better save that one for your kids, grandkids and great grandkids. It'll be a classic.
 
^^^ LOL. Yup! Well that's the Marines for ya'.
 
I love reading these posts. I think you are all great parents. The refrigerator does get raided. My wife thought and still thinks that ROTC should have taught my son to do dishes. It will never happen. Over the holidays when we went out for dinner there would always be piles of those styro foam boxes on the kitchen counter the next morning. Always about two feet from the garbage. I never can understand that. It was great having all the kids home.
Son flew out to West Coast to see girlfriend. He comes home for a day then back to Norwich for the last semester. Bold Leader Challenge in Feb (1st Brigade) then Infantry in May. Son is writing the story of neighbor RP (2nd Marines 1942 to 1946) and his friendship with YY from Kagishima, Japan. They became friends in Nagasaki on October 6, 1945. RP just got a Chrstmas card from YY. 66 years they have been friends. My son sent YY a note to get his side of the friendship. Hopefully he will respond this week or next to my son. He needs to do this quick because RP is in failing health. Hopefully he can get in the paper. I will tell you this RP really lit up and smiled when he saw my son when we went over to his house last week. RP and my son have been good friends for a few years.

Best wishes of success, health and happiness for the new year.

Still no letter from Japan, we will see.

Son came back Sunday night. I told him RP wanted to tell some more things about commanding soldiers. He decided to go back to Norwich a day late to see RP on monday. He went over to RP's house for an hour. He said goodbye to us, jumped in his car and drove back to Norwich. I will really miss this kid when he is in the Army.
Snow today here, I took my two high school kids to help out all the older neighbors including RP. He had already cleared his own snow when we got there which was a pretty big job. He just doesn't want help.
We had an ice storm right before Halloween. Leaves were still on all the trees and many trees fell down. RP was out there shoveling his driveway. A tree fell on him. By himself, it took a few minutes,he got out from under it. This man is 90. He went inside and checked himself. Not a scratch. When he told me this later I told him his guardian angel should get a lifetime achievement award. He said he has last rites four times. The last three times were when he was battling cancer that he attributes to filling his canteen in Nagasaki from the local firehidrants. They were fed by open lakes near the city. He won those battles with cancer. The first time he had last rites he was in the Marines. After the priest was done he said, "Father I aint ready to go yet". The priest look down at him, smiled, patted him on the shoulder and said "good boy"

Nice story I thought I would post it.
 
Thanks for the story. Good to know RP is still going strong. And thanks for shoveling the snow for the neighbors with the kids. My Dad use to have us do the same thing for the same neighbors he had to shovel out when he was a kid. Nice to know others do that too. I'm sure your kids will carry on the tradition.
 
Thanks for the story. Good to know RP is still going strong. And thanks for shoveling the snow for the neighbors with the kids. My Dad use to have us do the same thing for the same neighbors he had to shovel out when he was a kid. Nice to know others do that too. I'm sure your kids will carry on the tradition.

Thanks Kinnem

I think we all have to remember the old folks. We get so focused on the lives of our kids. As the ROTC experience is ending I can tell you all to take care in intervening for your DS. Sometimes they need to stumble and get up on their own. Always talk to them. Do not tell them. The Militiary is not the only goal in life. The goal in life should always be about doing the right and being a good person. There will be tough days ahead for all our kids. There will be nights taking care of sick children and parents and having to work the next day. They will have to lead not just in the militiary but with friends and family. We need as parents to make them capable and ready for that. Remember the old folks. I took my father, 85, a new jersey high school coaching legend, to a hall of fame dinner for the school he taught/coached at. These 70 something year old men were all yelling coach, coach when they saw him. He was so happy that night. He was WW 2 Navy, working in landing craft in the south pacific. I always wonder if he and RP took a ride to the beach together in the landing craft. RP's wife died 7 years ago. He get's so excited when his daughters or gandchildren visit. They visit often. Remember to give the old folks some attention and keep your kids connected to them. It is one way to get both of them off your hands for a little while. The ROTC thing is nearing an end there is and has always been more to life than the militiary.
 
NorwichDad - that was such a heartwarming and wonderful post. Thank you for sharing. please let us know when/where we can read the biography your DS is writing about RP....I would love to read it!
 
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