When Bubble Wrap is Not Enough...

PositiveThinking

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
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Apr 15, 2009
Messages
333
Yesterday around 5:30pm I got the call we've all been living in fear of:
Our son, who's reporting to USNA for IDay in 27 days, called to say "Mom, I've been in a wreck..." He was returning from a friend's house and was broadsided by a lady who ran a red light at a busy intersection 2 blocks away from our home. He is fine (thank you God!!!) but his car is likely totaled. He was calm and cool through the whole event, but Mom (me)...not so much. I took one look at his car with the side smashed in, threw up, then poured myself a large glass of wine! :wink:
Ironically, I've been after him for months since his appointment to "be careful", and he's done a good job of balancing caution with all the things teenage boys like to do. But yesterday proved that sometimes things are beyond our control. We are just so thankful he's OK and will walk across the stage at his HS graduation on Saturday and be at USNA ready to go at 6:30 am on July 1st. Until then, additional layers of bubble wrap will be applied! :thumb:
 
You had me crying from the first line of this post and then I thanked God your son is safe. There are plans for him on this earth, great things to come. I am so happy he is safe and sound. Cherish every dirty sock thrown on the floor, pile of dishes from his buddies over late at night, and the noise from his room that keeps you up at 2am when he's playing video games, listening to music or just shuffling around. All, are blessings.
 
I agree. Every time my son leaves the house these days I pray for his safety and health. I guess it's just the beginning. I am so glad that your son wasn't injured!
 
Know the feeling - we made it through pole vault season without mishap, unlike last year when a broken arm caused Son to miss NASS.
 
thank god your son was ok---i think we are all somewhere between bubble wrap and "please don't go". Tense is the only way to describe my house right now---mostly me though so that is good. I keep wanting to have the video camera on at all times to catch the silly moments so when we really miss him we can watch them---this is going to be a tough year!
 
Thank you all for your support! :thumb:

I wanted to post our experience here because, even though friends and family are supportive, I knew my fellow Service Academy Forum parents would really "get it" - that added layer of horror above and beyond the concern for our son's health and safety, because you all understand how much is riding on getting our kids to the Academies safe and sound. I think this forum is my version of group therapy! :rolleyes:

HS graduation was yesterday, and we were extra thankful to see our son walk across the stage to receive his diploma!
 
Oh my goodness,thank heavens he was ok! I remember this time well last year. We were overwhelmed with two college graduations and then son's wedding. May and June, especially June was a blur. Plebe summer seemed to take forever, then plebe year went on and on. Looking back it has flown by.
 
I definitely understand what everyone is going thru. My son graduated on Friday night. It was really cool when the USAF ALO presented him with his appointment and gave a short speech telling the crowd that the appointment was the same as a scholarship, he would get paid thru college, and the value was approximately $ 418,000 the oohhhs and ahhhssss were so cool. Also, anytime the Colonel's name was mentioned the audience clapped for him. I thought that was really nice.
Now to the bubblewrap. My son still has the state all-star lax and football games to play before he heads off to BCT. I am not that concerned about the lax game. The football game has no blitzing and they try to keep it as safe as they can and still let it be football. What I am really worried about is Senior Week at the Beach. I know my son does not do stupid things, and anything that will alter him mentally or physically are definitely out of the question. He respects himself too much. The concern is with some of his knucklehead friends. I do know some of his friends have started drinking. I just worry that he will be in the wrong place at the wrong time. His friends are generally good kids, but they are teenagers. I also worry about fights, I don't think, actually, I know, my son has never had a fight in his life, but, when you mix in alcohol, a lot of kids get beer muscles. I worry about some kid taking a run at him. We live in a small state and my son was recently in the news and on TV for a charity event that he did raising money for people with disabilites and for cancer research. He is an all-state lacrosse player, football player and wrestler and you never know what alcohol can do to kids. I am on edge about this week. Good Luck to all, I hope everyone makess it to I-Day safe.
 
Know the feeling - we made it through pole vault season without mishap, unlike last year when a broken arm caused Son to miss NASS.

Same here. DD broke her leg & ankle running bases last softball season. She too missed NASS. This year, everytime she came to bat I was secretly hoping she'd strike out (she didn't :biggrin: ). But made it through the season fine and counting down the days...24.

PT, so glad your son is fine. Put another layer of wrap on him.
 
I got chills reading the posts from all of you. Have you bugged our home, because these conversations are the same ones that my husband and I have EVERY WAKING moment with our son. We tell him not to drive to fast, to leave any party in which there is anyone drinking, to be careful at the mall, you name it, we worry about him going there. He is such a great kid, but so much can still happen before I day.
I am actually going to be a bit relieved when I know he is at Bancroft Hall, up in his room on the yard. The latest issues with our son is that he wants to be involved in the lives of his friends. He doesn't think that renting a condo at the beach, driving 400 miles to an amusement park and renting a hotel room are all big NOs for him! We have actually not let him do the above 2 activities. He doesn't understand that it is not that we do not trust him, we don't trust kids to do what some kids do the summer of their year before college. The stakes are just too high. So, while his friends are at the beach for 4 days, we took him out for dinner and cherished each moment he rolled his eyes at us. :yikes:
 
I've told this story on the AF side, but my twin sons almost drove me to drink between accepting their appointments and I-Day. One twin even sustained a concussion (mild) in May while (hold your breath!)... cleaning his bedroom!!!!

It can be a stressful time, and that's for sure.

In related news, the other twin broke his nose at BCT playing Ultimate Frisbee. He saw the doc who recommended surgery though said he could wait, and a medical turnback of course, but Twin declined saying he'd get by with Ibuprofen and see how things went. When he returned to his squadron, he won a Snickers bar because the other cadets said there was so much blood, it (don't read if squeamish) "looked like he'd bitten into a live animal." I'm so glad I didn't know this till later; there are some things mothers just don't want to know.
 
When bubble Wrap...

Always remember our children who are on loan to us from Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He kept him safe for you.

God Bless,

RGK
 
So, while his friends are at the beach for 4 days, we took him out for dinner and cherished each moment he rolled his eyes at us. :yikes:

Too funny! I'm so glad I'm not the only one torturing my kid! lol We leave early Saturday morning for a water polo tourney and then straight to Colorado Springs. I know DS is cherishing every last moment with his friends and has said he'd rather wait until Wednesday to leave, but mom, dad, and little brother are going to steal him away for our last little family vacation before he's gone. Thankfully he's had lots of warning and has kept the complaining and eye rolling to a minimum :rolleyes::biggrin:

So so glad everyone is safe so far! We have a trip to the water park and one last water polo tournament to survive. Funny how I've never thought of all the dangers of a water park until now! The polo tournament 4 days before induction I've worried about for months, tho. Saw pics from his trip to the lake yesterday and almost fainted. Thankfully the pictures only showed girls climbing on these huge rocks. I'm going to pretend my son really didn't follow them (or more likely lead the way!) :thumb:
 
10 more days!

10 more days of sleepless nights and worrying. Yesterday my soon to be Plebe son decided to go boating on the lake. We went through our litany of dos and don'ts. Then he brought all the guys home to stay until 1:00 in the morning playing video games. I slept with one eye open waiting for son to climb the stairs and close his bedroom door. I just keep praying and hoping for the best. How are the rest of you doing??? :wiggle:
 
DD camped out at the lake with Girl Scout friends. I told her, "Don't forget your bubble wrap!"

Home safe. Less than two weeks now.

Yikes!
Janet
 
Wow ---glad we are in this together. Last weekend we had DS going away/birthday/grad cookout. You know have them at home so you can watch their every move. They are 18 right -they are smart enough to know right from wrong right? Well ---these boys are fireworks crazy. They know my DS is a fireworks bug and won't be spending 4th of July with them for the first time in at least 8 years. (they all grew up together). So what do they do at 11:30 pm---yep--go outside and shoot off fireworks. Now mind you they only shot off the ones that stay on the ground light up and don't go boom. You guessed it--one of the boys thought it was ok since they were so small to drop one in one of the other boys pant pocket. -----Two scorched fingers and 2nd degree burns. All I could think of as the 7 of them came running in yelling for me was OMG who lost a finger or hand. God is great ---it could have been a lot worse. After a long conversation with injured friends mom WEB MD and a call to my ER nurse sister in law-we decided to wait til morning and take him to a neighbor who is a sports injury surgeon to look at it. not out of the woods yet watching for staff infection to blisters but no pain and fingers are moving well. After the others left I looked at my son and he said--" Don't say it mom I know and we were at home---I'll go get the bubble wrap" all fun and games aside even though I'm sick at seeing him go so far away I'm getting ready to stop worrying so much. One silly normal 18 year old lack of judgement and it can be over for any of them not to mention a possible life changing accident. I know when they get to Mother B no matter how tough it will be they will be well taken care of.
 
Poison Ivy

DS is covered in poison ivy from waist up since Sunday AM. Good news is that it will be resolved by I day. Bad news is he's having to spend his last week being miserable. On his face, neck, so doesn't want to be out in public or seen by anyone. Not the fun last week we had planned. Could be worse, he could have gotten it the day before I day!
 
DS is covered in poison ivy from waist up since Sunday AM. Good news is that it will be resolved by I day. Bad news is he's having to spend his last week being miserable. On his face, neck, so doesn't want to be out in public or seen by anyone. Not the fun last week we had planned. Could be worse, he could have gotten it the day before I day!

Oh NO! :eek: What a bummer for your poor son! Thank goodness he'll be OK by I Day.
Note to self: Add "leaves of three, let them be" to Litany of Do's and Don'ts. :biggrin:
 
OMG these stories are incredible! My son has spent every day since graduation playing ultimate frisbee, volleyball, soccer, flag football. 1 week at girlfriends lakehouse and I then get to hear about the jet skis, tubing, waterskiing and the 360s, 180s, loopdeloops, somersaults, etc etc etc. :eek::eek::eek:Thought I was home free, but there is one more trip to Dallas for yet another lake house and amusement park. I almost wish he was covered in poison ivy so I could keep him home on bed!:redface:
 
I am curious to know what some of you are doing with your sons and daughters as the last week is fast approaching. My son is so sick of hearing about "this is the last time you will get to _____(fill in the blank) until you come home at Thanksgiving. He is so ready to go. Some of our list included eating at every favorite restaurant in and around the tri-state area, taking him to close out his bank account, etc. meeting friends for lunch and dinner and movies and boating and hot tubbing, playing disc golf, staying at friends homes to stay up all night playing video World Cup Soccer... I can't believe how fast time is moving.
 
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