What do we do now?!!
Yes, congratulations to your new cadet. The only pieces of information I can offer are yes, stick with the list, and have your kid run, run, run. The AFA is at altitude, and unless you're from Colorado, it takes some time to acclimate. Doing your basic sit-ups, pull-ups and push-ups are important too, as they will be challanged to do this stuff often during their basic experience. There's still time to improve stamina, so that's what I'd have your child work on.
With regards to communication, at least for the first two mos., it's basically one way... via the WebGuy, as stated previously; our cadet had one opportunity to speak with us and that was by chance (a kind instructor's heart...) during "Second Beast" (phase two of Basic Cadet Training (BCT)) while the freshman were encamped in Jack's Valley, their outside component of military training. My daughter, through the kind heart of an instructor whom let their squad call home for a minute (this was a pretty awesome time for both of us), was able to say "hi" to us and let us know she was doing well.
As parents, we tried (and succeeded) to write my daughter daily.. your call, but in speaking to my daughter, this was much appreciated. I personally tried to tap into her messed up sense of humor by writing things the only way that a dad with like sense of messed up humor sometimes can... in crayon... on the back of cereal boxes... cut and paste words from magazines; it was nutty, but she appreciated the humor. I also tried to send her a couple of sticks of gum once during her "second beast" (ha.. not allowed...
), and the gum found it's way into the greedy hands of her cadre (BCT Instructors). Finally, we did something completely spontaneous by traveling from the left coast to Colorado on the day of her march out of Jack's Valley (she said that our being there was so unexpected, yet appreciated, that it nearly forced her to cry in mid-stride (they were all pretty haggard and beat by the time they had completed their time at Jack's). I took photos of the freshaman class, her flight marching from Jack's, as well as doing the same in front of Arnold Hall, when they made it "to the hill..." [This all seems nutty to you, but you'll soon understand...].
In any event, I wish your new cadet luck! Enjoy family time (and for your child... sleep and good food) for the next couple of months. Again, congrats.