GREETINGS! Yesterday was a beautiful weather day! I echo my suggestions - even for those advanced cadets -VMI remains a unique enivorment - so care pkgs are always boosts!
I have found that nuts, peanut butter crackers, jerky, even those individual fruit cups - things that will give them some nurtiion are great! Snack bars, down the cereal isles, if your cadet likes, pop tarts, etc - just remember for RATS espically, they have to keep in their food box, supposed to be packaged for individual consmuption - no big bag of chips that will be leftover.
Also, those powders they can add to botted water. In this warm weather tootis rolls, fruit rollups, smarties, etc wont melt.
I sent musical cards once in a while - at least our yeaar they got a smile out of them!
I sent short, inspirational, encouraging emails - not everyday, but often. These first weeks, months - always mentioned the next milestone - keeps them focused on short term, not the LONG journey. Realize that no matter how prepared they thought they were, now that it has begun, wont seem so scary, but will be exhausting and demanding!
I believe this year, for whatever reason, there is NO football game new market weekend so really havent heard what privileges or plans for saturday. September will be filled with weekend events - I believe there are 3 home games and the corps is being bused to USNA as the corps trip - so busy month! Each home football game the parent council has their tent up and offers hamburgers, hot dogs, etc espically meant for RATS and their families, tho it is opened to all. I know that many Dykes include their RAT in their tailgate group if they have one going on.
Start and keep sending cards, care pkgs, emails. I am pleased - it looks like this coming week will give them a break from our oppossive heat and humidity!
larrys mom