March Adoption: First to be Second!

[MomByHeart]

No one ever wants to be second.   Not unless it means they will be getting showered with love by Molly moms for the second time!

The USS Cape St. George is our FIRST ever SECOND time adoption!  You ladies did such a great job the first time that they are back for more.  Our first time supporting the Cape was a Christmas adoption in 2010.  Over 50% of the crew is new since then, so even though the ship is being adopted a second time, many of the sailors will be first-time recipients of our love. 

The Cape St. George is a guided missile cruiser based out of San Diego and is deployed as part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. 5th Fleet  as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. They left on their current deployment on December 7 and have already heard that they will be extended.   Their theme is "Dragon Slayers."  Their moto is "Always Victorious."

I did some research and found out that April is “Humor Month,” so the theme for this adoption is “humor.”  When I asked the POC about this theme, he said the crew will certainly be ready for some humor by the time our boxes start arriving.  So let’s try to bring smiles to their faces and laughter to their day!  Here are few ideas to get us started:

• Clean joke books
• Comics from local newspapers
• Movie/sitcom dvd’s with a comedy theme
• Silly putty
• Funny ties
• Those Groucho Marx fake glasses with the furry eyebrows
• Knock-knock jokes from kids .  I thought this would be great for groups of kids…they can write down all their favorite corny jokes that we parents  get tired of hearing over and over =]
• “Gag” gifts
• A collection of humorous stories/pictures from the internet or your own family

 

Their specific requests are:

• Magazines
• Toiletries
• Personal hygiene items
• Snacks
• Microwaveable food
• Candy
• DVD’s and popcorn for “movie nights”
• Phone cards—The chaplain has requested phone cards and has said that he is willing to distribute them on an “as needed” basis.  There will be a separate address for the chaplain listed when shipping time comes.
• Pillowcases: This group is able to receive pillowcases, so pillowcase moms, you are on duty!

 

We are also going to have some extra support and love from the Makin Island moms this month.  As a way to “pay it forward” for our adoption of their loved ones last month, they are going to hold a special packing party for the Cape St. George!  Thanks, Makin moms, you rock!!!

 

The male/female count is 350 male, and 6 female.

 

 Here is a list of what we need and what we have so far:

Female pillowcases (6)—All taken care of!

Male pillowcases (350)—All taken care of!

Magazines:  Loraine 100+

Toiletries (female):  Boxes for the 6 females

Toiletries/Personal hygiene: 1 full box of misc., deodorant, toothbrushes (1 case+), lip balm, razors, dental floss-240, hand sanitizer, body washes

Microwaveable food/Snacks: Popcorn-2 boxes+, 400 cookies, Fortune cookies - 2 boxes,

DVD’s:  40+

Candy: Laffy Taffy-101, fruit snacks, several boxes of misc. goodies

Drinks:  Drink packets-500, water bottles filled with goodies-36, energy drinks-800

Games, etc: 120 decks playing cards, "game" cards (Monopoly, Clue, etc.), puzzle and brain teaser books, puzzle pages-350

Silly stuff:  Groucho glasses-4, glow-in-the-dark glasses-4, Silly Putty

Banner: 1

I know you moms are going to be full of great ideas for how to get some huge belly laughs out of this awesome crew!   So let’s get busy and show our FIRST SECOND that our love is just as strong the second time around!

 

Shipping Dates:  March 21-23

 

 

 

[Laura]

Are the items for the Cape St. George to be sent as bulk? 

I see that Pam is packing goodies in water bottles.  Makin Island was in decorated paper bags.  What is the preferred method for this adoption?  My thought is that there may be so many different sized items for this "silly" adoption that it may be better to go bulk.

I always have such a hard time getting those round "Flarp" containers to fit into the small square boxes!

[Pat L. in IL]

@Laura, You are encouraged to ship whichever way is cheaper for you. If you have a scale and can get an approximate weight, there is a calculator on the post office website (usps.com) so you can figure out which way is cheaper.

[MomByHeart]

Hi Laura....You can send bulk if that works best for what you are shipping.  I will need a box count so they know what to expect.  If you have an odd size, please let me know that, too.

[Kim (Ethan's Mom)]

This was posted on our Cape's FRG page on Monday. Thought you all might like to see what great families we adopt/adopted.

Happy Monday Cape families!  As most of you all know we were picked by Molly's adopt a Sailor, well as a pay if forward the Makin Island's FRG is making Easter themed care packages for our sailors. 

Our FRG is working with the Makin's (last months adoption) FRG to send Easter to our sailors!! What a great Navy Family we all have!!

[MomByHeart]

Phone cards...The Chaplain said that AT &T are what is mostly used there on the ship.

[Pat L. in IL]

Due to a generous donation of DVD's from "Operation Support Our Troops", I am sending 40 DVD movies. Some comedies, some dramas, and the ever-popular horror movies! At Ikea, I found these 6x6 DVD "wallets" that hold 20 movies each. Leaves a lot more space in the box for popcorn!!

[MomByHeart]

Thank you Pat and Operation Support Our Troops!  Sounds like movie nights are going to get a lot better for the Cape  :)

[chowchow]

All I can say is WOW to all of you what an amazing group of moms.

[PAM (GM MOM)]

Mombyheart,  I have one very large box with the water bottles,  I am sending them in the box they came in when I bought a case.  It cost more to send the bigger box but in the long run is cheaper that trying to put them in a bunch of smaller boxes.  I also have 4 large flat rate boxes at this time.

Laura, we pack the water bottles with things because it is the most efficent way of shipping, the same goes for taking items out of boxes to ship, that way you can pack more into a flat rate box.  Just like all the single drink mixes I am sending I have taken out of their boxes so rather than only being able to get say 20 boxes into the box I can get up to 100 or more.  When packing think about how much room is taken up with packing.  I hope that helps you.

[MomByHeart]

Thanks, Pam!

[PAM (GM MOM)]

Pat, that is great, good job.  The sailors on the Cape are going to love it

[Molly Molly Fo Folly]

hey ladies look http://www.navyformoms.com/group/mollysadoptasailorproject/forum/to...     this sweet little one is finding us coupons ---I say if there is something we are looking for we take her up on her offer and ask her to find out where is the cheapest and or a coupon for it :)    

Its like a personal shopper   saver for us ~~   Please go say hello to her !!! 

Ship to shore At & T cards ----the only place I have ever found them is at the NEX, and of course we cant shop the nex (unless -hmmm---maybe we can call the nex and see is MAS can shop there online ??)  

WOO-HOO Op Support our troops --------------now thats some team work !!!