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Comment by M's mom on March 19, 2016 at 12:27am

To all you RV'ers:  I am jealous!   I'm going to be working full-time for another 8 years or so before retirement, so not hitting the road any time soon.  Hubby and I do travel several times per year, usually flying there and renting a car, but how cool that would be to just drive your home with you!  Next big trip for us will be to go to Japan next year to see son & D-I-L at Yokota Base!  May be forced to spend a few days in Hawaii on the way there and back, just to break up the long flight time into shorter legs.

Anna: I'm curious. I know we all can pay most bills online now, and do online banking, but how do you get mail if you are a full-time vagabond?  Do you have a  Post Office box somewhere?  What address would one use for tax returns and such?  I've always wondered what full-time travelers use for a mailing address!

Quilter:  Good luck getting your hubby to go to the quilt show!  I would have zero success at that with mine-- unless there was also a fishing expo nearby!!!   haha

Comment by Quilter on March 18, 2016 at 9:04pm

Anna,

That's awesome! Full time RVer's!! This is all new to us, and we are very excited!! I'm having a lot of fun buying new things and making it very comfy!! It's very hard to believe OCS for us was a year ago, I will NEVER forget that time in our lives ever!! I pray for the new Classes all the time!!!

Topdog, you will love traveling and spending time in your RV!! Just having our outside in our driveway is so much fun!! Our 1st trip will be to see our LO next month!! I can hardly wait!!!!

Now to convince my husband to take the RV to a quilt show east of here!!! Lot's of room for MORE FABRIC!! LOL!! 

Comment by Anna on March 18, 2016 at 7:15pm

topdog,

I agree about your home state.  Got to visit twice when my enlisted daughter was stationed threre.  There are still several places I want to see so I'm hoping I get more time this time around!!!!! 

Comment by topdog1p on March 18, 2016 at 6:35pm

Quilter i can not wait til my hubby retires and we start RVing. we are now starting to look at toyhaulers so we can bring our harley where ever we go. 

Anna I hope you enjoy my home state of Washington there is so much to see and enjoy the time you will get to send with your LO

Comment by PaulaH on March 18, 2016 at 2:06pm

Wow thanks everyone.  I'll get started by purchasing the box and slowly decorate and fill it up.   It will be hard waiting to send though till week 9 , but I understand why!!!!!    This really is motivating:) 

Comment by Anna on March 18, 2016 at 1:40pm

Quilter,

I can't believe it's been a year already!!!  Love the news about the RV.  My hubby and I are full-time Rvrs, spent all last year traveling the western US and then the last 6 months we've been wintering over in Jacksonville.  We'll be leaving here in about 3 weeks and starting our travels all over the eastern US this year.  Will end up heading for WA (where our son is getting transferred to) for a visit and then heading to southern CA for this coming winter.  I highly recommend it if you get to travel often!!!  Seeing our LOs is always the cherry on top!!!!

Comment by Quilter on March 18, 2016 at 10:24am

Hi M's mom!! Can you believe it!!

 The end of February last year we started this Journey!!! Our LO is doing great!! Study Study Study is all that happens these days!! It's nice to facetime every once in awhile, but the best news is, my husband and I just purchased a new RV and we will be traveling very soon to visit our LO!!! I'm so excited!! Phone calls and facetime is great....but being there and holding our LO will be the icing on the cake!!

I've been keeping up with Navy Moms and helping out every once in awhile, but I'm still learning everyday myself!! You and many others are very supportive and very helpful!! 

Comment by M's mom on March 18, 2016 at 10:07am

Quilter:  Good to hear from you again!  Has it been a year since your Ensign was at OCS?   How's he doing?

Comment by M's mom on March 18, 2016 at 10:03am

NuclearOPSMom and PaulaH:  They go from being Officer Candidates to Candidate Officers-- "Candio's"--at week ten of OCS.  As the class ahead of them graduates, they then become the "senior" class at OCS and are then supervising the regiment for weeks 10-12. They are then given many more privileges, like having their personal cell phones, and can then receive goodies from home!

As Quilter wrote, most families use a large-size flat rate box from the US Postal Service.  They cost about $18 to mail, no matter how heavy you stuff it.  Get the boxes from your Post Office.  You don't have to pay for it until you mail it.  They are priority mail, so they get to Newport in 2-3 days.  You can send them end of week nine, just mark the box CANDIO, so they will hold it for them until they can have it. Tradition is to decorate the inside of the box in a Navy theme.  Go to Hobby Lobby and get Navy stickers and decorating supplies.

We were told Candios can receive anything EXCEPT: alcohol, tobacco, and anything that looks like a weapon.  So, no squirt guns, rubber band shooters, etc.   I sent my son his personal laptop computer which he requested.   They can receive more than one box, but don't go nuts.  They are only at OSC for three more weeks, and my son said they couldn't possibly eat everything they were sent, even sharing it with those who didn't get any, so lots of it just gets thrown away.  Magazines might be welcome, but I doubt they have any time to finish a book during those last three hectic weeks!!!

Comment by Quilter on March 18, 2016 at 9:43am

Dear NuclerOPSMom, When I was in charge of my LO's Class FB page I submitted a few "Files" for all to read concerning their LO's time at OCS. Here is the file I submitted on the Candio Box:

Candio Box

A CANDIO (Candidate Officer) box is a care package box that friends and family send to their LO’s during week 9. It is tradition that on the Wednesday of week 9 when your LO’s become CANDIO’s they are given these care packages filled with goodies that they love to eat and anything they ask for that they may need. Typically all they really want is food though. 

These boxes are decorated on the inside, in some Navy/ Personal fashion making it a fun and meaningful arts and crafts project for friends and family and an awesome surprise for the new CANDIO’s as they do not know what’s inside.

CANDIO'S DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO MICROWAVES, REFRIGERATORS OR COFFEEMAKERS IN THE NEW NIMITZ BUILDING. MICROWAVEABLES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. 

Time Line for CANDIO Box 

Week 4:

Begin working on/decorating your CANDIO boxes 

Week 9

MAIL BOXES TODAY - Do not mail boxes early. Early is NOT better in this situation.

Address boxes as "OC (Name of LO)"

Your LO’s receive/open their boxes, they are now CANDIOs 

(This is the NO EARLIER THAN day they can receive boxes, not the only day. Some classes don't receive their boxes until Thursday or later because of their class team

Box Specifications

Any size box is acceptable; typically Large Flat Rate boxes from USPS are used because you will fill these boxes with goodies and they can getvery heavy. Large Flat Rate boxes are FREE to pick up from any local USPS branch

Do NOT require a signature on delivery on your box.

 

Limit on Boxes: Recommended you send no more than 2 per candidate because of storage purposes at OCS. However no official limit has been set

 

There are some CANDIO’s that will not receive any boxes because their family and friends did not know about this tradition; Candidates are often very willing to share their goodies. Do NOT send extra boxes addressed to “a Candidate In Need” - they will not be delivered.  Any extra boxes should be sent directly to your LO with instructions to share. 

 

 

 

 

 

What to Write on the OUTSIDE OF BOX -> VERY IMPORTANT! 

You must write “CANDIO BOX” on the outside of your box. Sharpie it in big letters on the sides.

 

Before week 9 your LOs are still officer candidates The contents can be thrown out and your LOs can get in trouble or potentially SEAWALLED. You do not want to be the cause of your LO getting seawalled when they are so close to finishing the program. Being seawalled would only happen in EXTREME cases nonetheless it's best to try to avoid it.  

CONTRABAND: Alcohol, tobacco, porn, gambling materials, medication, and live animals.

 

 

 

 

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