Dads on Moms.....com

If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again
If I had my child to raise all over again,

I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I’d finger paint more, and point the finger less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.

I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars,

I’d do more hugging and less tugging.

I’d see the oak tree in the acorn more often,

I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.

I’d model less about the love of power,

And more about the power of love.

–Diane Loomans

Don't know why Jack sent this to me privately, but here was the picture he sent me of himself

Hey, just checked our stats. We've now got 24 members in this group! How many do we need to commission our own submarine?

I don't think I could do a sub but there are 200 sailors on my sons Frigate!  Hey Concernedad you know what they say about paybacks, Jack might have one for you!

Hey, I applaud Jack's fashion sense. It's not everyone who can pull off wearing that outfit.

OMG - my eyes! Jack - when did you let yourself go like that?

Concernedad - there's no way I'm getting on a sub - I can barely handle the submarines at Disneyland!

JACK you have wear that ??

Jack...you may want to accessorize with a long flowing skirt for the tea...black and white with a splash of the same color as the leotard.  Also a flower in your hair of the same color would pull it all together.  And high tops are just not okay with that ensemble...just not!

As to a submarine...I am afraid I am with B'snukemom.  I can barely handle the ones at Disneyland.  In Portland we have a sub at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) docked on the Willamette river.  It's the Blueback and it was used in "The Hunt for Red October" (love that film!).  I toured it with my son a few years ago and couldn't wait to get off.  Claustrophobia anyone?!!

AbbyBlue...thanks for the poem...

And I wanna thank you guys for the giggles...it was a difficult day and to come home and check this out and laugh out loud...yay!!! Of course my eyeballs may be permanently damaged but it was well worth it!

<a href="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.smileycentral.com%252F%253Fpartner%253DZSzeb008%255FZKxdm011MRUS%2526i%253D28%252F28%255F1%255F19%2526feat%253Dprof/page.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/28/28_1_19.gif" alt="SmileyCentral.com" border="0"><img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D28%252F28_1_19%2526uiv%253D3.0/image.gif"><img width="0" height="0" src="http://anx.smileycentral.com/tr.gif?anxt=hzWAoV9ErK2YrrG1X6rs2A&anxtv=2.3.98.9&anxv=3&htmlUID=1a415399-bc99-4ed1-b08f-eb0f58994905&hostApplication=&hostVersion=&anxp=ZSzeb008CWUS_ZKxdm011MRUS&anxai=1054045&assetName=Smiley%2520Sunglasses&anxs=NA&anxe=ContentImpression&anxa=SmileyCentralButtonFile" border="0" style="" /></a>

Okay, I tried to put a smiley in and it didn't work.  Gotta figure this out....

               ***opens the door slowly and peeks in****                                                                  

                  ***sees picture, slams door and runs to psychiatrist"

Thanks, ellen0502!

concerned - I guess I need to post a picture of me when I was younger...

  DramaSoul...here is your Smiley.

To embed html codes (emoticons, widgets, videos etc):

First...click on the spot in your post where you want the item to be placed. This is important because if you don't, it won't... or it will post the last place your cursor was...then you have to remove it and start all over.

Next, click the "Embed media" icon in the toolbar in the Comment box here. It is the third one over. The first is link ; then next to that is where you "add a picture"...then the Embed media icon.

Now open up another tab on your computer. Search for whatever you want to embed and copy the html code. It's a little different for each one. (For youtubes it is the "share" button and then the "embed" one. It highlights the code automatically)

Now, come back to the Embed media box and paste it in. Click "OK"

Jack - They be pickin' on you! I think maybe he meant more something like this:

This is Craig now...

LOLOLOLOLOL!!!! ROFLAO!

Thanks, FTLW.  I will try it the next time.

Craig...my how you have grown! I cannot thank all of you enough for the laughs.

Gotta get back to work. Got The Herd on ESPN radio in my earbuds as I set up. Anyone wanna talk football?  I know just enough to be dangerous.

Oh and I pick my teams based on how cute the quaterback or wide receivers are...or maybe team colors. 

OK, got it, no sub. What is it about women and not wanting to go down?

AbbyBlue....Smilin'! It's Friday and my Sailor is home until Tuesday. YAY!!

Concernedad...All I said was that I could not be on a sub...there was no reference to anything else I might or might not do...just for the record...

Yay!! I just did my first Smiley!! What a headrush...whoohoo....

Look at my goofy dog:

...well that's close enough I guess (he really does understand "kennel", but hates being in it unless it's dinnertime or HIS choice).

Sometimes he gets up there while I am driving. He doesn't like the bench seat in this new van...gee, I'm sooooo sorry!

Usually, he rides shotgun:

FTLW...he is too cute! Does he call 'shotgun' like my kids used to?

Let's kick this place up a bit. How about another question...

What is your sailor doing currently in the Navy?

My son leaves for BC Aug 7.  He will be a SW and he wants to be a CUT after A school.

My daughter in law is dental tech

My son is an LS on the USS Curts FFG 38, currently deployed.

And my son is currently sitting around my house doing nothing (just like before he left) until tomorrow when he heads back to Great Lakes waiting for his next destination, so I guess he currently does a lot of cleaning,  but for some reason not when he's home.

He's an ET in waiting I guess.

I really need to get a Navy to English dictionary.

my son is a weekend

ABH2 on the Eisenhower currently deployed on the way to the sandbox.

Rod...sandbox?

AbbyBlue...love your smiley for your daughter-in-law.

My son is in STA-21 finishing his degree at The Citadel.

Concernedad...let me know when you find that Navy to English/English to Navy dictionary. 

Drama the "sandbox" is Iraq or Afghanistan.

FTLW....Thanks! I kinda thought so but I don't want to ass-ume ANYTHING. It has gotten me into trouble before.

Me too....actually, I would say it would be the Middle East.

Hmmm, for some reason I always thought The Citadel was tied to the Army or Marines.

I don't feel so bad now. I asked my son yesterday to translate some of the ratings listed below and he didn't know them all either.

Well...how about everyone come back and decode their Sailors rating and or what they are doing? I can see I didn't follow directions very well! I only gave his rating.

He is a Seabee Builder Constructionman Apprentice (E-2)...and a reservist. He just got into his Unit...had to apply to one and get taken accepted. He is trying to find a job in this lovely economy, go back to College and will do his first AT (Annual Training - two weeks) soon.

Go Seabee's!

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Rod...thanks for the info! Not too much, I assure you.

My son is a Corpsman going 'green side'. He just completed A school at San Antonio. He begins his Field Marine Training Battalion (aka FMTB) in about 10 days.  After his 2 months of training at Camp Pendleton, he will be at 29 Palms Marine Air and Ground Training Command working in the hospital there until the ship to which he has been attached is deployed.   He will be deployed with his Marine unit...a 'devil doc'...as it were. He is currently an E-2 but that is about to change. In September he will be an E-3.

The Citadel has Navy, Marine, Army, and Air Force ROTC contingents. My son is an ETN1 (E6) submarine nuclear reactor operator.  After graduation and commissioning next May he will go to Pensacola for flight school.  He is in transition form the Nuke community to the Aviation community. 

I understood the SW part, but not the CUT part.

BTW, my son has put in to work with SEAL teams, so not sure what I'm allowed to say anymore? Don't know if I can say where he will be stationed or not? Anyone?

Chris, I'm confused, is your son a reservist? Is he actually IN the Navy now, or will be after graduation? Is he currently E-6 or will be at graduation? Not sure how all that stuff works?