Chicago Mom's

hi all, lots to catch up on I see.  Michelle your slacking on the cliff notes..:) Everyones sailors are in my prayers.....Pat have a question for ya....I recieved an e-mail from a sailor thanking me for the  boxes we sent from Molly's. She was from the Vinson. How did our boxes get to the Vinson I thought we packed for the Makin?.. stay well evryone.

@Becky, Here's what happened.....After all the packing parties for the Makin AND the cases of Febreeze that we received, and cases of soap from P & G, there was TOO much for the Makin Island. So we sent 10 boxes each to 8 of the small groups that are on the website. That's how you got a thank you from the Vinson. We figured that no one would mind because we were still sending the love to our "kids".

We ended up sending to the Makin 369 APO/FPO boxes AND a couple of dozen HUGE parcel post boxes. It has been arriving and they are having a ball!!!!

Ok good I thought I was losing my mind...LOL  The kindergarten kids were all thrilled to death the AO2 sent pics to them and they were soooo excited.

Becky, That's great. It is so much fun to see kids get so excited!!!

@Michelle, June 1 is my last day and I have to say that I am getting really excited to have some freedom. No more 13 hour days, no more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, no more chasing parents for a check!!!!!! YIPPEEEEE!!!!!

Schaumburg totaly works for me...I live in Palatine.  I am confused about the dates being thrown out.  April or May?

@Paula, OMG, look at how much he has grown! March 10 was Logan's 1st birthday and still can't believe it.

ladies if you would like your sailor to get an Easter Card from my 8th graders send me an email with their information on it and I will make sure they get one. Here is my email dcollins@cajetan.org

OK moms...Lets try to nail down a date, well as much as we can anyways!

Lets plan for April 21st,,,,,,Saturday, April 21st, Schaumburg, Noon (better time?)

If anyone is travelling far and would like to spend the night at my home, please let me know.  I have extra room.  (and a large yellow labrador retriever to go along with hubby and teenage son).

Not sure of the place yet. Olive Garden is always a fall back but I will look for an alternate venue as well.

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Belay that last date!

Figures the moment I pick a date, I have to change it!  Darn & double darn!  I just flew home today from sailor son's "C' school graduation & got caught up on the mail. Of course I have a date conflict!

Will Sunday, April 22nd work for everyone?

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter.  Leaving for Florida to see my parents, should be fun.  We need to pick another day to get together. 

Linda that is so wonderful you must be so proud of  him, best of luck to him.

It looks as if April is too crazy of a month for the Northern Illinois moms to have a meet and greet in Schaumburg, so I will try again with another date.

New date: Saturday, May 19th, 11:00 a.m. probably at the Olive Garden in Schaumburg (not firm location yet).

Can we do this Northern moms?

Can you Southern moms join us?

hi all everyone is quiet whats going on Michelle needs to leep on the cliff notes...LOL my son will be home for leave on thurs then gone for the weekend and back home on monday. Paula S did holly move yet?? 

Hello everyone, I am new to this group and look forward to "meeting" a lot of new people:) I am not so sure what this group is about so if you can help me understand the purpose for this group I would appreciate it:) My boyfriend and my brother are both in the Navy and almost about to graduate bootcamp, which is very exciting for me:) Hope to hear soon, thanks:)

Wonderful Linda! 

Nani&Tony - This group is a great source of information.  Sailor families & friends have a wealth of information that they are willing to share with anyone asking.  Also it is a wonderful provider of moral support!

Hello Linda- My brother will be staying at great lakes and my boyfriend will go to Pensicola FL. My brother will working with the submarines ( I am not sure what he will be doing for sure) and my boyfriend will be working with something that has to do with aviation.

RIGHT-O, SISTER!!!!

Hello all...Hope everyone enjoyed Easter.  Welcome N&T!  Looks like a few of us have our kiddos home.  Enjoy!  I see a couple dates floating around for get togethers.  I am good with 4/22! 

well ladies tonite is my sons last nite attached to his squadron...i'm sad and so is he. I have to honestly admit i have been spoiled having him stateside. I will net a get together soon...LOL Paula Easton is getting so big and is way cute...welcome nani and Tony.

My son left Great Lakes the first of March and is back in Norfolk.  He never expected to be deployed to A again, let alone so soon. 

Ruth what ship is he on? My son is in Norfolk and deploying soon too :(

That's the scary part--no ship.  He's going with those ocean animals that clap and bark if you know what I mean.  He isn't one, he's part of their support.. 

Hmm.  How about this?  He's going with Heidi Klum's soon to be ex.  I'm learning to write in code!  HA.

@Ruth, You are good at this "code thing". I got it!!!! Hey, did you get the email I sent to you?

I did!  Total surprise that they've changed the date, but that's better for me.  Come on down, girls!  Let's do a Molly's weekend! 

Great pictures ladies!!!! I love seeing pictures of your families!!!!

@Ruth you are good at coding I got it. Is he a corsman? My sons girlfriend may be going to corsman forgive my spelling) when they get back from deployment, they mentioned sending her to Texes. That is what she was suppose to do when she joined then they made her undesignated. She kept on it because she loves medicine and they have been having her work in the clinic on base 3 days a week she draws blood and what surprised me they taught her how to stich people up and they said she is really good at it too. I worry about the seperation when she does go away to school, how long is corsmen school and how do you spell it&%$@#!!!!!!!

corpsman--he he.  But you say it like you spelled it.  No, he's not, he's a gunners mate so deals with weapons. 

OK ladies...I need to change the date for our meet and greet yet again, but it is for a really good reason.

I am going to have a packing party to support the efforts of "Molly's Adopt A Sailor"  which is one of the groups on the N4M site.  My church, St. Francis de Sales in Lake Zurich wants to host the event.  They picked the date.  How could I refuse?

So, first off, you are all invited to join me at the packing party.

And now for a new date.  Either Saturday, May 26th, which is Memorial weekend or Saturday, June 2nd.

Preferences?

Save the dates!  Rock Island Arsenal Open House and Armed Forces Day observance July 7.  Air show date changed to September 1-2.  Navy moms will have a Molly's Adopt a Sailor tent hopefully at both.

@Ruth, You can count on me to be there!!

Hey Paula, my son is corpsman.  He has been through several trainings.  I think the first one is about 3 months.  He did it at Great Lakes right before they moved the school to Texas. 

Okay – Since Michele appears to bowing out(lol) of her cliff note duties…let me give this shot as my head is spinning with dates and deployments being thrown out here lately.  Listed below are the dates I saw.  Let me know if anything is missing.  I think we need to add a new discussion to this group just to keep track of dates. 

Priority date right now...Becky - if you need drinks before you son leaves for Japan...put a Friday or Saturday night out there and as many us that can will meet you at Roundheads! 

Sept 1-2: Rock Island, air show date changed to September 1-2 - Ruth. 

Cantigy: Gather at Pat’s house and head over.  What’s the date for this one?

July 9: Operation Shower http://www.facebook.com/OperationShower - Beth

July 7: Ruth: Rock Island Arsenal Open House and Armed Forces Day observance July 7.  Air show date changed to September 1-2.  Navy moms will have a Molly's Adopt a Sailor tent hopefully at both. – Per Ruthe

May 26  / June 2 – Mom gathering - Laura

Memorial Day Weekend:  Pheasant Run: Memorial Day special on May 25 and 26,patriotic music and reading and acting out letters from the troops. Mary

Laura: St Francis de Sales, Lake Zurich Molly Packing Party (I went to grade school there) Date?

4/22: Blue Star Mom meeting in Palatine - Beth

Coco, EXCELLENT job with the cliff notes!!!

Cantigny - Gary Sinise concert - July 21

Packing party @ St. Francis in Lake Zurich - May 19

Hi Janelle, Welcome! I see that you are in Naperville and I live in Carol Stream! We are practically neighbors!!! My sailor is also a Nuke (EM)!

Just one small thing, you should really erase your son's name. You can just say "my sailor"!

mary - I am looking forward you you, and any other moms who want to join us, at the Lake Zurich packing party!

I will post something official soon!

Coco hell of a job on the cliff notes!!  :) have to print that out to remember...thanks for the drink offer...welcome Janelle

The packing party for "Molly's Adopt A sailor" is going to be on May 19th, 10:00am, St.Francis de Sales Church in Lake Zurich.  I am soo nervous that we won't have enough items to pack.  I am praying for a successful packing party.

I am going to pick May 26th for our Northern Illinois meet and Greet.  Most likey at 11:00am at the Olive Garden in Schaumburg unless anyone can think of an alternative place. 

@Beth, I think we are going to have quite a group of moms at the concert. Hope we can figure out a way to touch base with you!!

oops- I thought I could edit my last post and take my son's name out, but it erased it completely. Thanks Pat L for the advice. I read the guidelines after exploring and writing and fixed other spots. Got it now! :)

Thanks everyone for the warm welcomes! I will continue to explore and join in where I can. You all seem like a great group!

May 19th - Molly's Adopt A Sailor packing party 10:00am @ St. Francis de Sales ministry center. 135 S. Buesching Rd. Lake Zurich, Il 60047

May 26th - Meet & Greet, Olive Garden, 11:00am, 1925 E. Golf Rd, Schaumburg, Il

Hope to see you all at one or both of the events! 

Hi, how is everyone?  I have a question, when I was looking for sailors to mail Easter cards too from school I received a name Allan Cardaza, well the envelope came back (Sally) is this you?  If I can get the address again I will mail it out again.  Hope everyone is good.

Hi Mary,

I think that our sons are in the same carrier group, if not on the same ship.  Sometimes it is hard to keep track of whos kids are where.  I think that I am going to make myself a spreadsheet to keep track of things!

Michelle - looking forward to seeing you at the packing party!  I hope you could make it.

Happy Mother's Day to all!!

Hope to see many of you at the packing party and the "Meet & Greet". Have lots of news to share about upcoming "Molly's" events.

Happy Mother's Day all!  I got to see my son for days last weekend for my daugher-in-laws graduation from Eastern.  It was amazing to get four days straight of uninterupted time with him and his wife!  We got everything packed up from her place and this weekend they began their cross country trek from Chicago to WA. They called this am from South Dakota.  Hope you all enjoy your day whether it is with or without your kids!   

Welcome to the World Adalyn!

@Michelle, Hope to see you Sat. WOOHOO!!!

2 weeks from Friday! Stick a fork in me, I'M DONE!!!!!!! LOL!!

@Mary, Michelle, and Coco, Thank you for coming and being a HUGE help at the packing party today!!

Hope to see you at the 4th of July parade, too!!

Love ya bunches, my sistas!!

Hello moms!  Roll call please. 

Who will be joining me at the Olive Garden, 1925 E. Golf Rd Schaumburg, at 11:00 this Saturday?