Moms of Daughters 2

Good morning to Everyone.
Cathi I love the picture I really feel that way this Monday.

Hi Blondie. This weekend wasn't a weekend for me. I had to work all weekend. I know it is over time but I like my weekends. I got to talk to my daughter. I finely got to tell her about her cat. YEAH! that is a load off my chest.

Hi Mom's! I got a letter on Friday, she is still doing well, her Div is performing for two PIR's this month! They've been doing lots and lots of marching! She got very upset at a mom who sent her BC a letter and news article that said this recruits best friend died in a motorcycle accident! The poor girl was extremely upset and had to go to the On Deck Director...my daughter was mad that the mom sent that to her kid while in BC....my daughter is the protector of all!!!! What would you guys have done??? Tricky question huh???

Blondie, She took it very well. She was sad, you could hear it in her voice, but it had to be done. I told her that it died by a car hitting it. I didn't want to lie to her. She really wanted to know. I wasn't sure how it died but it was by the street when we found it. So it could of happened. I am glad that is done though. She is in Hawaii for a few days then they set out again for a while.

Shannon, that is not the kind of news they need when you are in BC. I sent a really bad letter to my daughter when she was in BC and it through her for a loop. I would of waited until I saw her at PIR. This recruit needs to be concentrating on BC and not upset from something she can't change.

Very True! That would be very hard. My daughter has a lot of friends that are in the middle east and I couldn't imagine trying to tell her that one of them is gone. YIKES! I thought the cat was bad enough.

While when I won't see my daughter for a few months it was better I told her on the phone then wait in case someone tells her other wise. She took it very well. No tears that I could tell. I figure she would cry when she was alone, she was at her work station when she called. If I would of know that first I probably would of waited. OH WELL!

I agree 100%, Blondie. I really have a hard time telling people to keep thing off of there before I say anything to my sailor. They did this time but it could happen so easily.

Yea, tough call, but I agree, BC is not the place to tell that to someone ...its hard enough in there and she needs all the positive vibes she can get, thats why my SR was sooo mad, this girl was having a hard time already and this sent her over the edge!!! But, there's never a good time to share bad news! :(

Very True. The long you wait the hard it is to get out.

Yeah you are right an article was not the right way to go. I think they should of tried to get hold of the psychologist there and had her help her with it.

I agree, we can just say a prayer and help the family deal with this tragedy.

Hello all!! Just caught up on all the posts.
That is a shame that the young lady got the news by reading it like that. That same situation happened to us when our son was in bootcamp. One of his best friends was killed in a senseless car accident over the summer. It was so sad but I knew I couldn't break the news to Chris in a letter. The young man was one of my adopted sons and I knew him well since I worked at the high school for years. After he graduated bc and I had a chance to talk to him by phone (we weren't able to go to his PIR) I told him what happened and that I represented him also at the funeral. He agreed that there wouldn't have been anything he could do at the time and he appreciated not finding out about it by mail while going through all the stress of bc.

Hope this is the week that all our bc moms who are waiting for letters receive them!!! I got to talk to my sailor girl this weekend. She is under so much stress with her job but she is dealing with it!!! But this is another one of those "issues" with her command that I just DON'T understand - - - when my daughter was living at home she was very active - did gymnastics and was a lifeguard at the Y and taught swimming classes. She weighs about 100 pounds soaking wet!! Once she got to her command she started working with records which required 8 hours a day of sitting at a computer. According to her doctor her hip muscles have basically shrunk and has pulled her back out of whack!! She can no longer bend over like she used to - and she just turned 20 last month. When she had to take her last PFT she could not do the required sit ups because her back has lost flexibility. Obviously she did not have this problem before since she passed all previous tests. They kept telling her she had to retake the test in another week. After the second time she popped something in her back and she ended up going to the emergency room at the base hospital. She has been going to physical therepy twice a week to try to stretch her muscles but it is a long process since she still sits at a computer for 8 hours a day!!! But her command has basically said that since she didn't pass her PFT she has mandatory PT every day!!!! To me that makes no sense!! Hello people - - - she has an injury - - - it's not like she is overweight or not fit. And yet they continue to make her go to PT every day!!!!! That just adds to her stress level and cuts time out of her day. Until her back gets better she will never be able to do the sit ups and if they keep forcing the issue she could end up with permanent damage. Why don't the people in her command have enough common sense in their heads to see this is not going to make her pass the tests!!!!!! I really, really, really want to get ahold of her director (a retired chief) and ask her point blank if she has any intelligence at all.
Ok - I'm done ranting now - - - I've put the phone back down!!!!
Thanks for listening!!!

Anna, sorry that your daughter is going through that. As working in Workers Comp. They really should be listening to the doctors and her physical therapy treatment. Next time you talk with her ask her if she is getting up every 20 minutes to move around. That will help. That is what you are suppose to do when you are on a computer for that long. I also have some excersies that my pt person gave me to help with that. If you email me your address I will mail you it and to can pass it on. Sorry for the spelling. These are ones they gave me for my back and shoulder when I hurt myself at work.

That really sucks, especially when you are suppose to move every 20 minutes. Not stretch but just stand and move and then sit back down.

Hi Shannon - In answer to the question about the Best friend being killed in a motorcycle accident. I would have waited until after boot camp. The outcome for the person killed is the same. The recruit/sailors feelings will be the same. They can;t leave boot camp to attend the funeral because they weren't immediate family. So I know I would have waited. Besides I would want to be with my loved one when I told them.

Anna-take the advice of Jean and NavyMom. Your daughter needs to get the doctor involved to help her situation.

Anticipation continues to build in this household. Battlestations is Thursday and the phone call will be Friday. We talk about it with the so much interest that you would think we were the ones going through BS. Makes the anxiety of the final PFA and Test #3 seem mild.

Here's to a successful week to all the recruits in bootcamp and all sailors in their endeavors.

GSdkids, Don't count on the call until late in the afternoon. They have a ceremony at 8 and then they have to take turns on the phone.

Hi Guys,

I have now joined to ranks of moms waiting for the "Hi, I arrived safely" phone call. I just got home from MEPS not too long ago. Wow, what a day! I am exhausted but cannot sleep, sad but cannot let it out, and happy/excited but cannot show it...just overwhelmed.

I am proud of my young lady. I keep reminding myself of my own words...I have raised capable young ladies and now it is time to let them show me how well I did!

Melsmom, it is ok. Let it out. It works better to just get it out. I remember when my daughter left. It was sad. I had to be the strong one so she wouldn't cry. I waited until I was in my car driving home from MEPS. We got to see her off to the airport. I am glad I was not at the airport. That would of been even harder. Just think we will be here for you.

Thank you ladies and I agree with you 1000 percent. However this command has my daughter so squashed with all the bs she's had to deal with since the beginning, that she refuses to make demands for herself. Her command has no military personnel at the top - it's all civilians. Even the doctors she is going to for her physical therepy are civilian doctors and they cannot issue any orders or waivers for anything related to sailors!! She told me that she is allowed two 15 minute breaks each day - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. But she cannot take the time away because they have her keeping a quota of processing 120 records everyday. Two guys work on night shift and they only do 120 records between the two of them!!!! Her command leaders (civilian) keep telling her she needs to push her quota up to 140 records every day. So they really don't give squat about her health, physical well-being or mental well-being. All they care about is getting XXX number of records done each day so this project can be completed by September. Cath told me she just wants to try to hold on until September and hopefully this will be finished. I just don't know the price she will end up paying!! But I don't think for a minute this will be the last bad issue she will have to deal with while she is still at this command.

Jean,
I will send you my email address in a pm.

Anna, these excersies are easy and can be done at the computer. It only takes less then 30 sec. do one. I do them all day. It helps me with my shoulders and back and wrists.

ok missed a couple posts while I was typing - -
gsdkids,
We will be waiting right along with you for that happy call. I remember anxiously awaiting that call from my daughter and I didn't get it until the next day. I was sweating bullets because we were leaving that afternoon to start driving and I had all kinds of bad thoughts going through my head. But she finally called and everything was ok and we left right on time!!!! Good luck to her and let us know when you hear!!!!!!!

Melsmom,
Congrats to sending off another future sailor!!! It can be overwhelming and it will be a rough few weeks. Just keep in touch with us and we will help you. Try to find some quiet time for yourself to feel whatever you need. Go ahead and vent and cry here if you need to. We have been there also and totally understand.
Sending you great big NavyMom hugs your way!!!!!!

Jean-thanks for the info on the timeliness of the call, because I'm already waiting so now I can just assure myself to wait a little longer.
Anna-no doubt everyone will hear my sigh of relief when the telephone call comes through and my scream of joy.

Hang in there moms.

Gsdkids, I think it was after 1:00 my time.( pacific time). So at least you are prepared to have you phone on.

Your almost threw the worst of it. I hated the waiting. It was bad. I think I cried harder at the call that she was a sailor then when she left. To much stress.

Thanks Jean! Yeah, I am glad I said my goodbyes at MEPS. I am also a bit thankful that it felt rushed. One minute she was doing paperwork, the next she was telling me she was getting on the bus. I know that sounds weird, but it was enough for my brain to be syked into what needs to be done, and not let the emotion catch up until after she was gone.

The coming weeks are going to be long!! Sigh. Last night, I walked past her room and it felt so weird that she wasnt in there. She went through all of her stuff to figure out what she wanted to be sent to her later so it even feels like she is moving out. A little hard.

Thank you Jean, I will pass along all this info to her.

Blondie,
She's known for sometime that her back was giving her problems but she didn't realize she could no longer do a situp. She cannot bend her back to do those - she ends up having to try to sit up with a straight back which she can only do about 20 that way because she ends up slamming her back into the floor. So unless she wants to try to get a doctor over the physical therepist civilian she is pretty much screwed!!!

Thanks, all of you! You are all so wonderful. Blondie, I really appreciate your kind words. I will be posting more now. And i am trying to just go through the motions today. And to think I was going to try to work today...ha! I took the rest of the day off...just couldnt do it.

Aside from the venting, I wanted to offer my prayers to all of you that are going through your own brand of emotion. Anna and gsdkids...keeping you in my thoughts as well!

Melsmom, Ooooh i can soo relate to what you're going through and will soon to go through.... My one and only child (daughter) is just about to graduate BC in 3 days 15 hours 45 min 27 sec.... It's been the LONGEST 8 weeks of my life! (even longer than trying to stay on a diet for weeks. LOL) I gotta tell you though, the very first 2 weeks are going to be the HARDEST!! no contact at all. I cried for 2 weeks straight. once i got the form letter w/ her address and was able to start communicating w/her i felt soooo much better. I could start functioning again. I sent mail daily from that moment on....PHEW!!! now, i'm just waiting for my "I'm a sailor" call which comes after she passes BS21. which she will be doing tomorrow night. PIR is in 3 days . hooYAH!!!! We're all here for you. I wouldn't have made it without N4Ms. Cuz, no one gets me, except N4Ms! our thoughts and prayers will be with you.
Thank you Joanne.
gsdkids, Is your PIR 8/6/2010?


Tina

Hugs, Tina...that was very helpful! Yes, I will be counting down too once I get the PIR date. I have already started my letter-a-day campaign....and will mail a bunch when I get that form letter. haha...she will have a windfall. I am labeling the flap of the envelope with an opening order for her...haha. OK, so I am a little OCD.

congratulations on your soon to be sailor. I will say a special prayer for her as she goes through battlestations!! :) Hugs to you and to your girl!!

Sorry, I had to step out for awhile and make up a menu and take care of some grocery shopping. No food for dinner - - - crisis!!!

Melsmom,
Yes, please stop by and stay in touch more often now. We will hold you up as you get through these tough few weeks. It is better when you have that address and can start sending her letters. Of course you know that it takes longer for you to get word back from her and that's what makes it seem to drag by so slowly. Once I started getting letters and she would tell me how much they've accomplished and what was coming up next it seemed time went much quicker. By then you are making preparations to go to PIR!!!!!

Heather'sproudmom-my daughters PIR is 8/13 so we feel like we are still forever away even though it's just over a week. Good luck to yours.

NavyMom,
Thank you for the kind words. The only military member in Cath's chain of command is a chief and he is between a civilian officer manager and the civilian director. There are no officers above the director unless she were to look for someone on the base. But her command is not even physically on the base. When her brother told her to find her command equal opportunity officer and talk to them she checked and found out that it was that chief. He is the same one who gave Catherine the same miitary punishment as the roommate she had who attacked her in their apartment and then further punished Catherine by forcing her back to the barracks where her car suffered the 3000 dollars damage and her command never investigated who the culprits were. They basically told Catherine to watch where she parked her car - - - hello she parked in the barracks parking lot!!! So she holds no hope whatsoever of ever getting any justice from him. She does have one small ray of hope - - this special project she is on has it's own person in charge - - another civilian retired chief. However, this one really likes Cath so he is going to try to pull some strings and get her off the mandatory PT. Not because of her back problems tho' - - - because he wants her to be able to work longer and up her quota!!!! Do you see where their thinking is???????

ahh...i just heard from her. Her plane just landed. Her recruiter told me that the yelling begins at the airport...sigh. it will be a long night for her, if things hold true that it gets crazy busy when they arrive at GL. It is already almost 7pm there. And she hasnt even got off the plane!

Melsmom,
I'm glad she made it safe and sound. What is that expression - - misery loves company!!! At least she is one of many going through that and I hope she can draw strength from that. Now did anyone tell you that her recruiter should be able to get her address after tomorrow? He can go to a website and check that she is there and where she got assigned which then gives him her address.

Anna, no...her recruiter said that information would be known in about a week. So I thought I would just go and begin writing...and wait to mail them.

I don't know why he would have told you that. They have a website that they go to and enter their ss# and the recruit's # and he can check that she did arrive and what ship/div she gets assigned to. They only have to wait 24 to 48 hours because they don't always get assigned right away after they arrive at GL.

That doesnt surprise me with Ellie's recruiter...not the best. We have had some issues in the past. Mel, on the other hand, has a great recruiter, but she isnt going for quite some time. Maybe I will call him for the information then.

Anna, when can I start mailing to her?

Melsmom,
As soon as you have a ship/div then you can get the address. As I was told since recruiter/recruit are linked by ss# only the recuiter that "put her in the Navy" can access the GL info on her. They can get the info as soon as GL puts it in the computer system. But that's why they say 24 to 48 hours.

If your recruit is in Divisions 309 -316,944 your PIR date is 9/17.
Please join us at: http://www.navyformoms.com/group/pir9172010

Hi there moms...I suddenly have a question. Where can I find a schedule of what she is doing day by day? Also, Blondie, no, I havent found the prayer wall. Any help in these areas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!! :)

Melsmom-just go to the search box under groups and type in Prayer Wall. It should be the first item listed.

Melsmom,
I was trying to get the link for you but my computer was acting up and wouldn't cooperate. This should be the web address for Recruit Training Command: www.bootcamp.navy.mil. You should be able to find the week by week schedule along with all kinds of neat info and a few videos also.

I just realized... (dumb mom, stupid mom) I have never taken Tiffie for a pap smear or anything like that. Will they do that at bc?? I feel horrible, I just never thought about it, she just graduated high school and was not sexually active and sadly it never dawned on me :( :( Will she have to do this there, when they get there?? Ohhhhhh gosh... I feel so bad for her now :(

Good morning, ladies,

My daughter called me after 11pm last night to let me know she arrived at GL. She was already told not to expect to sleep last night. It starts.

Thanks ladies, for the info. I was looking for schedules of boot camp but found various ones. The one right from the source should be trustworthy. thanks, Anna. gsdkids, I will check that out today.

Thanks for everything guys....I will be checking in hit or miss today...off to work I go. Have a happy Tuesday.

Hugs,
Mary

Tiffany's mom-yes-she will have the entire body checked out and most likely put on birth control. Just another thing she will experience in boot camp without Mom's hand to hold onto and squeeze. Send her positive thoughts and encouragement in all those letters you are starting to write. Heads up, smile on the face (it will be hard to keep there, say a prayer and write, write, write.

Good Morning to Everyone.