I am beyond proud. HOOYAH, Erin!

Erin,

It is now 11pm on Tuesday July 3rd, 2012. You arrived at Bootcamp 7 full weeks ago. Tomorrow you start your eighth and final week of training. This is when you show what kind of student you have been. All you have left are final tests. A measure of your growth, a measure of accomplishments. You love learning. And you do very well on tests. But now you have learned to be tested in different ways. These ways are new to you.. but you are doing it! You are rising to the…

I got a letter from Erin today. She failed her 1st and now 2nd PT test. She wrote "I could use some Momma-PT-conquering stories right now :) "

This is my - her Navy Veteran Mom's -  response..

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I am going to give you Mom's Recipe For PT Success..

One massive dose of determination. Make your MIND UP that you WILL pass. You are gonna do it, no matter how hard it is. Mom says you can do this and…

Hi Blog! It's been awhile. Erin has been at boot camp 5 full weeks. A couple weeks ago I saw a post from a mom who was 2 weeks ahead of me (5 done, 3 to go) and I thought to myself.. wow.. can't wait till I can say that. So here I am. A lot has happened in the last 2 weeks. Mail started coming from her. I got her mid-way call that lasted 30 minutes. My nerves and anxiety for what she is enduring have calmed down. This is the time we have all settled down and are just doing our time until…

Dear SR (erins last name),

My name is Sharon and I have a favor to ask. On the 16th of May I sent my baby girl to bootcamp. Her name is Erin. I understand you are in the same division as her. Something tells me that you may know her. She is beautiful. She is bright. You wouldn't believe how smart she is. And she is funny. She is also very artistic. I wonder if she had a part in designing your division flag? And boy can she sing!

Oh, my favor.. can you give her a huge hug from…

I just finished writing this letter to Erin. After re-reading it I decided I should put it in my blog.

5/31/12 evening

Hey girlie!!

How ya doing? Did you have a good day? I bet it was tough. Yelling, 8 counts, etc etc. You made it though! It should be about hygiene time and then laundry, mailcall. I wonder if you have started standing watches yet? I know you still may be feeling lonely and scared sometimes. Look around honey,, you are not alone! These girls are…

2nd, 3rd, and 4th calls too! Erin needed security clearance information so she got to call me this morning! She had to call back 3 times as I didn't know the information either, had to obtain it and then she would call me back to get it. 

She sounded really good. Today is only their 1-1 day. I am surprised it has taken so long to get through p-days. She did say that they can mail their first letters home this Sunday. I guess I can give the mailman stalking a break for a week…

It is a beautiful sunny day. I am having a great day.

I still haven't gotten the form letter.

I still have a broken toe.

But the sun is shining and I am OK! Spent the morning writing to Erin. I miss her so much. She would have been such good company the last few days. We would have played Zelda for hours! All the while with my foot elevated of course. I wrote to her again, excited because I know it will go in the mail by the end of the day. Whether I get her address from…

Ok, so things are getting better. Not as emotional as I have been. Of course, that could be from the pain pills I am taking for my broken toe! No form letter again today. The mailman is lucky I couldn't chase after him. 

I emptied Erin's box today and was looking at the shipping label. It really bothers me that our postal service is in dire $ trouble, yet our own military doesn't support the U.S. Postal Service. The box was sent Fed Ex. Just seems wrong. 

Looking forward to…

It's been a rough 5 days.  I'm tired of water problems and torn up carpeting. My bathroom, hallways and closets in my apartment flooded Saturday while I was at work. Thought maintenance had the problem fixed, carpet dried out and reinstalled  monday evening. Tuesday, my only day off this week I spent my morning trying to fix the disaster created by having to empty out my kitchen pantry closet, all 8' ft of it and 75% of all my food and dishes. No sooner…

No box yet.

Recruiter doesn't have her ship/div #'s yet.

My apartment flooded (drain under hotwater heater..NOT my fault) while I was at work Saturday.

Got called in to work on my day off today.

I need a hug.

Erin has been in GL for 72 hours.The first 1 1/2 days I just felt numb. I was afraid if I let myself cry I would not stop. I was consumed with worry about how tired she must be after that first 30 hours of no sleep. I felt so guilty when I woke up that first morning knowing I had slept ok, she probably didn't sleep at all. I started writing to her. And revisited the posts here with information about the first few days of bootcamp. I connected with 4 other moms, so far, who have sent their…

Erin is at MEPS right now, clearing her final medical, getting travel briefings, etc. I will leave very soon to go

witness her swearing in ceremony and then dash to the airport to wait with her until she departs for bootcamp.

I thought I would be terribly sad this morning knowing the day has come to kiss her so-long (hate goodbyes).

I am not sad. I am full of excitement and pride for the young woman I have raised. I will miss her horribly, but I know

this is the…

Erin signed her contract and swore in today! She is going in as an IT (still in the intelligence field) and will leave for boot camp on May 15th. After boot camp she will go to Pensacola, Florida for her A school. She is exhausted and home sleeping. I am just so proud.  That's all I know for now.

Erin went to MEPS today. She went to take the DLAB first, while the rest of them went on to medical. After an extremely stress filled test she went to the bathroom and then proceeded to medical. Oops! Shy bladder syndrome then set in and she could not go for them. She cleared everything else on her medical. She wouldn't have finished processing today anyway because the 'intel shop' would not have had time to get her 'whatever they do' approved and sent back in time for contract and swearing…

Erin is at MEPS today. She should be taking her DLAB test right now and then its on to medical. She has had a cold since the weekend but started feeling better yesterday. She texted me this morning that she is feeling even better today. I can't wait to hear from her recruiter as soon as he can see her DLAB scores. GO ERIN!!!