My Darling Daughter and Christmas Holiday

Now that my teenaged daughter has gone into The Navy, things have definetly changed around here....no longer am I having to wait up at night for my darling daughter to come in late.... no longer do I have to worry about her getting up and leaving for work on time, however, I miss my daughter so very much.!  I now have an empty nest. It is quiet around here. Now I have the worry of a mother worrying over her grown child. Waiting to hear from her and wondering if she's okay in her new life. I am a proud mother. I feel that my daughter was well equipped to enter the adult world. Actually they told her in boot camp that she was very mature for her age and that she would go very far in life because she was very good in the things that she accomplished. You don't know how happy that made me to hear that. We still have her horse, Miss Frenchie, and are trying to keep up with everything while she's gone...but she will get to come home for Christmas and I am so glad about that. This is going to be a very special Christmas indeed.

My Daughter Is Now A Navy Sailor

I can't believe that the time has finally come....my daughter, my baby, my teenager is now a Navy sailor. She finished boot camp in just a little under 8 weeks. The waiting was terribly hard on me, but I knew that she was doing what she wanted to do in life...she wanted something different...she wanted to be able to help others through her work by going into the Navy and being a hospital corpsman (medical) and now she has completed boot camp and now in training for her hospital corpsman job. I am proud as can be. The PIR (graduation) was exceptional. She did very well in her training and had the honor of carrying her division's flag. She was right up front and when they called liberty, all the parents and families rushed to the drill hall floor to be with their sailors. This experience has been up and down for me because during her boot camp weeks, I was unable to call her when I wanted to, wasn't able to see her and just had to wait on her letters and very infrequent calls. She has accomplished something big in her life and is now onto the next phase of schooling and learning. She will have a wonderful future, and that makes me very proud !

Halfway Through Boot Camp

Well, we are a little more than halfway though the waiting period of boot camp and I am still missing my daughter. I have gotten a few letters, and a couple of phone calls, but terribly short in length....I am very much looking forward to getting to go and see her graduate. I never thought that these long weeks of waiting would be so dramatic. This is nothing similar to a child going off to college, because even though they are far away, you can still talk to them over the phone whenever you want....text and get frequent visits from home. With boot camp, you do not get to call them....you must wait for the Navy to allow them to call you and write you. My heart has ached for just the chance to talk to my darling teen. It seems like she did things in a small lump of time. She graduated in June, turned 18 in August, and then left in Sept.  Time flew so quickly, and reminds me of how very little time we had before she left. Children sure seem to grow up too fast....

Still Awaiting My Daughter To Graduate Boot Camp

It's been a solid 2 weeks now and my darling teen is still in boot camp...this is gonna be a long and lonely ride. She will be graduating next month, which is a good thing, but I miss her terribly. Meanwhile, Miss Frenchie is being well taken care of and family is visiting her about 3 times a week.  My daughter's room is quiet: no music or tv blaring from within and I am not having to worry about her getting home at night...I still miss her. I am extremely proud of her for doing something that means so much to her. I will be very excited for graduation next month.!

My Daughter Will Be Leaving For The Navy Soon !!!!

With only a week to go, my darling teenaged daughter will be going off to the Navy....and I am sad, but happy at the same time. I am trying to spend every last minute that I can with her before she goes to boot camp....because while she's there, I will not be able to call her, only write. She will call me, but only when they allow her to, and it's going to be a long 2 months for me.  Lucky, for me, that she will be graduating right at Thanksgiving time and I will once again get to visit with her. We decided to go to the mall yesterday, something that I rarely do, and we were only there for about 30-45 minutes when she got a phone call. Most of the times, it's texts she gets but this was an actual phone call....and it was the Navy recruiter office.  They told her that the Chief wanted to see her for her 1-week visit and they wanted  her right then and there....she was with me in my car, and didn't give us any time to get her back home so she could drive up to the office, so they came and picked her up from the mall....needless to say, I felt very alone once she left, knowing that this is going to be her future.....I went home. The meeting went well, everything's going great and she will be leaving on Monday to start her MEPS for leaving.  I am saddened because she is my baby, the last one out of 5, already grown children... I have never had an empty nest, having my first born when I was 18....and now at the age of 54, I will finally be called the "empty nester".  I am happy that she is going to have a great future, serving with the Navy, also helping them being a hospital corpsman, but sad at the fact that I will miss my baby girl being at home.  What can I say?  I am a very proud mother.

The Days Are Going By Very Fast

Now that my daughter has turned 18, and graduated high school....next step is the Navy. ... and that will happen in exactly 2 weeks....yes, she will leave for boot camp. I am excited for her, but nervous at the same time. This daughter of mine is my baby. She is going to be a hospital corpsman, which is similar to a Doc, or Medic....and I am extremely proud of her.  We made a check list of the things that she needs to get done before leaving and mostly everything is done now. Her signing up for the Navy has been very up and down for me, as a mother...and the hurry up and wait mode the Navy has doesn't help. I pray that things go smoothly for her, and I am gonna be sitting by the telephone to get her calls. Boy, children really DO grow up fast...don't they?

A Teenager Growing Up

Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday that I brought her home from the hospital. Tiny and petite, sweet and loving. My daughter used to be extremely shy for a long time, until the last two years in high school. I don't know if her having a horse and jumping in competitions helped, or it was the fact that her brothers and sisters got her out of her shell of quietness, but she's not quiet and shy anymore. High school is done, and I might add, senior year seemed to be the  best year of them all.  Quicker than lightning, and soon she will be 18, actually next month.  My baby will be an adult.
 I don't know if it's the fact that she's the baby, having already raised 4 before her, or  if it's the fact that she will soon go into the Navy, and will be out seeing the world,  but I feel like time has flown. I am not sure how I am going to deal with an "empty nest." Most of my friends have already experienced that empty nest years before me, and in fact, my oldest grandchild IS already 18. Sounds wierd, I know, but very true. Very soon, boot camp will begin, and my darling daughter will spread her wings and experience the world..... I will soon be able to say that I am a proud mother of a sailor in the Navy.

Teens And Credit Cards, Protection From Identity Theft

Teens need to learn before they enter the adult world about credit, but not just getting credit...but about understanding how it works. Having credit can be fun, but they must also learn about keeping that credit in good-standing. How do you help them once they've left home, like going away to college for instance? I have found a website called  Identityhawk which offers help for those with credit and identity theft protection.
There are people out there, who like to take advantage of ones who don't know about credit. This is when you need  some sort of  identity theft protection. Not only having new credit and learning about how to keep it paid on time, but to protect themselves from fraud and taking steps to reduce the risks of leaving your identity where it's not protected. My darling daughter will not be going to college, as stated in previous posts, but will be going into the service. She will have to learn how to manage her own credit. I want her to be able to have credit, and build it to the point that she will be able to buy herself a car, or in the future, a home and know that her credit rating is good. Protection from identity theft is a very good thing to help your teens learn as they grow into adulthood.

My Daughter's Decision For After High School......

Honestly, I wasn't quite sure how I was going to start this post, or even get through it but I am doing my best. As a mother of five, I think that I have done pretty well on parenting.  And it doesn't get easier as it goes along because each child is different. My darling daughter made a final decision on going into the Navy...only because she wants something different in her life. She didn't want to go to college, live in a dorm and stuggle with paying back the loans....she wanted to go into the Navy.  With that decision, I told her that no matter what she decided that she would have to be convicted about her decision...she HAD to re-take that ASVAB test again to make above a 50 to be considered a high score and get a better chance at a good job.  She studied and she studied hard. She soon found herself confident enough to re-take ....and she did. With a 68 score, she did it!  I am very proud of her....what was next ....came the MEPS  which is basically Military Entrance Processing ....SHE PASSED EVERYTHING!   She even got a job.  and not only a job, but a VERY GOOD job.  She got Hospital Corpsman, meaning basically a medical job, like a nurse or someone who will be taking care of those who are wounded or sick in the Navy or Marines.  I am EXTREMELY proud.....What a wonderful decision...and what a great career she will have when she comes out of service. WOOOOO HOOOO !!!!

How Does A Parent Survive Raising A Teen?

How do we survive as parents, raising a teen? How about a teenage daughter? Sometimes I feel like I am about to break. For a long time, my darling teen wanted to go to school to be a Vet. .....and after she got a job working with animals, she moved up to a pet nurse assistant and decided that she really didn't want to become a vet....although she loves animals, especially her horse. Veterinarian school takes many many years and she then decided that she wanted to still help and work in the health field so she started becoming interested in ultrasound tech...we even visited the university that she wanted to attend out of state. Soon after that came her wanting to join The Navy....and she came so very close.  All the tests were passed, physical, the whole nine yards done....but very scarce in jobs...NOW....she has been dating this really nice guy and has decided to wait a year on Navy things, and has even looked into The Air Force and The Marines....only because she said that she wants to be informed and know all of her choices....GREAT !  I say, however, all this change is about to drive me bananas. I am happy for one thing, that she is trying to find her way now, before she graduates high school this year, but on the other hand, all this back and forth almost has me dizzy. There is so much required these days in college and funds are not as abundant as they used to be. Every day I see in the news of people getting laid off...from teachers to city workers and I just don't know what's going to happen next....it's for sure, at least in my opinion...that this country is NOT doing better as far as economy. Can a parent survive raising a teen these days? With many options for their future, I wonder what my darling daughter will want next....and so I wait......patiently.

What Plans Come Next?

Being a mother of a teen can be really nerve-wracking....I watch my darling daughter go through every day life and sometimes I am just amazed.  School, prom, future graduation, her job, riding and taking care of her horse, it seems that life travels fast. I remember her not so long ago as a baby in my arms.  I told her that her senior year of high school would really go fast, and it has. So, to update: at this time, she has decided to wait on the Navy, and that's only because she has to take the ASVAB test again because even though she passed, they wanted a higher score and she needs to really buckle down and study before she can take it again....plus....she is also thinking about going to college for a year.  I am wondering if it has something to do with her horse, as she really loves riding. I'm also wondering if it has to do with a young man also.....guess we'll see.

Still No Answers About The Navy

My lovely teenage daughter is still pursuing the Navy and has taken the ASVAB test once, and passed, however, it wasn't a high enough score to get a good job so she is now going back this week to re-take the test. I am still a nervous mother about the whole thing but she is very determined to get in. She said that it's her future. She still goes and rides her horse, Frenchie on a regular basis and is looking forward to graduating this year....it just doesn't seem so because it only seems like yesterday that she was a baby in my arms. She has a very bright future ahead and it just seems so overwhelming at times with all the graduating plans, her 18th birthday and her entrance into the Navy, or by some odd chance that doesn't work out....then to college. Now.....we wait.

Nervous Mother....And No Navy Jobs Were Available At That Time

Well, all the paperwork was filled out, the date was set and my daughter went to the NAVY MEPS, which is where they process for the military.  I was a TOTAL nervous wreck. My daughter got out of school right after lunch, and proceeded to her recruiter's office....from there, she went to take her ASVAB.  She passed ! So, one thing down....much more to go.  That night she went to a hotel where the military sends a van/bus and they are briefed, given a room with a room mate, fed dinner and I might add, it was a VERY lovely hotel. Up at 3:15 am the next morning to get breakfast and shower, and to catch the van again to go back to the MEPS office. I feel like the second day was an extremely long one, but it was because she had to go through many tests, medical and then on to someone who would assign her a job.......She passed everything ! She did so well, however....there were NO jobs. NONE.  So, she came home, and very dissapointed, I might add.  I was sad for her too, but there was nothing I could do. Now, she's scheduled to go back next week, which will be the first of the month, to see if she can find a job that she's qualified for.  I guess we'll see, but I am not looking forward to all the waiting and wondering. I supposed I can just let God take care of it and if she's meant to get a Navy job, then God will let it happen. Please pray for us......I suppose you can say... I am a VERY nervous mother. 

A Very Busy Senior Year

Things are changing, right before my eyes....the Navy is becoming a real consideration to my darling teen daughter and she is going after it strongly....she's already had the interview, turned in all the paperwork, and now is studying for her test.  She is scheduled for MEPS next week, and I am proud of her, but at the same time, shaking in my boots.  This last year of high school has been quite a busy one, as she has many things to look forward to just this year.  Not only is she in her senior year of high school and will be graduating in June, she will also turn 18 a little after that. The S.A.T. test for her is this coming Saturday and she has been given a few more hours at work so she's been busy....along with going to the gym to work out. Frenchie, her horse, is still an extremely large part of her life as well.  I feel like I am in a whirlwind with all the things going on around here, and she is my youngest, so I will be looking at an empty nest before the year is done. I am not sure how I am gonna handle it when she leaves, but one thing I CAN say, is that I am VERY proud of her for all she has accomplished already and the young lady she has become.

Navy Thoughts Becoming Stronger

With each day that passes, the more and more my daughter is wanting to go into the Navy. I have pretty mixed emotions here, and it's very hard. I thought that all this time she would graduate high school and go on to college. For a time there, I wondered if she was ever going to make the decision to take her SAT test....and that will be coming up next week....but she has been doing her research, as I have also, to find out more about the Navy. She wants it very much. I want her to be happy and I know that this has to be HER decision, at least she is finding out about it first, before jumping right in. Many a teen or daughter has gone into the service, with many a parent probably feeling about the same way that I do. I feel that I must support her on her endeavors and if it's God's will, then that's what will happen.

College Or Navy?

Yes, the time has come that my darling teen daughter is contemplating her future.  Honestly, the Navy or Air Force scares me a bit, because of the fighting going on over seas, but.....not all positions go overseas...besides, it's her decision. She wants to do so many things in life and now it's coming of time for her to start making some decisions.  She has chosen to go to OU, which is a great university to go to, but awhile back, she expressed interest in going into the Navy, but , because of a past boyfriend, he really influenced her decision and she backed off of it. Now, with no boyfriend, and only her own thoughts, she is expressing interest again. I want for my daughter to make her own decision because I want her to do what SHE wants in life, not what anyone else wants. I am an anxious, wondering mother here, just waiting to see what she is going to decide....either way, I will support her.

The Last Year Of High School

The last year of high school for my daughter has just begun....all seems well. I have noticed a large difference in my teen. Nothing bad, but just annoying. I suppose it's supposed to be that way, because they are at the age of trying to assert themselves as upcoming adults into this world. Scary, but true.
No more ex-boyfriend this year because she has decided not to go back with him, and it hurts her just as much as him, but this is the last year of school.....a time to get her head on right about what her future brings; college, direction in life,and  enjoying her friends before all the adulthood things come along like the rent and electricity bills.
She has just gotten a new job, which is very much directed in the field that she wants(vet) and things are looking good. Next year she will be going off to college and I am starting to worry about it now.  I need to look into scholarships and grants to help her out some. And we have a beautiful horse that will be going where she goes...Wish me luck!

Keeping The Lines Of Communication Open

How do you go about keeping your teen out of trouble? Sometimes it just seems that some girls are easier to raise than others. I have had 3 daughters and the first one was a little harder to raise than the second. My youngest daughter, my sweet teen, is just very easy going and seems to listen to what I have to say. Since she was young, we have always had a great relationship. Now that she is almost 17, it seems that she is getting more independent and wanting to do more for herself. I have found that keeping her interested in some sort of sport, but not keeping her TOO busy has worked for me. I have found that by her having time to have fun, chores to keep up with, her horse riding and competing, with a bit of relaxing time to do nothing has worked! This has lead to her having a part-time job so that she can learn to manage her own money and things are still going smoothly. Horses are her life, her future and she has learned all the basics of keeping her horse, as well as the clean up, so she's learned how to have some sort of responsibility. Not everybody can manage a horse though but there are so many sport opportunities out there to enjoy. Talk to your teen, see what interests that they may have....be open to what they say, and try to keep your avenues of communication open....that's what has worked for me.

Today's Responsibilities

In today's world, it seems like there are more responsibilities than when I was a teen. I certainly didn't have to worry as much about going to college to be able to have a good job.
My daughter came home with courses that she will be taking next year, and she's also talking about taking some summer courses to be able to clear up the schedule next year for cosmetology...wow, that has really thrown me for a loop. I have my oldest 2 daughters who are cosmetologists, and since my teen was so much into the "equine vet" for her college major, I was really suprized when she mentioned a whole new field to me. She has explained that she wants this as a way to work and make some money WHILE going to college for her "vet" studies. Such a smart girl I have and I am so happy that she is making wise choices for her future. I think she has some great motivation here and am praying that she sticks with it.....I am excited for her ! I think that she has been learning, not only from me, but from school and society that it is more of a responsibility these days to be able to make enough money to survive on, especially with all these taxes we pay!

Teens and Their Future

My daughter came home yesterday from school announcing that all they watched on tv during certain classes was about the innaugaration. This is indeed history in the making. Now a days, school seems to be more with it when it comes to the happenings of today.  Who would have thought even 30 years ago that Barrack Obama would even be president?  This is a very good indicator that dreams are coming true and that anyone can make their own dreams come true.  The semester started up again and she had some new classes.  All the classes that she wanted to head her way of becoming an equine vet some day.  Yes, even though they say that you can't get what you want, you really can, if you work hard enough at it to get it.  Keep Dreaming! because dreams really can come true