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....

Almost 18

Well, two more little days, and my daughter will be an official adult. Of course, I have told her that just because she turns 18 doesn't mean that she gets to stay out any later or act as if she's living on her own. She's a good girl. I am truly going to miss her when she goes to boot camp...and we have less than 40 days now. I am confident in the fact that I have taught her as much as possible before going out into this big old world, but since she's my baby, I am having feelings of wondering what an empty nest is going to feel like. Not one peep from her father since right after her graduation.

Boot Camp Coming Up Quickly

Time is creeping quickly by, and my darling daughter is embracing the shorter days until it's time for boot camp. What is there to love about boot camp? The yelling, being told what to do? Perhaps it's just only the beginning to a new life for her, the learning of how to work well in a team of others and discipline.  Oh, discipline, there's something that she knows about. Her growing up years have been about being frugal, how to save money, but also getting the things that she wants in life even when it's a want, and not especially a need. Boot camp experience will teach her things that she wants to learn. In fact, she's very eager to learn more. She wrote a paper for a school project that she gave to me to read....I teared up just reading how she felt that she had experienced  a great 4-years of high school and that she wanted to make a difference in her life by helping others and that is why she chose to be a hospital corpsman in the Navy. My little lady has grown up so much. I just can't express to you how very proud of her I am. I will be going to see her graduate from boot camp when it's over, and I just know the tears will be flowing. I am a very proud mother.

My Daughter's Graduation Suprize...Her Dad Showed Up To Her Graduation

Graduation came and went quickly. I was such a proud mother watching her darling daughter sit anxiously in the seating area, waiting for her name to be called to go up and get the handshake and diploma. It was held outside, so it was humid, hot and extremely packed to the max. I kept looking to see if my ex, her father, would show up to see our daughter walk across the stage....no sign of him. ..Then, all of a sudden, he showed up. He didn't come alone, but I was so happy that he decided to come and see her. He walked on the bleachers out in front and since I had told him where she'd be sitting, he stopped right in front of where she was.  She didn't see him at first, until she glanced up at where I was along with her other brothers and sisters and families and we all started to point him out to her. She saw him, and they waved at each other. I honestly wanted to cry, but didn't. I knew that would make her night by him showing up. He stayed only long enough to see her walk, come back to her seated isle, gave us a present that he brought for her, and left. Not long, but just long enough. I was very happy for my daughter, that her dad decided to show up.

Prom Is Up And Coming Soon

This is my daughter's final year, a senior, who seems to be very happy with life, fulfilled with all that she is accomplishing and almost out of high school. Prom is just under a month away and the dress hunting has already begun. I thought that she would have found something by now, but the hunt continues...and woah! the prices are more than a hundred dollars....and most of the ones she likes are right under $200. All the plans are coming into focus right now but she started to mention that all of her friends were wanting to rent a beach house and I was starting to get queasy about it, but soon after, those plans seemed to fade away, which made things a little more easier for me. Prom, graduation, the thought of her going into the Navy or College, and her 18th birthday is so much that it makes my head spin, as well as the all-mighty dollar needing to be spent.

Giving Teens Advice

Why can't teens see that when elders tell them about experiences, they don't seem to listen? Do they really HAVE to go through each and every experience and learn how to get up after they fall to learn all about life? I wish it wasn't so. My daughter is pretty good about listening to what I have to say, but then again, I don't tell her what to do, but try to give her different ideas so that she can think about things and make her own choices in life. I talked to my granddaughter this weekend, who is also a teen, but nearly an adult, and I hope and pray that she heard what I had to say about things....especially about guys. I guess only time will tell if they actually hear me or not. How do you deal with giving your teen advice?

Trusting Your Teenaged Daughter

Trusting your teen some be challenging at times. I allow my daughter to have a few places that I call "free" to go to, and then everything else has to be approved. So, when she's driving, she can go to school, work, the barn and any food place on the way or back from those 3 places to get something to eat or drink. So far, so good... I have been able to keep my trust in her because she always calls or texts me if she wants permission to go anywhere else. Now, my teen isn't perfect by any means but she is developing good habits of keeping in touch with me and I am happy about it. This morning I noticed, when she asked me to transfer money on her card to pay for her gas, she had spent a whopping 24.00 and change to eat at Ihop. I knew that she had her boyfriend with her, but I still wonder how 2 very small people can eat so much! But I have chosen not to worry about it because it's her money.....but since I am old fashioned, I would have much rather that the boyfriend pay for it, or at least part of it. I am happy that I am able to trust my daughter....do you have a good relationship with your teen? Do you trust them?

Teen Drivers Ed

Am I brave or what? I checked around to all our local drivers ed locations and it is a whopping $375 cash, or $400 if paid in payments. Wow ! That is alot of money for me these days and since I had put all my other 4 in drivers ed, it was a given with my youngest. I just couldn't believe the prices and how they had jumped so much. Actually, where my oldest daughter lives (many hours north), the price is much more reasonable, but it's also in another state so that wasn't going to work either. With my teen, I have had the very good fortune of her doing well in school, listening to what I have to say and I found it quite beneficial to call around and find out about the parent-taught drivers ed, and just thinking about it sounded like alot of work, but it was only $20. I filled out the application that I found online, printed it out and sent in my check....now I have to wait for the packet to come back. I am hoping and praying that this will be something that isn't too difficult because I know that there are many lesson plans in the packet. Well, wish me luck. Oh, and by the way, I did call my insurance agent and discussed with her the amount of insurance that will raise with my daughter.....she said that while she is on a permit, she is under my insurance but after that, once proving that she's a "B" average student and taking a little test for the insurance, our insurance will be less than $65 a month....I was so happy about that.

Valentine Roses

Out came my daughter from school yesterday carrying the biggest bunch of beautiful red roses that you would ever want to set your eyes on. They were wrapped in green tissue paper, adorned with a box and some baby's breath added in. My daughter had such a lovely smile on her face and she hopped into the car on our way home. She had received her first bunch of roses from a guy that she really likes alot. I was so pleased to see that she had gotten such a lovely gift. I think that this mom here is starting to feel old now.........my baby got her first bunch of roses.