Military Word of Mouth http://militarywom.com Reviews for your next duty station Wed, 16 May 2012 22:50:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Military Word of Mouth Birthday Bash http://militarywom.com/2012/04/military-word-of-mouth-birthday-bash/ http://militarywom.com/2012/04/military-word-of-mouth-birthday-bash/#comments Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:02:11 +0000 admin http://militarywom.com/?p=11751 div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } On May 22, 2011 I made an announcement on my personal Facebook page to my friends and families about Military Word of Mouth. And boy, has the page grown since then. Military Word of Mouth is well on its way to having information for all bases. But, it’s because of all of you. … Continue reading »]]> div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } On May 22, 2011 I made an announcement on my personal Facebook page to my friends and families about Military Word of Mouth.

Hey everyone, please check out my new website. It’s designed to help us military families share all of the good information we’ve learned about our areas. That way it will make it easier for all of us when we have to move. I’ve started the Norfolk and Jacksonville areas and really need your help with everywhere else.

From My Personal Facebook Page


And boy, has the page grown since then. Military Word of Mouth is well on its way to having information for all bases. But, it’s because of all of you. Without all of you taking the time to share your valuable scoop, we would still just be Norfolk and Jacksonville. So, I want to celebrate and celebrate big! When I had this idea last February it was based off a need I had. We had just moved to Rhode Island in October 2010 and we were already searching places for our upcoming orders. We were researching Colorado, California, and Nebraska. We had just settled on Nebraska, when a spot in Hawaii opened up. A lot of research went on. Oh, how much easier it would have been to just hop on Military Word of Mouth and get my information.

My background is not computer related. I am more of a science nerd. However, after having my boys, I started working for a website taking care of their moderation. It has been a great job and I have been doing it for almost 4 years now. In my “spare” time I work on this site. You all have been my motivation because I see there is such a need for it. The military sponsored pages have become better over the years with information, but we all know, we want the nitty-gritty information of someone who has actually been there so that we can make a well-informed decision.

So, won’t you celebrate with me? I have been in cahoots with some great sponsors for this Birthday Bash. We have LOTS of fun stuff, so I am sure you will find something that will interest you. I will keep on adding as I get more donations. In fact, a few more are in the works as we speak. If you are interest in donating, you can email me at militarywom@gmail.com and include a picture and description.

To enter, click on the pictures to take you to the entry page. The entries start now and will end on May 29th OR when we get to 10,000 Facebook fans (whichever comes first). Good luck!!





Updated 4/26/2012

Updated 4/27/2012

Updated 5/2/2012


Updated 5/15/2012




















]]> http://militarywom.com/2012/04/military-word-of-mouth-birthday-bash/feed/ 2 Crazy Koko Crater Climbing! http://militarywom.com/2012/04/crazy-koko-crater-climbing/ http://militarywom.com/2012/04/crazy-koko-crater-climbing/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:13:13 +0000 admin http://militarywom.com/?p=11729 div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } If you remember, a little bit ago I sort of invited myself to go hiking with some girls in attempts to make some new friends (You can read about it HERE). Ever wonder what became of that? Not much really, until today. The following week when the girls were getting together I had to go … Continue reading »]]> div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } If you remember, a little bit ago I sort of invited myself to go hiking with some girls in attempts to make some new friends (You can read about it HERE). Ever wonder what became of that? Not much really, until today.

The following week when the girls were getting together I had to go with my husband to base because my ID had expired. Then, we had company come visit. After that it was easy to come up with excuses on why I shouldn’t go, even though I wanted to. I think if exercise wasn’t involved, perhaps the excuses wouldn’t have happened. Well, last week, I got invited to join them again. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go because my husband and I had a breakfast date which was rare and I was looking forward to it. So last night, I texted my new friend and asked if they were going hiking this week. The reply was something like this, “Yes, we are thinking of doing Koko Head. Wanna join us?”

Koko Head Crater


So, I had to say “yes”, but let me tell you, before I did, I searched “Koko Head” on Google and nearly changed my mind. Yikes. It’s referred to as, “Nature’s Stairmaster” but really it is man made and was built around World World II by the military. It basically is a straight shot up. The elevation is about 1076 feet with roughly 1048 “steps” which are railroad ties, so pretty steep, right?

I am not really “in shape”. I can keep up with my 5 and 6 year olds and I can do a pretty good job at playing Dance Central on the X-box. I enjoy activities like trying to surf, kayaking, and swim. But, seriously, some of my friends train for marathons and triathlons and that is not me. By the way, the two girls I went with today are runners. So, I was REALLY nervous.

So we get there and this is what you see when you begin the climb.

The "stairway" up.


So we start. I was up probably 10 steps when I thought to myself, “Oh, what was I thinking?” When we reached about 100 steps, I started to think, “I’ll just tell them to go ahead and I’ll catch up with them later. Maybe, my husband will come back with me.” I was definitely the pacesetter and the pace was slow. But, the girls were so nice and stopped so I could catch my breath. On one of our rests, this was the view:

A view of Hanauma Bay


I LOVE to take pictures. So, everything I read told me the view at the top was AWESOME and so I pressed. About halfway up, there is a “bridge”. I was so relieved to make it to this point because my reading last night told me this was halfway.

Halfway


I say “bridge” because it really looks like the bottom just dropped out. The rails are still there, but no dirt. I read it’s about a 20 feet drop. There is an option to go around it, but the girls were taking the bridge, so I did too. Yeah, peer pressure at its finest. I was too chicken to walk across though and sort of bear walked it with my hands.

Finally, after numerous stops, we made it to the top. Check out what I saw:

Makapu‘u Head


Koko Crater and if you look close you see someone standing there!


Hanuama Bay


Hawaii Kai


Was it worth it? Yes, I am so happy to be able to say I did it. Would I do it again? Not sure…I have a feeling I’m going to wake up hurting for the next few days.

I am amazed at how many people ask me, “How are you adjusting to Hawaii?” I absolutely LOVE it here. There is so much to do and explore. So, if you are or have been to Hawaii, what do you recommend I check out?

]]> http://militarywom.com/2012/04/crazy-koko-crater-climbing/feed/ 2 MissYourVoice http://militarywom.com/2012/04/missyourvoice/ http://militarywom.com/2012/04/missyourvoice/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:44:29 +0000 admin http://militarywom.com/?p=11452 div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } The last time my husband deployed, I did a search for care package ideas. I found ideas for things like beef jerky, magazines, socks, and cakes in a jar. I wanted to do a better job at sending packages. The previous deployment I thought I had, but my husband told me how it’s such … Continue reading »]]> div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } The last time my husband deployed, I did a search for care package ideas. I found ideas for things like beef jerky, magazines, socks, and cakes in a jar. I wanted to do a better job at sending packages. The previous deployment I thought I had, but my husband told me how it’s such an exciting time when the ship gets mail and if you don’t have any, it can be disappointment. So I decided to try to step it up a notch.

I started by getting the free one rate boxes from the post office. You can call and ask for the deployment boxes and they will send them to you free with labels and tape too.

I then, made sure I always had a box together and in an accessible place, like in the kitchen, so it would be easy. Whenever the mail came, if he got a magazine, into the box it went. When the boys brought home artwork from school, I’d take a picture of it for me and into the box it went. When I went grocery shopping, I’d pick up a few treats like trail mix and gum. It became much easier when I did it this way. However, if you have been through a deployment, you know there are times when your world is turned upside down and you are doing your best to just make sure everyone is fed and healthy.

"Sealed with a Kiss" Your picture goes in the frame, and your typed letter goes into the envelope :)

Last year, I discovered the Facebook page MissYourVoice and was amazed. MissYourVoice is an organization created by Amanda to send handmade care packages to deployed military personnel. Brillant! So if you can’t get a package out for whatever reason, you just go to her, and she will help you out. She does all of the packages by herself, and has been doing this for 16 months! She has sent out over 1000 packages so far, and over 5000 hand made thank you cards to our deployed troops! Each package she create takes about an hour (or more) to make. Recently, she has entered her organization into a grant program, which if selected as the winner, she will receive a 100k grant to put towards sending more packages overseas, and helping the organization grow into a whole new level, including turning it into a non-profit organization(it is currently run as a not-for-profit).

Small Fathers Day Box


The small packages run $30 and the larger ones are $40 plus shipping. You can place an order at www.MissYourVoice.net

But, guess what? MissYourVoice thinks Military Word of Mouth is pretty cool too, so she is going to be donating a box to one of you to start off the road to our One Year Celebration! Woohoo! Details coming soon!

Laura




]]> http://militarywom.com/2012/04/missyourvoice/feed/ 0 Let’s Make Some Money! http://militarywom.com/2012/04/lets-make-some-money/ http://militarywom.com/2012/04/lets-make-some-money/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:02:32 +0000 admin http://militarywom.com/?p=11460 div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } So it is no surprise, I LOVE Amazon. They make everything so easy peasy and the customer services has always been top notch. I find myself using Amazon even more since I moved to Hawaii because most of their stuff qualifies for free shipping if you spend $25. LOVE that! So the other … Continue reading »]]> div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } So it is no surprise, I LOVE Amazon. They make everything so easy peasy and the customer services has always been top notch. I find myself using Amazon even more since I moved to Hawaii because most of their stuff qualifies for free shipping if you spend $25. LOVE that! So the other day I was looking at a book or something and noticed a link that said, “trade in”. I never noticed this before and am naturally curious, so I clicked it. Wow, I was surprised to discover Amazon has a trade in program. Have you heard of it? It’s not the program where you sell used copies of your stuff either like Ebay. No, it’s much easier! You can trade in your books, video games, and DVDs that you don’t need anymore in exchange for Amazon credit. So, I gave it a try.

If you go to their homepage, you won’t see it. If you click on the link on the left labeled “Full Store Directory”, you probably won’t see it there either, I didn’t. So do a search for “Amazon Trade-In Program” or click HERE.

Amazon Trade-In Program


You will find all of the scoop you need. I think most of us tend to get rid of stuff before and/or after a PCS. We tend to see stuff we forgot we had or just are trying to make sure we make the weight allowance for the move. So before putting things away in my new place here in Hawaii, I realized I had some DVDs and games that we didn’t need anymore. For instance, we are Lost fans. I got my husband season one for Christmas one year, but once the series ended, someone got him the complete package of all of the seasons. So, into the Amazon Trade-In pile it went. I had received some Friends seasons as gifts, but actually never even opened them. Shhh, don’t tell. They are always on tv to watch or you can watch them on Hulu. So, into the pile they went.

Once you have your pile of potential books, video games, and DVDs, you will want to visit their Trade-In Store. This can also be tricky to find. Here’s a link. It will look like this:

Amazon Trade-In Store


In the middle of the screen, you will see a blue bar where you can change the category to Books, Video Games, Movies & TV, and now I see two new categories of Electronics and Music. Select your topic and then search for your item. I selected Movies & TV and searched for Lost DVD and got the following results:

Results for "Lost DVD"


I then selected Season 1 by clicking the yellow “Trade In” button. If you aren’t logged in yet, you will be prompted to do so at this point. You will then have the chance to let them know the condition of your item.

Trade-In List


You can select “new”, “like new”, or “good”. I thought this might be tricky, but when you move your mouse over the conditions, a pop-up will emerge, with great descriptions so you will know which one to select.

Description of Trade-In Conditions


My copy of Lost was “like new”. You will see the value for “good” and “like new” are the same here, but this is not always the case. Please note, when you select the condition of your item, make sure you press the gray “update” button. I marked it with a star for you.

You must click "update" to save the condtion of your item.


As you probably imagine, I learned this the hard way. I didn’t even notice it because it is light gray. I got all the way to the end and realized the price of something wasn’t right and I had to start over. So click the “update” button each time you change the condition. You can now add more items, by clicking “add another item” at the bottom right of the screen.

When you are done, simply click the yellow “continue” button. Depending on your items you will be able to select how you want to mail them. I say “depending on your items” because it was different when I went back in and added a new item. Oh, and the shipping is FREE! You will then enter the address you will be mailing from. Next, you can review your trade-in submission.

Review Your Trade-In Submission


Double check to make sure the conditions are as you meant them to be. If all looks good, click “Submit Your Trade-In”. You will receive an email confirmation and then once your items have been received, you will get another email letting you know about your Amazon credit.

So, tell me do you have something you might be able to trade in? I ended up with $66.55! That’s awesome considering the things were just sitting around collecting dust! Let me know if you try it!

Laura

]]> http://militarywom.com/2012/04/lets-make-some-money/feed/ 1 Friday Funnies #2: http://militarywom.com/2012/04/friday-funnies-2/ http://militarywom.com/2012/04/friday-funnies-2/#comments Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:44:00 +0000 admin http://militarywom.com/?p=11357 div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } So last week I posted our first Friday Funnies and I requested for you to share your funny military stories and pictures. I received two that aren’t military related, but go along with the weekend. I couldn’t pick between the two because they both made me laugh. From Jennifer: and from Sara: Happy Friday! Laura]]> div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } So last week I posted our first Friday Funnies and I requested for you to share your funny military stories and pictures. I received two that aren’t military related, but go along with the weekend. I couldn’t pick between the two because they both made me laugh.

From Jennifer:

Peep Show


and from Sara:

Chocolate Bunny Funny



Happy Friday!

Laura]]> http://militarywom.com/2012/04/friday-funnies-2/feed/ 0 Friday Funnies #1: Stuttgart Lawn Care http://militarywom.com/2012/03/friday-funnies-1-stuttgart-lawn-care/ http://militarywom.com/2012/03/friday-funnies-1-stuttgart-lawn-care/#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:45:26 +0000 admin http://militarywom.com/?p=11093 div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } Yesterday, I posted a question asking about who has orders and who is getting ready to move again. There was an enormous response. I know I shouldn’t be surprised, I mean this is why you come to Military Word of Mouth, right? To get the scoop on where you are going. I got an email … Continue reading »]]> div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } Yesterday, I posted a question asking about who has orders and who is getting ready to move again. There was an enormous response. I know I shouldn’t be surprised, I mean this is why you come to Military Word of Mouth, right? To get the scoop on where you are going.

I got an email from Brandie sharing the following photo with me:

Lawn Care at Robinson Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany


It made me laugh and I just had to share it with you all. Moving is stressful no matter how organized you might be. So I thought let’s start a Friday Funnies on the blog because everyone can use an extra smile or laugh in their day, right?

I would LOVE to share more smiles and laughs, so if you have a funny story, picture, or video, please share it with us. Simply send me an email at militarywom@gmail.com and title your email “Funny Fridays”. Thank you Brandie for sharing!

Happy Friday,

Laura

]]> http://militarywom.com/2012/03/friday-funnies-1-stuttgart-lawn-care/feed/ 3 Captain America! http://militarywom.com/2012/03/captain-america/ http://militarywom.com/2012/03/captain-america/#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:30:48 +0000 admin http://militarywom.com/?p=10800 div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } Wow, my sister posted this video on her Facebook wall with the comment, “My eyes are leaking…” I admit, my eyes were “leaking” too after watching that! I just LOVE homecoming videos! Have you ever participated in a surprise for homecoming? ]]> div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } Wow, my sister posted this video on her Facebook wall with the comment, “My eyes are leaking…”



I admit, my eyes were “leaking” too after watching that! I just LOVE homecoming videos!

Have you ever participated in a surprise for homecoming?

]]> http://militarywom.com/2012/03/captain-america/feed/ 0 Under the Weather http://militarywom.com/2012/03/under-the-weather/ http://militarywom.com/2012/03/under-the-weather/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:31:57 +0000 admin http://militarywom.com/?p=10623 div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } This week I have been under the weather. I put off going to the doctor until it was inevitable. It’s probably a bit ironic that I have this awesome website, but I didn’t have a doctor picked for me yet, right? So, I contacted a friend who used to live here and asked where she … Continue reading »]]> div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } This week I have been under the weather. I put off going to the doctor until it was inevitable. It’s probably a bit ironic that I have this awesome website, but I didn’t have a doctor picked for me yet, right? So, I contacted a friend who used to live here and asked where she went. I got the name of her doctor and called for an appointment. Unfortunately, the doctor was not accepting new patients. I briefly considered pleading that my friend just moved and could I have her spot, but I didn’t feel well enough to even try. So, I just asked, “Is there someone there that can see me today?” I took the first available appointment. I was relieved they would see me because sometimes when you are a new patient, you have to have a “new patient” appointment which can take longer than a “sick” appointment. I must say I was extremely impressed with the facility. Everyone was so friendly and caring. But, the reason I write this post is because of the pharmacy situation.

I usually go to Walgreens. I LOVE Walgreens. I love that they have a drive thru, that they are usually open 24 hours, and I have never had a problem with them. There have been many times when my husband was deployed that I had a sick child in the car with a very high temperature. It is so great to just do the drive thru and frankly, healthier for everyone involved. Once, I even called the pharmacy in advance and asked if I could get some Pedialyte and diapers through the drive-thru when I pick up my son’s prescription. They were more than happy to help me. So, when the doctor asked me where do I want my prescription filled, I wasn’t sure how to reply. I realized I haven’t researched the pharmacy situation since it was announced that Walgreens will no longer be accepting Tricare. I’m not here to get into a debate about whose fault it was and if you want to read more about it you can read Tricare’s message and/or Walgreen’s message. I suppose I am fortunate that my family hasn’t needed a prescription filled since the start of the new year.

I realized this is another area where Military Word of Mouth could be useful because everywhere has different pharmacies. Each pharmacy has different features and/or hours. So, I ended up picking Longs who I guess is in a partnership with CVS. However, there is no drive-thru and the hours are limited. SO what happens when I have to go to the urgent care at 8pm for a urinary tract infection? Do I really have to wait until the next morning to get the prescription filled? While in Virginia I would go to Patient First and they had a pharmacy within the facility and that was great, but I don’t know the options here yet. If you are Tricare Prime, your base medical/pharmacy isn’t open 24 hours, unless it’s a hospital, right? Each installation is different. Please take a moment to share where you go to get your prescription filled or care after hours. Share the name of the installation you are at and share your experiences with them. ]]> http://militarywom.com/2012/03/under-the-weather/feed/ 0 Dreaded Phone Calls from School http://militarywom.com/2012/02/dreaded-phone-calls-from-school/ http://militarywom.com/2012/02/dreaded-phone-calls-from-school/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:54:46 +0000 admin http://militarywom.com/?p=9803 div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } If you have a child in school, you know what I’m talking about. The phone rings, you look at it and see the phone number is the schools, you panic, and then you answer. I would say there are a few types of dreaded calls from school. Your child is sick Your child is hurt Your child was … Continue reading »]]> div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } If you have a child in school, you know what I’m talking about. The phone rings, you look at it and see the phone number is the schools, you panic, and then you answer.

"Uh-Oh!"

I would say there are a few types of dreaded calls from school.

  1. Your child is sick
  2. Your child is hurt
  3. Your child was bitten
  4. Your child got in trouble
Unfortunately, we have been getting a few dreaded phone calls from school lately. I don’t think I’d say one type of dreaded phone call is “better” than the other. However, I can really say I’m not enjoying the phone calls that tell me that my son is in trouble. This has been going on for about a month now. Perhaps, since school started back up in January. Let me flash back to October for a minute…

We were in Rhode Island, and my son was thriving. He was on the boys’ gymnastics team and his teachers gave stellar reports at our conference meeting. They told me that he is a kind boy, that he considerate of others and likes to make sure everyone is involved, and that he is doing well with his lessons. He even told me, “Mom, John has to go to the office all of the time. Can you believe that? I can’t imagine not listening to my teacher.”

Now, in the present, he is the boy not listening to his teacher. He gets angry and doesn’t know how to calm himself down. So what happened, I wonder? Well, we moved over 5,000 miles for one.

Lessons learned:

  1. Avoid Moving During the School Year
    2. I think when they start out in the middle of the year, they feel like the new kid longer. Everyone else has already had a chance to acclimate with each other. Now, in the military life, this just might not be possible. Which brings me to #2.

  2. Contact Teacher Beforehand
    3. I thought I was doing everything right. I called the school to let them know exactly which day my boys would be starting. I made some assumptions in doing this. I assumed, they would have told the kids in the class. I assumed, the teachers would be welcoming them. I assumed wrong. I dropped of my oldest son and the teachers looked at me like I had 2 heads. Luckily, I knew his teacher’s name so they quickly recovered from their perplexed faces and guided him to his class. I wasn’t worried because he is very good at acclimating into new situations.

    Dropping off my younger son was more of a mess. Not only, did the teachers not know he was coming, they stood there and argued with me about it in front of him. My younger one was my preemie. He is much more apprehensive and reserved. He is nervous about new situations. You see, they had given his “spot” away by mistake. He had no cubby, in fact, there was no room for a new cubby. Oh, we were furious. We did our best to hide it from our youngest though, but he cried when he had to leave. All of this could have been avoided if I had contacted the teacher ahead of time. My girlfriend who also moved from RI at the same time, but to VA, actually met with the teacher and her child before her child was to start class. I highly recommend this.

  3. Maintain Extra-Curricular Activities
    4. My son LOVES gymnastics. Yes, he is only 6, but he is a daredevil. The day I walked in and found him doing flips from his bunkbed, I realized I had better sign him up so at least he can learn how to do it safely. He got lessons and his teacher thought he should join the team. He went twice a week for two hours and never complained about it. I believe he might be missing this. I thought it would be better to ease into the new environments, but now I’m thinking I should have signed him up right away so that the move wasn’t as drastic for him.
So the dreaded phone I got this past Thursday was that my son was suspended from school for Friday. Wow, from one extreme to the next. So, I am making calls about gymnastics. I am also making calls to see if he can talk to someone about what he is experiencing. I know the Navy has Fleet and Family Services that help with this. What do they call it for the other branches?

Any tips you all want to share with me? I desperately need to get my boy back on track.

Oh, and if you haven’t entered to win the free Armed Forces Office Chair, make sure you check it out. Right now we only have 15 entries, so you have pretty good odds!

]]> http://militarywom.com/2012/02/dreaded-phone-calls-from-school/feed/ 5 XZipit Chair Contest http://militarywom.com/2012/02/xzipit-chair-contest/ http://militarywom.com/2012/02/xzipit-chair-contest/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:45:27 +0000 admin http://militarywom.com/?p=9396 div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } The suspense is over, check out our latest contest! I have been working on this “behind the scenes” and have been bursting with excitement because I think you all will be so excited too. How would you like to win this awesome office chair from XZipit.com? The Prize The lucky winner is going to get: … Continue reading »]]> div.img { height:auto; width: 25%; float: left; text-align: center; } div.img img { display: inline; margin: 2px; height:auto; width: auto; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } div.img a:hover img {border: 1px solid #0000ff;} div.desc { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; width: auto; margin: 2px; padding-bottom:1cm; } The suspense is over, check out our latest contest! I have been working on this “behind the scenes” and have been bursting with excitement because I think you all will be so excited too. How would you like to win this awesome office chair from XZipit.com?

Support the troops from your own customized chair brought to you by XZipit.com. XZipit Furnishings from Dreamseat has an Interchangeable Logo Panel System that allows you to zip in and out custom and licensed logos on all XZipit furniture. Officially licensed logo panels include: MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, Colleges, Marvel Comics, CFL, Armed Forces, and much more.


The Prize

The lucky winner is going to get:

  • 1 XZipit Home Office Chair: Made with durable high grade synthetic leather upholstery with padded arms, built-in Lumbar Support, Tilt and Lock Control.
  • 1 Panel of Choice: Panels are embroidered and interchangeable between all XZipit furnishings.


    • Armed Forces panels



  • FREE shipping!
Are you excited?

To enter the contest:

1.Leave a comment as to why you deserve to win the chair on this blog post.

2.In addition, you must be a fan or follower of XZipit and Military Word of Mouth on Facebook and/or Twitter (Twitter links: XZipit and Military Word of Mouth). We encourage you to reach out to XZipit via wall post or tweet as to why you should win their chair too, however, it is not required.

The contest will start Saturday February 18th, 2012 and run until Saturday February 25, 2012 at 11:59pm PST. The winner will be chosen based on the response given to why you deserve the chair and judged by a panel. The winner will be notified through email. Good luck!

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