A Foundation for Happy Siblings
People often ask me how at 13 years apart our children are so close, so bonded, so happy as siblings, so thoughtful with one another.
From the moment we told our 8th grade son I was pregnant, we made his comfort level & happiness our #1 priority.
I told him he would be her Superhero Big Brother! I also pointed out that the
benefit of the huge age gap was that there would be no sibling rivalry ever – she would never want his big teen guy stuff & he would never want her tea sets and Barbies. It was just easy from the very beginning.
I also put him in charge of the baby shower gift registry. Phillip showed him how to use the zapper in the baby section at Toys R Us. He took great pride in our confidence of his decision-making as he compared & contrasted each item. We also let him zap a few goodies for himself so he felt extra special, too!
The baby shower was a big party not just for ladies – we had family, friends…girls, guys, kids. We three opened the packages later that evening. Phillip read the cards, I wrote the list of names & we had our son open the packages. It was exciting because every present was so beautiful and HE chose each item himself. When he found a bonus package here and there for
himself, it was like a birthday or holiday. We made that shower so fun for him.
The following day, he & Dad built the crib, changing table, bassinet, play sets & anything else that needed assembling. Our son felt accomplished & connected!
On the day of her birth, he waited with my Doula, opening a surprise gift from his soon-arriving baby sister. He spent the time reading the instructions for his new IPod & testing all the cool features! What a sister!
When he first held the baby, he noted how tiny & delicate she was. He was in awe.
The Bright Spot – Our son has lived up to his incredibly important role as Superhero Big Brother! He was there for each milestone & helped teach her how to walk, go down a slide, tie her shoes & zip her coat. He saw her 1st missing tooth, took her on her 1st sleigh ride and taught her how to ride her bike. For every 1st, her Superhero Big Brother was there!
For a monumental event in our family’s life, click this link: BHUp
Click here for The Making of a Superhero: Superhero Big Brother
The World
A mother picking up her child from a playdate once said to me, “I just came across your website and didn’t know you had a long career on television or traveled anywhere. And here I thought you were some Fairfield County shut-in Mom because you’re always with the kids and bake & craft and they come back home with cookies & stuff.”
I seriously had no comeback.
I just politely ushered her and her sweet daughter out the door, brownies & artwork in hand. It’s important to note here that this woman is an executive whose nanny usually picks up the little girl who’s been coming over for years. The Mom blurted her judgmental comment of which she certainly knew nothing about…ah, yes, one should never assume.
True, I’ve had an illustrious career distinguished by multiple journalism awards, blah, blah, blah. But being a mother has
been & always will be my most important job. And true, I don’t send kids back home with their homemade goodies on a paper plate saying, “Susie was such a good girl and did you know I’ve been to more than 60 countries over 150 times on 5 continents? Have a nice night.”
What riled me was that any Mom would think any other Mom was a “shut-in” just because she liked being home with the kids. All the kids, their friends and friends of their friends. Yeah, I like that! I like being home with my family & my pets. I’ve been fortunate enough to choose to stay home because I wish to. I’m grateful for it. I like that I only have to go to the radio station once a week & can write from home when the kids are in school. I don’t mind if a Mom works in an office, works from home, doesn’t have a job or doesn’t choose to keep working. Moms should not judge one another, they should support each other & their choices.
That night, memories of my travels flitted through my mind… trains, ships & air on countless flights & logging tens of thousands of miles sailing through the Adriatic Sea, Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, Pacific Ocean, Andaman Sea, Denmark Strait, Red Sea, English Channel, Sea of Marmara, East & South China Seas, Gulf of Alaska, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Aden, Suez Canal, Sea of Crete, Ionian Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, crossing the International Date Line via ship, learning preventive pirate safety measures through the Suez Canal, and giving a big thumbs up to our US Air Force pilots during a fly-by over our vessel in the Red Sea. Enjoying cool places like Malaysia, Egypt, China, Russia, India, Japan, Ireland, Turkey, Venezuela, Scotland, the Philippines, Germany, former Yugoslavia, Taiwan, England, Mexico, Hong Kong, Denmark, Spain, Guatemala, Sweden, islands throughout the Caribbean, and most of our own beautiful States from the top of the Haleakala Volcano in Hawaii to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, to snowy Killington Peak in Vermont and sunny San Diego, California & most everything in between.
Coming from a large multicultural family, I eagerly welcome different traditions, different people, different views, and my travel experiences are packed with wonderful memories & world lessons … with a handful I’d like to forget. Sure, those are the best stories but for another time…
I’ve been a dinner guest at Parliament, a special guest at a Royal wedding, and a Thanksgiving guest in Turkey. I’ve enjoyed divine spa treatments on the beaches of Malaysia and wretched at the sight of travel friends drinking snake blood in Taiwan for a dare. Ewww! (Yes, they became very ill!)
I’ve been to Tianamen Square before the ’89 crisis, to Berlin before the wall came down, to Sarajevo before the war, and to Cancun before President Reagan attended an economic summit there making that once-quiet getaway in Mexico a carousing hub for partying tourists.
I’ve been stuck at the top of a pyramid in Chichen Itza & stuck in a remote beach bathroom in the dark in Marbella Costa del Sol when the door handle broke…and so did the light!
I’ve kissed the great-great-great-great-great…on-and-on direct descendant of Christopher Columbus, a duke, and a well-known European prince who kisses like a lizard. Yuck! Traveling can be good and not so good!
I purchased my 1st major piece of jewelry in Hong Kong along with 100 rolls of film. Yup, took a lot of pictures then, too! I’ve been traveling to Europe & around the world since I was just a few weeks old. So let’s take a little photo journey throughout the years: GERMANY with Mom
GIBRALTAR BARBADOS
MALAYSIA – apparently I liked stripes!
BERLIN WALL
JAPAN
INDIA
Stark contrasts in India, just a walk away
Beautiful Taj Mahal mausoleum on the Yamuna River, commissioned 1632. Sweet monkey.
And below is the Red Fort, Palace of the Mughal Emperors, AGRA, INDIA
Great Wall of CHINA – Odd that we don’t notice these things when we’re younger but why am I standing over that mountainous edge just for a photo!?
Autumnal view through the Wall’s window, Graffiti on the Wall, and LOOK at those STEEP steps!!
LONDON Summer Ball
HONG KONG BOMBAY
CALIFORNIA
TAIWAN
Kinsale, County Cork, IRELAND
PHILIPPINES DUBROVNIK, YUGOSLAVIA (former)
ST. MAARTEN ROYAL THEATRE LONDON
SOUTH CHINA SEA
SPAIN
SEVILLA CADIZ
The GREAT EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS at sunset…breathtaking
GREAT SPHINX OF GIZA, sitting on the steps in a PALACE IN EGYPT
BEIJING UNIVERSITY
MONTREAL
St. Basil’s Cathedral. MOSCOW, RUSSIA
ST. PHILIP, ATLANTIC COAST
I was able to photograph the bride during their ceremony at CHIANG KAI-SHEK’s MEMORIAL
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA PENANG
BARBADOS
SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN
TURKEY
HUALIEN
JAMAICA
OSAKA Great Pyramid – oldest of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World
GOETEBERG, SWEDEN
Beer from vending in KOBE….and 26 years later with my Hello Kitty backpack in SCOTLAND
CHICAGO
My Dad getting us on the helicopter to see the Haleakala Volcano in HAWAII & later the waterfalls
KYOTO
TAROKO GORGE, TAIWAN LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND
ISTANBUL
Getting stuck at the top of the CHICHEN ITZA Pyramid in MEXICO. Daddy saved me! And we left the arena immediately in tears in VENEZUELA!
PUERTO VALLARTA TIANANMEN SQUARE
MARBELLA, COSTA del SOL
TURKS & CAICOS
CARIBBEAN ISLANDS (my Mom snapped these shots)
Attended Trinity College, DUBLIN, IRELAND… And visiting a hilltop monument in Ireland
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, Archipelago, Pacific Ocean
KIEL with my Granddad
NARA, JAPAN
MT. KILLINGTON, VERMONT THE GRAND CANYON
BERLIN
ASCOT, EAST BERKSHIRE, UK
ROYAL ASCOT
GUATEMALA DENMARK
BRANDENBURG GATE, EAST/WEST GERMANY age 9
DALLAS
LLANFAIRPWLLGWYNGYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLLANTYSILIOGOGOGOCH, WALES Longest town name in the world!! This is the train station.
LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND
AMISH COUNTRY, PENNSYLVANIA
MARBELLA A. EINSTEIN MEMORIAL, WASHINGTON, D.C.
NEWPORT, R.I. ILLINOIS
WALES
IOWA KEY WEST
TEXAS
SOUTHEAST ASIA
ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS OUTER BANKS, NORTH CAROLINA
6 bucks for this hostel in EAST ASIA
ENGLAND IRELAND
KREMLIN, MOSCOW ADRIATIC SEA SUEZ CANAL
SULTANAHMET CAMII Blue Mosque, circa 1609
GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS, NYC PARK CITY, UTAH
If you know me, I’ve been snapping photos of kids or with kids for over 3 decades.
Look at these precious children from SARAJEVO & CHINA, simply beautiful!!!
MONGOLIAN barbecue in ASIA MILLENNIUM in EUROPE
NEW LONDON County
NEW YORK CITY ANDALUSIA
WESTERN ASIA with my Mom when I was 5. EAST GERMANY when I was 9.
MAUI
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SNOWBIRD, UTAH BERMUDA
DUSSELDORF, GERMANY for GRAND DEPART of TOUR de FRANCE
More CARIBBEAN Island pics with Mom eons ago
BEAR MOUNTAIN MEDITERRANEAN SEA CATSKILLS
BERLIN Zoo BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
SOUTH AMERICA NEW JERSEY
GREENWICH Polo
BALTIC SEA BAY OF KIEL
ARABIAN SEA ATLANTIC OCEAN
FLORIDA
Flying to MARTHA’S VINEYARD – our 9-year-old daughter co-pilots 🙂
DUTCH WONDERLAND
MEDITERRANEAN
VALLEY FORGE
VICTORIA & AUSTIN, TEXAS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Reagan’s Procession
NEAR EAST around age 5
THE PENNINES
LABOE MALAGA
CHEYENNE SPRING, COLORADO CANCUN
HAMBURG HADRIAN’S WALL built by the Romans 122 A.D.
TURKS & CAICOS GRACE BAY LANCASHIRE, UK
NEVADA
CORPUS CHRISTI LIME ROCK KIEL-WIK
CONNECTICUT PHILADELPHIA
INDIAN OCEAN NYC
VALLARTA return THE HAMPTONS SAN DIEGO
SUEZ CANAL, built circa 1860 YORK, ENGLAND
THE EVERGLADES Elvis’ home, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
NEW HAMPSHIRE SNOWBIRD in UTAH
Photo taken from our towel on a Caribbean beach, eeek
Chillin’ in OCHO RIOS
Old Capitol Building, WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA ILLINOIS
SCANDINAVIA SAN ANTONIO
THE KEYS, PROVIDENCIALES, KOBE & THE BAHAMAS
The Bright Spot – Home Sweet Home ~ As I’ve stated many times on-air, online and in person, my very favorite place to be in the whole world is home with my family & furbabies, feet up in my little white socks, a pony tail, Greek salad & a good family movie.
There are loads more places & photos, but this pictorial refutation has clearly served its purpose. The real point here is don’t judge people especially if you’ve never gotten to know their background. As my friend, Sara, so succinctly put it regarding the woman’s comment – “Honestly, some nerve!!” We laugh because, seriously, one can only chuckle at the mother’s unapprised statement at this point.
Let me just say to that mother who assumed I was a “shut-in” because I like to craft with the kids & make their day magical – there is no greater job than raising the next generation of kindly world citizens, travelers & defenders of Earth & her gifts. That’s my gift back to this planet that’s been a joy to traverse, study, explore & relish!!
The Dauntless Chronicles ~ Teen Interview
#1 International Bestseller in 2 categories and #1 US Bestseller & #1 Hot New Release in 3 categories on Amazon ~ The Dauntless Chronicles!! Written by two 14-year-olds, this multi-planetary, multicultural universe is filled with epic adventure & young romance as narrated from the perspective of teen aliens who crash land on Earth.
From exceptional technical descriptions of the spacecraft, locomotive and ships, and from dragons to ice planets, war to secret missions, these young teen coauthors produced riveting plot twists, intense action and suspenseful turns while incorporating the powerful themes of family, friendship, loyalty, and love.
An exciting escapade & intergalactic treasure for readers of all ages! The Dauntless Chronicles – Book 1 (454 pages) – go to TheDauntlessChronicles.com for more info or to submit FanArt!!
Willow & Anthony talk about worldbuilding & lore, gods & goddesses, etc., in this short interview:
The Easter Tree
I had a dilemma and this is how I resolved it.
It came time to put away the Christmas trees. We have 3 between 6 & 8 feet. One is new. By the time I packed away all of the decorations including new boxes for the new ornaments, I was exhausted. Christmastime is a big deal in our home & I love to decorate, click: Joy!
The new tree came pre-lit with white lights & the boughs glistened with soft snow and sparkling branches.
It was so beautiful that Phillip said, “Why not keep it up all year.” He says that every year; I dismiss it & eventually put everything away but this year, I just kept delaying. I thought of the tree in Senator Conger’s home, click here to see it: Skaneateles It’s in the grand foyer decorated for each season. And that was it! I’m decorating our new around-the-year tree for each season!
The Bright Spot – This lovely tree, topped with 7 climbing claret orchids, is bright & cheerful by day & sparkly at night. Thanks for enjoying this pictorial with us.
Our Soldier Surprises His Sister at School!
Our son is a Soldier in the Elite 82nd Airborne Combat Aviation Brigade.
Our B-e-s-t CHRISTMAS ever as he comes home unexpectedly & surprises his sister at school after being away for a year!
Starts off with a few kids, then hundreds gather to form a huge semicircle to witness the surprise! The Principal says he saw a horseshoe form with nearly 600 kids!
Thank you to all of the students who came up afterwards & thanked our son for his service!
Credit: Buddy Brown, Lyrics: Daniel Brown, Album: Deep South ~ Stop When You See a Uniform
Click this video below:
Ziplining at Niagara!
Ready for some excitement, I got up one morning & proclaimed, “Pack some clothes, we’re driving to Canada!â€
Truly, one of the most marvelous spur-of-the-moment trips ever ~ complete with sunny skies & 80 degrees!! We spent a supremely-packed 46 hours at Niagara Falls!
Night arrival in Ontario, Canada to the powerful glacial phenomena at Horseshoe Falls & the American Falls in all their glory in ever-changing brilliant colors!
We grabbed ponchos and headed to the water’s edge straightaway!
We enjoyed a gorgeous suite with center views of Horseshoe Falls at the Embassy Suites – pure magnificence outside our 10th floor window!!
And look at the morning mist below & the stunningly beautiful vista at breakfast!
That’s our hotel & the incline trolley to the Falls! And can you see the small red boat on the left-hand side?? That’s the Hornblower with a passenger capacity of 700! Yeah, that’s how huge these Falls are – hard to capture in a pic! The Hornblower has been in operation for 170 years and, in 2016, carried 2.2 Million people that year!!
We spent the day at Marineland where our daughter enjoyed the 450’ tower drop – height of a 45-story skyscraper – and rode it 3 times with great joy. Then she went on Dragon Mountain, the world’s largest steel roller coaster covering more than 30 acres. Plenty more rides followed by a visit to the beluga aquariums – one for the males, one with 34 young belugas and one maternity pool for pregnant belugas! Our marine-loving 14-year-old fed and caressed a beautiful female whale with continued appreciation for these amazing animals (click: Sea Trek or Dolphin Trainer or Harmony & Magic)
This was followed by a most striking sight – the rainbow over Horseshoe Falls!! A rainbow appears every day as the sun sets and hits the mist. We then watched the Niagara Fury movie protected by ponchos in this full-immersion film – covering us with snow, water, wind and a moving floor! We topped off that first day with an unnerving walk through the deep tunnels of Niagara, actually journeying BEHIND the thundering falls!!!!
Tunnels built in the 1800s, the massive force of the clear waters roaring overhead and all around made me glad when I was back above ground!
The following day, we traversed the Maze of Mirrors & then enjoyed lunch at the famed Rainforest Café where our daughter said she enjoyed the world’s largest steel roller coaster & mega tower drop but she needed something “more thrilling.†We asked her what she had in mind. Ziplining at the Falls! Oh, of course. So after lunch, our daughter found herself 220 feet above the Niagara River Gorge alongside her father because I sure as heck wasn’t doing it!!
They traveled 2,200 feet at speeds of 70+kph along the breathtaking vista of the American Falls to the outer rim of Horseshoe Falls!! An experience of a lifetime was how they both described it! A bucket-list moment – volume up! to enjoy this quick video:
I loved the beauty, visitors, rainbows, wineries ~ Niagara Falls, Ontario is a must-see!
Love locks on Lock Bridge, Canada – photo taken by my love, Phillip.
We topped off the late afternoon with Dairy Queen and said goodbye to Ontario, Canada as we headed 3 hours south to the Benn Conger Inn, a gorgeous Colonial built in 1921 for State Senator Conger in Tompkins County, New York & the Skaneateles Lake region.
Click here now for those beautiful photos & experience: Skaneateles
The Bright Spot – Bucket list moments. Enough said.
Skaneateles
After ziplining at Niagara Falls (click here for video: Niagara), we said goodbye to Ontario, Canada & headed 3 hours south to the Benn Conger Inn, a gorgeous Colonial built in 1921 for State Senator Conger in Tompkins County, New York, winery country.
Owners Peter Zon & Douglas Yurubi greeted us warmly upon our arrival after 9:30pm with local wine for Phillip and a cozy place for us to eat a late dinner. The stories we shared, the majesty of the house & their divine breakfast made for a memorable stay & wishes for an expeditious return!
Peter & Doug organized a lovely boat trip on the Skaneateles River in Onondaga County, a rural community in the Finger Lakes Region. Skaneateles is an Iroquois term meaning “long lake,†16 miles long, 315’ deep!
The captain’s tour of spectacular mansions and their prestigious owners captivated us all.
Afterwards, we toured the historic Sherwood Inn, circa 1800, followed by a hearty dinner at a pub before our daughter purchased exquisite handcrafted art pieces from the enchanting Skaneateles Artisan’s Gallery Under the Old Stone Mill. .
(Credits: Skaneateles Artisans Under the Old Stone Mill & Benn Conger Inn)
The Bright Spot – The tranquility was revitalizing and seeing the famous portrait of Madame X, Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, in person was delightful!!
Oil on canvas, 1884
Below is my brochure & the painting can be see above over the main staircase.
(Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Dress Blues
“A much-anticipated & well-earned graduation celebration…on this momentous day, these Soldiers join the ranks of the world’s finest Army. The Soldiers have been infused with the Army’s 7 core values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.†(Fort Jackson graduation booklet)
Less than 1% of the US population serves. The United States has over 1.4 million troops including 865,000 in reserve.
Fort Jackson is the US Army’s main Basic Combat Training hub producing over 60,000 trained, disciplined & physically fit warriors per year!
The Fort is a phenomenon unto itself: 81 square miles – that is 4 times the size of Manhattan!! Yeah, digest that for a moment. 52,000 acres with over 1,000 buildings & 10,000 folks at any given time.
We had no contact with our son aside from (2) 27-second phone calls November till Christmas, then after the holiday break, click:(Boots in the House), there was zero contact allowed except letters so our family activity from January 3 – February 5 was to send him 24 letters.
Remarkably, the hardest part of those months was The Forge – which actually started on his birthday! THE FORGE: 96 grueling hours with less than 10 hours of sleep on little to no food * 54-mile walk with 80 pounds of gear within the 52,000-acre fort * live fire overhead day & night with simulated combat testing all limits of human endurance.
“Since 1917, Fort Jackson has carried out its sacred responsibility of “Forging America’s Army†by transforming civilians into Soldiers. These Soldiers are the lifeblood of the readiness of the United States Army.†“Basic Combat Training transforms volunteer civilians into Soldiers…ready for close combat…through realistic training…including marksmanship, hand grenade employment, and chemical, biological and nuclear survival [including radiological]…with field training and testing through The Hammer, The Anvil & The Forge.â€
10% don’t pass. They must undergo training again…and clean the stadium after graduation!
Our son was one of the last 48 Spartans. After graduation, the Soldiers packed & left at midnight for their advanced training locations. Our son was transported to Virginia where he will train as a Black Hawk engineer and is commissioned to serve 8 years (6 active/2 reserve). He was voted by his peers at combat training most likely to stay in the military making it a 20+ year career. Sounds about right!
Joint Base Langley–Eustis is the only Black Hawk training facility in the world! There are Soldiers from many different countries studying at this U.S. Army Aviation Logistics School.
1/3 of the advanced training Soldiers are booked for the Night Owl shift – school classes from 1am to 7am!! That’s what he was assigned.
Uh, let that sink in for a moment. Wakes at 9pm for breakfast, physical training & studying till midnight, classes 1am to 7am!!
Every class is intense & chock-full of information. If any Soldier misses a single class during Advanced Training, they are sent back to the 1st day. No exceptions. It’s like Chutes & Ladders on speed with every chute back to 1st place!!
Our son will be part of the 18th Airborne Combat Aviation Division, part of the 1st-to-Deploy Emergency Responders Unit! Oh, boy.
But the good news is that his barracks are brand new – he doesn’t have to room with 60 guys now, just 3 to a room and we can Facetime him!!!
Dear son, we are soo proud of you!! Congratulations & well done getting through the rigors of combat training & good luck on your studies! (See latest UPDATE below the video!)
What makes me so happy is that our son is very happy with his decision. Thank you for choosing to protect our country!!
Here are highlights by Videorama Productions from this beautiful graduation: Click this video to enjoy:
Also, be sure to see the new UPDATE below following this video!
Update June 2019
Proud our son was selected as Master Sergeant of Leadership for a platoon at his base in Virginia. And with his outstanding performance during advanced training, he has now been commissioned to our nation’s premiere US Army’s Elite 82nd Airborne Division, regarded as the best-trained infantry on the globe. (Photo Credit: US Army / 82nd Airborne Division / Staff Sgt. Kissta DiGregorio)
Unfortunately, that also makes them the Department of Defense’s #1 responders to crisis contingencies worldwide within 18 hours. Scary, but we pray for peace for all! (Photo Credit: US Army)
Our 82nd Airborne Black Hawk Engineer has also been recommended for Flight Instructor.
Meanwhile, when he does have downtime, he’s relaxing with this adorable little kitty who belongs to his battle buddy & wife who live on base.
In July, he’ll move to North Carolina to the largest military base by population in the world with over 50,000 active duty personnel on more than 163,000 acres covering 4 counties. (Manhattan is 14,000 acres)
The Bright Spot – We are thrilled with all of your accomplishments, dear Son, and look forward to your wonderful future ahead!!
The AA on the 82nd Airborne patch means “All American!” He just received it with his wings yesterday!! So proud!!
Boots in the House!!
Like Boots on the Ground, Boots in the House is what it’s called when your soldier is home!!! Songs like “I’ll be Home for Christmas†were so much more than a pretty tune. After our son’s decision to leave the comforts of home, great job and lovely girlfriend to defend our nation and commit to 6 years active duty (click: BHUp), we were so happy to hear the only time in the year recruits come home during their 10 weeks of basic combat training is for the December holiday season. We were so thankful especially since there was no communication aside from two 27-second calls saying he was there and fine.
Friends & strangers writing to me as a new Army Mom offering support often said he’ll leave a boy & return a man. It’s only been 4 of the 10 weeks and they were right. His stance, carriage, conversation, so confident, so strong. Army Strong! Mind-bogglingly, the Army has already spent $77,000 per recruit the 1st 4 weeks on weapons, 80 pounds of equipment, supplies, etc.
The 52,000-acre Army Basic Combat Training hub at Fort Jackson, South Carolina with over 100 ranges & 1,160 buildings produces over 60,000 trained, disciplined & physically fit warriors per year!
Our son left Fort Jackson with 6,824 other soldiers snapping this photo before heading out. He said it was like a sea of green flooding the hallways of the airport.
All the soldiers were given a message in a Coca Cola bottle & a young boy ran into the airport store and bought our son an ornament to thank him for his service. He said the public outpouring of American support was overwhelming and heartwarming.
He surprised his little sister (click: Superhero) by walking into a coffee shop while she waited for me. I wanted so much to catch the moment but I stayed away or his wish could have been ruined. A neighbor’s grandfather saw it all for us. As this granddad, our son & daughter describe, he walked in the bustling shop and she looked at him for a long moment trying to comprehend what was happening. He looked like her brother, but he was not due. It took a few seconds to realize this buff, clean-shaven fellow with dark-rimmed glasses (Army-issued ballistic lenses!), standing tall before her was her Superhero Big Brother. She burst upright shrieking with delight as she leapt into his arms & they hugged for ages.
He arrived on my husband’s birthday, what a celebration! In a nutshell, here are some things we learned about. He didn’t sleep the 1st 50 hours & didn’t have time to think of the sleep deprivation as they had the recruits moving constantly through the initiation phase including a 2-sided line of every vaccine imaginable for soldier warfare
warfare readiness including anthrax, typhoid, yellow fever, small pox, etc.
The soldiers are up every day at 4am for 17 hour days except Sundays. The have 5 minutes to be ready. They have 5 minutes for meals. They learn to shovel down food no matter how hot & run back to training immediately.
Disciplinary Action – if one person does something wrong, that person does not get punished. Everyone else is punished and the person has to stand and watch. Yup, that’s one quick way to get everyone on the same page!! And yes, drill sergeants do yell at the top of their lungs as the rim of their hat hits your forehead.
2 challenging tasks included rappelling down the 50-foot wall & taking off their masks in a gas chamber.
Everyone has been so supportive of our son’s decision. There’s only been one person who balked when she found out. The problem is that he was standing right next to me and was going to leave shortly. He had no idea what he was in store for and she’d known him 10 years. Her reaction gutted me. If she were that anti, she could have told me privately. It was so sad because he was right there. I asked him how he felt when we were in the car. “Don’t worry, Mom. I stand by my commitment to defend this country and its freedoms, and I’d die for her, too. That’s what freedom means.â€
Interestingly, visiting a friend’s home with him during this holiday break who is so anti-gun she helps run the campaign on a local level, she greeted him with a hug saying she understands the great sacrifice he’s making for our nation’s defense and introduced him to her grandson saying, “This is a real soldier.†She melted my heart.
The Army has felt the latest generation of new recruits has often been undisciplined, disrespectful and overweight. A tougher regime of physical training beyond human limits meant to prepare for any combat situation has been implemented to ensure our American soldiers remain the strongest in the world.
- By Joseph Cranney jcranney@postandcourier.com April 8, 2018
- To cap the 10 weeks of basic training… Army trainees must pass …a final test — a simulation of a nighttime invasions staged in the woods of the 52,000-acre base.
- Over 4 days, the course tests recruits on virtually every aspect of their training — including patrols, obstacle courses, hand-to-hand combat and more than 45 miles of marching.
- The course is part of the Army’s response to a call from leadership for tougher, more physically fit soldiers …
- It’s also intended to address the Army’s concern that an emerging generation of trainees grew up with less exercise and are less attuned to discipline.
- The Army calls its new training course The Forge, akin to the final stage of hardening a metal. Like the similarly challenging Crucible for Marines, completing The Forge is now a prerequisite to becoming a soldier.
- Trainees leave their barracks at midnight and return after 96 hours of missions with light rest. They sleep on the ground in the woods…
- Army leaders said it stands to become one of the military’s most grueling tests.
Our son heads back for the final 6 weeks of combat training & The Forge before graduating & taking the walk above as graduate, team member, soldier. Then he’ll head to Virginia for training as a specialized Black Hawk Engineer.
The Bright Spot – He loves his decision & has no regrets.
I miss our son so much! It’s hard for a parent. Even the tree at our CVS looked camouflaged!
God bless you, dear son, as you head into your new future.
And God bless our troops here & abroad.
Black Hawk Up!
Today marks a monumental change for our family that affects all of us especially our daughter.
Her Superhero left home today.
For a long time.
Click this link for: Superhero
We are a particularly close family. This is big for us.
(Our son telling his sister the news)
(Looking over the enlistment papers & his future career path)
An officer picked him up from the house; he will fly to South Carolina for the U.S. Army Aviation division.
He made the decision 3 weeks ago to defend & protect our nation & honor all those who have gone before him.
It all happened quite quickly. He will become a Black Hawk engineer. The UH-60L Black Hawk starts at $5.9 million.
We thought it would just be for 2 or 3 years. He has been commissioned for 6 years!!!
(Credit/3 photos: AlphaCoders.com Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky Military UH-60 Black Hawk)
We celebrated Thanksgiving with him last Wednesday; he will be home for a few days for Christmas. We will have no contact with him except for 2-3 minute phone calls on a Sunday, only if earned.
On our last full day yesterday, 9 of us including his girlfriend and some friends enjoyed a memorable lunch & show at Medieval Times.
Our family had breakfast this morning together and our children hugged their good byes. Our little one left for school with a brave face although her heart was breaking.
I’m glad for the hustle & bustle of the holidays so we can’t focus on the emptiness in our hearts during the coming weeks.
We thank everyone for the countless emails, texts, etc., pouring in. Here are a few:
From our daughter’s principal: “How proud of your son you all must be and I must say that I am too! I am sure this is difficult on all of you, in spite of the pride, but clearly your daughter will miss him tremendously. We will be sure to be of any support we can. Next time you speak with him please send him my best.â€
Jane Fendelman, author, therapist & recurrent guest on “Let’s Talk!†wrote, “It takes a very generous heart for a mom to be happy for her son stepping out in a whole new way. His life is going to expand times 100.â€
One of our daughter’s 6th grade teachers wrote, “Tell your son thank you for his service – it takes a strong person to join the army. What an amazing role model he must be for his little sister.â€
One of her 8th grade teachers wrote, “My family is a big fan of Black Hawks! I have the utmost respect for her brother. What a selfless and generous decision.â€
Our daughter’s 2nd grade teacher wrote, “WOW! Proud mama moment! I’m sure you have a range of emotions with this one. Hang in there and know that his service is much appreciated.â€
Oh, yes, the emotional pendulum is swinging, that’s for sure. Proud, happy, sad, nervous, excited, thrilled. He just left a few hours ago and we miss him so much already!
I suppose a uniform was always in our son’s future. From the time he wore the cap of one of New York City’s Finest to the moment the Associated Press captured this photo at the 9-1-1 Memorial at Yankee Stadium, he proudly wore his uniforms as a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Volunteer Firefighter & Cadet at Valley Forge Military Academy & College.
The Academy was founded in 1928 by Lieutenant General Milton G. Baker. The 1st cadet to enroll was Guy Wheeler, Jr., who graduated in 1934. He was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award given for outstanding service to the school. (Fellow cadet & our son long ago)
General Baker awarded this flag to Cadet Wheeler, Jr., for his services to the school. The flag hung in his office until his retirement. Following his death, he was buried next to the chapel at Valley Forge and the flag was given to his son, Guy Wheeler, III, an alumnus of Valley Forge, Class of 1968.
Mr. Wheeler presented this flag to our son on July 15, 2008 for his inspiring passion and love of VFMA&C.
I’d like to say I’m prepared for what lies ahead, but, in truth, I am not.
It’s all happening so fast. I received an informational email with the Subject line: “Welcome to the Army Family – Pre-Ship Parent Information†followed
by “I welcome you because as the parent of a soldier, you, too, are serving in the United States Army.â€
Daunting. But the email is full of links, videos, seminars (one is tomorrow night – my husband & I will log into it to learn about the 1-2-3’s of the Reception Battalion and Basic Training before our son’s specialized training begins in his chosen field.
The Bright Spot – Proud of our son. Proud of our country. Proud of all who serve. God bless America!
Well, here we go! Maybe you’ll leap right into something you’ve always wanted to do & see what new adventures lie ahead. Until we leap into his arms again, we will miss him with all our hearts. We love you, dear son!
See how our Darling’s brother became a Superhero, click here: Big Brother
F-35 Lightning, Blue Angels, Red Arrows!!!!
Turn your volume to 10 & enjoy the supersonic sounds of jet engines roaring to this super-amazing song, LEGEND by THE SCORE!!!! (Copyright Owners: UMG on behalf of Universal Records, Album: Atlas by The Score). Video from our cell phones, one of my all-time videos to edit especially to this fabulous song!! Enlarge & turn it up!!!
We joined 50,000 people over the weekend at the New York International Air Show 2019, Stewart Int’l Airport, New Windsor near West Point for the debut of the $100 Million Mighty F-35 Lightning II Supersonic Fighter Jet, helmet $400,000, 3-mile vertical climb in 3 seconds – YES, A MILE A SECOND!!!! So heart-poundingly loud – can break the sound barrier!!! The rumble in our bodies as the Lightning II thundered by is indescribable!!!!
Plus, the US Navy’s phenomenal BLUE ANGELS & the Royal Air Force’s RED ARROWS precision aerobatics!!! Red Arrows touring the US after 11 years. And when our new mighty F-35 Lightning II flew with the World War II P-51 Fighter Bomber plane (see end of video above), it was such an unforgettable moment of new technology & old faithfuls, wow!!!!
Royal Air Force Red Arrows ~ 11 pilots, 100+ crew, 5,000 aerobatic performances in 57 countries since launching 1965! Our daughter received all the aviators’ autographs here:
(Credit: Royal Air Force Red Arrows & The Blues)
The entire show was breathtaking!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, this pic from our cell phone!)
(Credit: US Navy’s Blue Angels logo)(Credit: Royal Air Force Red Arrows banner)
The Bright Spot – A bucket list moment for my dear husband! (Click: Phillip) After 12 hours, we came home & watched TOP GUN ON FULL VOLUME – OF COURSE!!!! Dad’s favorite movie!!!
Our Soldier: 82nd Airborne