Parker heads out

Well, Parker has left home, and is now in Georgia where he will begin his Army career.

I know they aren't meant to live at home forever, and believe me, I don't really want them to, but it's hard when they leave the nest. I've been crying off and on all week, the weirdest little things would set me off... and I had to really bite my tongue to keep from giving him all of my great advice, trying to cram 20-plus years of parenting into the last few days, just in case I forgot anything important-- Like, "don't share towels, you can catch that flesh-eating fungus". And yes, I really did tell him to make sure to eat lots of healthy food and vegetables. I bought him little mini-toiletries to take on the plane, and made sure he had clean underwear. I gave him 20 bucks so he would have some cash on the trip... And then I dropped him off at the Army recruiter station, gave him a big hug, and there goes my baby. Of course I had to act all mature and cool about it, so I didn't embarrass us all, and I didn't want to make it harder for Parker either, I could tell he was already nervous, excited, the whole nine yards... So I think it went well. It's a little quieter around here, but still lots to keep me busy. And now I can concentrate on sending letters, care packages, and looking forward to when we go to Ft. Benning in August for his graduation.

Princess Yuki

We have a new arrival at our house...Princess Yuki!

She is a 6 wk old little white/cream kitty with blue eyes, which we got from a friend of Parker. Tom says "yuki" means "snow" in Japanese, so we're going with that. I had wanted to name her "Josie", but there was much rebellion. Hey, I thought that was a cute name!

Jillian is thrilled to death, she put Yuki in her baby doll's front pack and was carrying her around, which was very cute! She is actually very gentle, she seems to understand that her kitty is just a little baby... but I still don't leave them alone together, neither one of them are ready for that!

So now we all look like we have been put through a blender! Scratches everywhere. (Speaking of Scratch, he is not impressed, kind of a Garfield/Nermal thing going on, and Patches has already endured having his tail pounced on more than we can count... so I think once P.Y. mellows out a bit she will fit in just fine.) She IS banished from all the bedrooms at nite tho, everyone is tired of being attacked in their sleep.

Now, if I could only get her to quit jumping up, hooking her little kitty claws into my legs (or back!) and climbing up me like a human scratching post while I'm trying to type, she would be perfect! (Purrfect???? ouch, sorry, couldn't resist!)

Time to go, need to find some bactine!

~Laura


Here's the EVIL ONE...

Parker Did It!

Well, my baby's in the Army now!

On March 30th, Parker joined the Army! He enlisted for six years, as Infantry/Airborne/Ranger. Yeah, personally I think anybody who goes Ranger is crazy (unless they like eating lizards & bugs!) but this has been PJ's dream for a long time. Actually, when he was three I had an argument with him because he wanted me to take him to join the Army, so he could fly in "Hooah Helicopters" with his Dad.

He leaves on April 25th, to go up to Dallas, and he will ship out to Ft. Benning, GA on the 26th. Of course, as his Mom, I worry... but there are lots of positive things he can get out of the military too, and I think this is a great step forward for him! He is very happy and excited about his decision, and Jim & I are very proud to support him on this journey. Your positive thoughts and prayers are appreciated too! When he gets processed in and gets a mailing address, I will email it out so you can send him some mail... Always a highlight of the day for any soldier!