Petty Officer

Yesterday I got a phone call from Dakota. That in and of itself wasn't all that unusual he calls at least one a week. It was a bit strange that he called midweek. Generally his school and the time difference make midweek phone calls a rarity. He called because he had to tell someone that he made rank. I am now the proud momma of a Petty Officer Third Class.

Wordless Wednesday - Giraffes and Dakota

Hat Trick

In case you are wondering what they learn at Navy bootcamp these days here is a video showing Dakota's proudest accomplishment.

Graduation Pictures

If you checked in yesterday you know that Dakota graduated from Great Lakes Naval Bootcamp. WOOT WOOT! You also know that I wasn't there to play paparazzi and give him a huge hug when the ceremonies were all finished. *SOB, Tears, sniffle* Ok, all better now. What you don't know is that I spent the evening perched in the chair next to the phone that is hooked to our vonage line, with the big desktop computer set up for skype and my laptop in my lap open to facebook so I could monitor the updates posted by family that was there to cheer him on.

I was all hooked up via modern technology so that I could be as involved as possible from another continent. After days of on and off (mostly off) internet, the technology decided to cooperate, and dropped connections were fairly minimal, and quickly reconnected. The kids were watching "Charlotte's Web" munching popcorn, and trying hard not to attract Mom's attention. David was at a function, the kind that means he has to get all cleaned up and wear a suit. So not only was he missing the graduation, but he was working. Poor guy! Just think instead of doing... what ever it is they do at these functions, he could have been mopping up my tears and dealing with my hysteria. Wait a minute...hmmm...I wonder if there really was a function?

We did eventually get to talk to Dakota on on the Vonage, and we even skyped with him and Jorden from the backseat while on theIr way out to eat with everyone. He looked really good. The boys got a chance to tell him all about starting a fire with a magnifying glass (Ummm... Sorry about that Jenn you probably want to hide the magnifying glasses from Jorden for awhile!) they showed him Squirtle the tortoise, and got him all caught on the goings on here in Malawi. Dave got a chance to talk to him when he got home, his conversation seemed to be mostly about what comes next now that bootcamp is over. Fatherly advice from someone who has been there, done that. I am so happy that bootcamp is finally over and we can talk more often. Hopefully he uses some of his new income to buy a phone, or a computer or something to make it easier to keep in touch. On a regular basis! (Yes, Dakota I know you are reading this and I expect regular phone calls or skypes, so does Grandma!)

My thanks to Brenda, Donnie, Teri, and Jenn for being there and being so quick to get pictures up on FB! Thanks to Jenn for posting to FB live during the ceremony, hopefully you were discrete and didn't bother those around you too much, but I loved seeing the pics in real time. Thanks to Donnie for wearing your dress blues even though you're retired, that was so cool. Thanks to Jorden for giving Cody a big kid hug so he didn't miss his little brothers too much. And a big thanks to Teri for getting me a copy of the official CD so that I can eventually watch the whole ceremony from beginning to end. I can't wait until it arrives, well we are a pouch post so I will have to wait, but I don't have to be happy about it. Here are some pictures of the whole event that I have shamelessly stolen from the afore mentioned relatives FB pages.

Wow! That's a whole lotta new sailors!

You can't see his face, but Dakota is the one carrying the MIA/POW flag.

Dakota and Uncle Donnie both in dress blues. Out with the old in with the new! Donnie is a retired nuke, and Dakota is a nuke in training.

Aunt Teri and Jorden give Dakota a big hug.

Gedunk! I have no idea what that means but David said I had to write it. Apparently that makes sense to those who have been in the Navy.

A big hug from cousin Jennifer.

Aunt Brenda, Dakota, and a frog relaxing after a long day. Love the frog, for those of you who don't know I collect frogs.

I will post more pictures when I get some. I am sure all of you will be tired of the pics before I am done, but I am one proud mama!

Graduation

Today Dakota graduates from Navy Bootcamp. In so many ways this is more of a mark of his becoming an adult than was his high school graduation. I want so badly to be there to see him in his uniform carrying the MIA/POW flag in the ceremonies. I have seen him in uniform before when he was in JROTC last year, and he looked very handsome. This is different, this is more, this is what he has chosen to do with his life. I want to see him in his new navy uniform and give him a big hug and cry proud mommy tears all over him.

Instead I am sitting in Malawi watching Dakota's brothers roast marshmallows at 9 in the morning on a fire they lit all by themselves with magnifying glasses. I am glad I was here to see how excited they were that it actually worked, and to make sure they were playing with fire in a safe location. It almost made up for not being there for Dakota to watch all three of them sit and concentrate and then see their victory dance when the first small flame appeared. All the same when the sugar high wears off there will be a serious fire safety talk.

I know that some of you who live this nomadic life that is the foreign service understand the choices: when do you go home, when do you sit tight and wish you could be there, is it really worth days of travel to be there for a ceremony that will last such a short time? Others who's lives are different probably think I am a horrible parent for missing this event. We could have probably have (just) afforded the round trip ticket to Chicago for me to be there, but it would have been a stretch, and it would put our budget in a bad place.

Instead we have made sure that there will be someone there to cheer him on and take lots of pictures. Later if the internet cooperates we will get to talk to him on vonage or skype and wish him all the best. Then his aunts and uncle and cousins will take him out for a good meal and make sure that he knows just how proud we are of him.

*Teri, Jenn, Donnie, and Brenda: if any of you are reading this take LOTS AND LOTS of pictures today! Give Cody a big big hug from his mom. Make sure you get someone to take a picture of all of you with together Cody. Thank you!

That Would Suck!

One week from today Dakota, my firstborn baby will be wheels up and winging his way to Naples Italy, then onward to Great Lakes Illinois for Navy boot camp. I am an emotional mess. But that's not what this post is about. The younger boys have been talking a lot about what they will do when it is their turn to leave home. (This is not perhaps the most helpful conversation to have in front of a very emotional mama. One baby leaving is bad enough, I do not need reminding that eventually they will all leave home.) Tonight's conversation took a turn to the hilarious.

"When I leave home I am going to be a lawyer." Says Colin, my argumentative one. I have to say it is a good choice for his personality.

"Not me!" piped up Alonzo. "I am going to go to the Navy academy so I can be an officer and Dakota will have to salute when ever he sees me."

"Oh man!" Dakota with a horrified look on his face. "That would suck!"