Woes of the Army Child

My heart broke last night.

Sir-Talks-A-Lot came into the room where I was sitting at the computer.

His eyes were wide, sad... glassy.

Me: What did you do?

Sir-Talks-A-Lot: I didn't do nothing.

Me: Well what's wrong then?

Sir-Talks-A-Lot: It's just... I'm... Sad.

The cracking in his voice made it evident that there was about to be tear flowing.

Sir-Talks-A-Lot: I don't want daddy to go to leave.

I didn't know what to say as he layed his head in my lap and cried. There's still over a month. I'm not ready for this. When Hubs deployed to Korea, Sir-Talks-A-Lot was the one that I had to console for many nights. He's very sensative and very caring and he gets really broken up over a loss.

So I tried to console him and tell him that there is still plenty of time before his daddy has to leave and that he has to make sure that he spends as much time with him as possible until then.

He raised his head up and looked at me again, trying to wipe away the tears.

I don't want daddy to go to Iraq. What if he nevers comes back? I don't want to have to go to another funeral.

(My uncle died of sickle cell about 2 years ago and this was they kids' first experience with death)

What does a mother say when he heart is breaking realizing that her baby is afraid of losing his daddy in the war? What do you tell a 7 year old?

I assured him that his daddy would be fine. His daddy is privelidge to work in an office environment when he gets deploys he is going to be fine.

He had a lot of what-if questions after that.

What if the bad guys come?

What if they have to move to a different place?

What if he doesn't come back?

Questions that mom doesn't have the answer to right now. Questions that are lurking within me as well. Questions that are just not right for a child to have to worry about.

So as the time comes closer, I realize that we have to sit down and prepare the children. They have questions and fears that it seems that they have been scare to talk about.

I just hope I'm strong enough to answer them.



He left the room, seeming content as he went off to go play with his siblings.

He returned a few minutes later and said:

I'm just going to pray for daddy every night while he's gone that he come home safe.

I smiled. He's so sweet.

Me: That's the best thing that you can possible do, baby.

Tell It Like It TIZ: Anti-Obama GI chickens out.

There are so many things that I want to blog about today. There are so many things in the news that I have been mind blowing just today alone. Tonight was one of those few nights that I really had a hard time trying to find my topic.

Should I blog about the recent "racial" event boiling in the media about the prominent black man arrest for "breaking into his own house?"

Should I blog about the OUTRAGEOUS laws in Rhode Island that allow 16 year old girls to STRIP as long as the are off the stage by 11:30 on a school night?

Maybe I should blog about the animal cruelty arrest of a man who, you guessed it! Had sex with his dog!!!!!

Well, all of those are topics that I'd love to cover and give my grand ol' opinion on, but when I sat down and checked some messages in my email, I came across one even better.

As many of you know, my husband is in the US Army, proudly serving and fighting for the freedoms of the world. He'll be shipped to Iraq soon, so this story hit home.

And this is where I get mad.

Apparently a reserved soldier, U.S. Army Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook, has fought in the courts to have his deployment orders to Afghanistan revoked because he believes that Barack Obama was never eligible to serve as President. He believes that Obama's birth certificate is a fraud and that he was not born in Hawaii.

This half-assed soldier volunteered to go to Afghanistan back in May and was issued his papers in June. Now, when you volunteer, they give you up until your reporting date to back out for whatever reason, but this dude didn't do that. Instead he got an attorney. Which leads me believe that he had an agenda.

Now let me tell you about this chick.

This chick is one of those haters that has been trying to get Obama out of office from the jump. She is the LEADER of those crazies that are trying like the dickens to dig up dirt on the Prez by saying that he's really not a citizen, that his birth certificate that he provided is a fake and that congress, and who ever else that is in higher power, the folks that are waaaaay beyond her little law degree, aren't smart enough to check the legitimacy of a birth certificate.

Does she realize that the President and his ALL of business was SPIT SHINED and searched with a white glove before he raised his hand and said I DO to America?

Well apparently she found her a sucker soldier that she could use as a guinea pig to get a lawsuit going to say that, Hey, I don't wanna follow the orders of my country.

I think that Maj. Cook is a coward. I think that he used this as an excuse to chicken out of something that he had gotten too deep into and not ready to face. I think that he is a disgrace to the uniform of any branch for using such a petty excuse against our commander-in-chief to get out of his obligations. I would have respected him more for saying that he was afraid. I would have respected him more for doing his job for his country, even with the adverse opinion of Obama. MANY people disagreed with our previous president and his handling of Iraq. They complained, but still supported him and did their jobs.

I feel that the courts were wrong for awarding him the win on this case and that he should instead be dishonorably discharged from the Army because he no longer has a place in our military. He doesn't deserve to be a soldier of intergrity and strength. He doesn't possess the qualities. I would NOT want this soldier to be the expected to protect MY soldier over there.

This is OUR military. These are men and women that are sent to fight for our freedoms, many never returning. But they go anyway. Different races, different ages, different religions different cultures, different beliefs.

They band together and become ONE.

Not just an Army of one, but a military of one so that we can remain a country of one.

This California lawyer, Orly Taitz, while she is now basking in the victory of the win in court, should really stand back and take a look at herself and what she is really fighting for. She is not just fighting against Obama here. She is fighting for the separation and the breaking down of our country at a time when we need to stand strong and stand together the most. If every soldier begins to see this as a way out of fighting in every war to come, where will that leave us? How strong can we be?



Read the full story here. Please tell me what you think. This post does not reflect the views of my husband, family or friends, but are my own thoughts immediately after reading the article.

It's been a busy summer

Wow! It's been a while since I've been able to sit down and get any blogging done. Did I tell you how busy my summer has been? If not, I'VE HAD ONE HECK OF A BUSY SUMMER!

Did I have an actual vacation? Around these parts, school is about to start back. Yup, we are going back on the 10th of August, and I promise it feels like the kids just got out.

We've had a lot going on. It seems like we haven't had a chance to really breathe lately. We have been jammed packed with activities and family visits for the entire month of July.

Don't remember if I mentioned it or not, but my mom came from Connecticut for a visit. This was a few days, I think after returning from Great Wolf Lodge (which I highly recommend to any family looking for a kid friendly vacation spot that's MUCH cheaper than Disney) She actually stayed with us for a week! I enjoyed her visit and would have loved for her to stay longer, but the woman had to get home to her dog, who was absolutely gonna go insane if she stayed away any longer. I was surprised to even get the visit with Lucy tagging along. She a yorkie and I swear she gets treated like a baby. When I call my mom, she spends more time talking to LUCY, the dog, than she talks to me, the human.

LUCY! LUCY!!!! LUCY!!!!!

After my mom left, a week later, my cousin came into town. Her parents needed some time and decided to send both their teenagers on a minivacation to visit family. I got Mimi, my twin. People have always said that this girl looks just like me. I was never really able to see it before, being that I'm one of a kind drop dead gorgeous and all, but having her here, I was actually see what it is that everyone has been telling me for years. And I'll be dang'on if that child doesn't act just like me. Every conversation was like a blast into my teenage past.

It was so much fun having someone around that is girlie, like me. My sister is so not the girlie type and I can't imagine her taking five minutes out of her texting time to polish Miss Missy's nails, much less put on a pair of heals.

BUT.............

to my surprise, my sister did get in a pair of heals!

This past weekend was my family reunion.

I haven't been to many, but this was by far the best one that I have attended! I have to give all props to my cousin, whose calls I was dodging because she she'd been running me crazy over this reunion for the last 2 months. Yeah, I ignored many calls and texts to PLEASE CALL ME BACK because the planning was giving me a headache and turning me into a mean person.

But Miss Thang did her thang and this reunion was a HUGE success. It HAD to be something if it got my sister into some HEALS at our Black and Red Banquet. This is the same chick that asked me if she could wear her black and red Forces (Nike AirForces for those a little less "HOOD") . I missed the opportunity to get a picture of her feet but to see her in anything other than a LaCoste shirt is mindblowing!

The reunion was awesome. Now, I've lived in GA for about 15year and I have never had the opportunity to visit, or even known, that the Martin Luther King Jr. birth home was right there in ATL.

The Burial of Coretta Scott and Martin Luther King Jr.

Sisters. My Aunt Doris and My Grandma

Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth home

My kids standing where a great man once stood.

And to get to visit this with a family, 3 generations of HISTORY, was something amazing.

My dad and Obama @ the Apex Center

The Stone Mountain Picnic

Cousins

To be able to spend time with the family that I rarely see, but can't help but love is a priveledge that I hope will continue for years to come as we continue to celebrate family togetherness with our reunions every 2 years.

The Men Folk

Note to self: Don't forget to shave.

It's a wonderful thing to snuggle up with your little one. I love having my littlest one in my bed at night all cuddle up next to me hugging me like I'd disappear if she lets go.

And then she let go, or at least moved her legs away from me.

She looks as me and say, "Mommy, you're sticking me."

"Sticking you?"

"Yes, with your legs." and she rolls over and cuddles up next to her daddy.



Now things must really be bad when a hairy man is softer than mom legs.

Our Dirt Cheap Vacation

Mam Kat has posted her prompts for the week and I chose



1.) Tell us about a "dirt cheap" you've taken this summer.



(for more great post ideas check her out. Join In. A great way to connect with other folks, get people to read your blog and read what people have to say when they chose the same propt as you.)



Mostly because I'd already my post about our vacation and hadn't had the chance to finish it up and post it yet. And what could possible be more DIRT CHEAP than FREE?

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My time these last two weeks has been so enjoyable. We went on our weekend vacation to Great Wolf Lodge and it was awesome!!!!

If you've never visited this place, your kids would LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

It's a place gear toward the kids. An indoor waterpark at a hotel! Waterslides galore! A wave pool. A kiddie area for the smaller ones and an outdoor pool.

And when you get tired of being in the water send the boys off the the video game room filled with Wii's, Playstations, Xbox's computer games and any other console out there while the princesses can go off to get their toes DID at the kiddie spa.

There's a magic quest for the kids to run through the hall, pointing their magic wand at different things throughout the lodge to complete a quest. and an arcade!

I think that it's enough fun there for everybody to enjoy.

Personally, my favorite part was the all you can eat breakfast buffet we had while we were there. (y'all know me!) The kids had their own little pint-sized bar just their size and I bombarded the big kids bar and fell in LOVE!

Well I guess I should menttion that the whole point of the trip was for a marrige retreat, which was cool. We spent 3 hours in class from 9-12 am talking mostly about effective communication. I enjoy these classes because I feel like many times they are saying what I have said in our marriage and for some reason Hubs hears it when they say it. Go Figure. There really isn't enough time in these classes to get a lot out of them, but it is wonderful that the Army actually takes the time to think that these are inportant to the family foudation and gives us these awesome 3 day vacations for FREE. YEAH! I said FREE! All expenses paid, breakfast, lunch and dinner, like no money down, no interest, nada!!! That's the best part!

Last year, we went to Myrlte Beach under the same deal. These are great trips because for us, they are trips that we might never see otherwise.

My Husband's toothbrush

You ever immediately knew that it was gonna be JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS?

I brushed my teeth with my husband's toothbrush this morning. Perhaps I should have waited until my eyes were fully opened before starting my daily regiment this morning. I used his toothbrush and didn't realize what gross and disgusting thing I'd done until I went to rinse and spit and realize I didn't normally use a blue toothbrush.

Okay, yeah, this is the man that I kiss. Yeah, we share foods sometimes, eat off the same fork or sip off the same straw, but I am totally grossed out by using someone else's toothbrush. ANYONE else's toothbrush. That is the very item that he uses to brush the grossness out of his mouth every morning the old food, plaque build up and the morning breath and I just transferred all that into my mouth. Just plain gross! I'm just getting sick thinking about throwing up!

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I drug myself out of bed this morning because I REALLY didn't want to get up. I was sleeping so good, as I'd gone to bed late as usual, and my phone starts to ring at about 8.

I know I haven't been posting much lately but I've been dealing with my cousin and the last bit of the Family Reunion planning and I promise you that I can't wait for this craziness to be over and done. Have you ever planned a family reunion? Me neither. My planning usually consists of showing up, what to wear and what to say to those folks that ask, "Do you remember me?"

Why oh why did I decide to put my 2 cents in on the actual planning? My cousin ran with that and hasn't stopped ringing my bell for 2 months.

I thought the early morning call was her so I didn't answer. I thought the next call on my house phone was her too, so I didn't turn over. I KNEW the text messages just HAD to be her so I ignored them. Unfortunately the calls and texts didn't stop so here I am, up, checking email and readying myself for another stressful day.

Family Reunion Planning:

Would you believe that someone asked for their money back for the reunion fees less than 2 weeks before the reunion?

Excuse ME?? Okay, all orders have been place, all expenses have been paid and all contracts have been signed and the companies that we are working with are not interested in returing the money. So apparently now you angry family member who doesn't want to attend for whatever reason and want a refund? At the last minute? I say TOUCH TISSUE PAPER! I sympathize with you and the fact that you lost $200, but SORRY! The money aint comimg out of my pocket. Call Stone Mountain. The the banquet hall, call the tour bus people and see if they are gonna give you your money back this late in the game. Everything is paid for because we are having this darn thing in two weeks. OH well! Sorry Charlie!

WHY OH WHY don't we have our t-shirts yet??? She order them online from a company called Tshirt Cafe and I'll be darn if they are not trying to screw us out of our money.

Looky here Mr. T-shirt man of T-Shirt Cafe, you promised that you'd have our t-shirts done and in our hands within two weeks of ordering. Why is it that a month later we are still waiting? Why haven't you answered my cousins calls and why is it that suddenly you happened to have a family emergency a week before I NEED MY SHIRTS????

You haven't sent an invoice, a tracking number for shipping... you know, I'm starting to think you're screwing my cousin. I'm starting to think that you have a full-o- s*** business and that you got the money and ran. I'm starting think that I might have to let all my friends and family know about you and your work or lack there of and I might have to spread the word about how WONDERFULLY you have treated your customers. I might have to BLOG about you and tell all both of my blog followers how they shouldn't use you based on my cousin's experience. (yeah I said all both because I sure that I have a good 2 right now! LOL) That'll show you!

I imagine that you are sitting in your single wide trailer in Henderson, North Carolina, picking lint and pork rind crumbs out of your belly button, laughing hysterically that the Perry Banks York family who really thought you were gonna send them some OBAMA reunion shirts! (if you are about to send the shirts and you read this, Mr. Tshirt Cafe Man, please take it as just jokes and rush off the the post office. I didn't mean it! LOL)

I'll do it too!


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So amidst all the drama, there is a silver lining. I haven't seen Paris Jackson cry in Janet's arms one time yet! Now THAT'S a blessing!

MJ's Memorial and my feelings

It's been something to not have posted anything in so long. I'd been so addicted that I couldn't help thinking about you guys everyday and popping in to get a little reading in here and there, even though I have made time to post anything of my own lately.

My last post was a tribute to Michael Jackson's death. I still can't believe that it has been real. Didn't know the man from Adam, but for some reason it still hurt to hear that such a great performer is gone.

I sat myself down on my couch this morning preparing to watch the memorial that I'd been waiting for for days. The finalization. The proof that he is really dead.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a boo-hooer and I don't cry over sad situations that don't involve me. Not movies, not celebrity lives.

So, I had my mom on the phone and we sat and watched as the casket was brought in, as Mariah sang, as Queen Latifah spoke. I laughed myself silly when Stevie Wonder came out and my mom couldn't help cracking jokes about his receding dread-line, saying that he needs to have a weave put up front.
So many times she and I repeated the same thing, "Uhm uhm uhmm, I just can't believe it." I told her she sounded like the old ladies in church. She said I was doing the same thing.

I shook my head in sorrow when Brooke Shields spoke of their childhood together and gave Michael a real face, made him into a real person as she spoke of how funny he was and how much he loved to laugh.

Then Usher sang....... and I felt tears fall. I thought I wouldn't because as I said, I don't cry. I ain't no PUNK! But there were those pesky tears and when Usher started to cry more seemed to fall.

I have been sorrowful for the world's loss and for his family's loss and for his kids' loss since the moment his death was confirmed on CNN and it was CNN that I watched as his daughter took the mic and cried for the loss of MJ, making tears really start flowing down my face.

Can you imagine being Michael Jackson? Can you imagine the kind of life he must have had completely missing out on childhood, always being criticized and scrutinized by the media, living in a glass house? He seemed so much like a kid still himself and he just wanted to world to leave him alone and love him for what he loved the most.

He was just a man, and a friend of mine wrote on Facebook today: Regardless of any of MJs indiscretions, he is still only a MAN, human & with error. Continue to celebrate his life and make this world a better place for you and the entire human race.

Well Spoken. He will truly be missed but his legacy will live within us forever.