snapped olive branch~

[penelope]

I think Fireman are amazing,I could never rush into a burning home,I rented Backdraft once,good movie~how they manuver with all the gear on in those conditions~when my son was in bootcamp,he couldn't have anything but mail,so when one kid somehow got gum they were all geeked,but affraid to chew it...lol if one gets into trouble,the whole platoon is in trouble,my ds would say SEND NOTHING,PLEASE NOTHING!! haha poohs right,alot of chapstick,and foot powder for athletes feet:) when my ds came home once with gear,we were like WTH!! we thought something died in the house..lol his boots!! if kids are in basic training or bootcamp,you can also check with a local recruiters office,they have all the info,just don't get conned into enlisting:)

[Pooh]

They are amazing.  My DH was the youngest Fireman in our area back in the 80's.  He joined at 14.  Of course now, that's not allowed, they can be "explorers" but insurance will not allow anyone under 18 to actually do anything but observe.  But in the 80's, they could.  He tells me stories until I am crying about how he was the only kid allowed to have a pager in class, and when it went off, he got to leave.  But the funniest thing is when they had a fire at night, his Mommy had to drive him!  ROLFL

Then he decided around 20 he wanted to be an EMT.  So he went to school and switched over, doing that for a few years.  He never really liked doing that so he then went into Law Enforcement where he has been for 18 years now.   He said when he was Fireman and an EMT, he was constantly thanked, now it's a rarity, but he says he finds it the most mentally rewarding.

[penelope]

well,please tell him I said THANK YOU~ love that mommy drove him to the fire..lmao!! just like my ds and buddies having mommy pick them up from the bar!!! I was chatten with ys the other day about something,he said I'm almost 17,I said why is it you guys say don't treat us like babies but then you ask me to do stuff? I said I'm confused,he smiled and said I love you mom,we wanna be babied on some things,it makes us feel good:) WHAT?!?!?!?! okay,how does baby like the feel of the back of my hand!!! hahaha I love how you said in a post he got his butt spanked,my 2 older ds got spanked when they were growing up,the ys once,he thought the world had come to an end,not beat,spanked!! hahaha I think he's always been so good becouse no one to fight with,big age gap between him and his bros:) as for career in med field,I give them all credit,I could never do it,nope,never,I quit working at our store,being a vegetarian and seeing all the blood and the smells of meat was a nightmare:b i could not imagine having to help a person and not freak out~or chasing a bad guy and when catching him not letting mom mode kick in and giving a huge beat down!!! I'm almost always calm,happy go lucky,but when I snap...look out!! lol

[Pooh]

OMG!  A vegetarian working in a store with meat?  Oh lol....that had to be a nightmare!  Oh, both of my boys were spanked.  Luckily, it was nothing more than a butt swat when they were little, and maybe 3 or 4 good spankings when they were a little older.  After that, I didn't have to.  Just knowing I would was enough to keep them from doing too much.  But when I was little, my Mother says I was....I believe the nice word was "holy terror" and I remember having to walk to the same snowball bush my Mom did as a child and get a switch.  Longest walk of my life and I learned quickly to pick the bigger round ones, cause the thin ones hurt like the dickens.  I was obviously a slow learner, because I remember many, many spankings when I was about 8 and below.  I don't remember any after that, but I was a nightmare child.  Mischievious, sneaky and always into something, with a Grandpa that put me up to no good.  Good times!

[Pooh]

Sorry Courtney, but I don't know the offical answer to that.  I have always asked my YS for someone in his class that isn't receiving anything and he gives me their name.  And I now include extra "goodies" for him to share in care boxes.  I don't write as much as I used to, right now, because I can call or text him now, just couldn't during basic.

Since you don't know anyone in there personally, I would call your local Armory, USO, Base or Recruiting office and ask them about who to ask or contact.  If you don't have a local base, most of them have a website now with phone numbers to their "Soldier Relations" departments.  They could probably advise you of who to contact or reputable groups.

Thank you so much for thinking about all of them!

[penelope]

oh pooh,we are so much alike,I lived with an aunt and uncle for a few years,she would make us pick weeping willow tree switches,becouse when they hit your legs they wrapped around it,,,,ouch! between her kids and my siblings and I we had 8,when 1 did something bad and she didn't know who it was she whipped all 8 of us,so when the rest of us found out who the bad one was,we kids handed out the second beating!!! by the time I was 16 I was like ADIOS!! lol Courtney,due to security reasons I'm not sure anyone will give you an address, you can contact a chaplin who will forward the package for you,or most all states have a Blue Star Mom chapter,if you get the letters to them,they will put them in carepackages,try the places pooh suggested to,I wouldn't take the last letter personal~who knows what his situation was,I'm sure he appreciatedit,after going thru what these guys do,things are dif for them when they return,what may be a big deal to us is so petty to them,my son described Afghan and Iraq like going back in biblical times,he said it's unreal,we can't even begin to imagine unless we are there~Pooh,yep,the meat smell was gross....and I'm married to a meat man!!!! talk about opposites attrack:b and I'm 5'2" tall and he's 6'4" tall,and all my ds are over 6' hahaha they have to reach down bowls and stuff for me from the top shelf...lol

[Pooh]

Ha ha!  We are alot alike.  My DH was a closet vegetarian when we met.  He grew up completely vegetarian, but in his 20's, discovered he liked hamburgers and steaks.  So he would sneak and eat them.  Now I have corrupted him completely because I am a carnavore.  Ok, not completely...he still will not touch anything pork.  But his entire family is vegetarian, and when we go there, I take vegetarian dishes.  When we got out to eat with them, I will order meat, and they do not mind, but my DH will not!  That's why I call him closet vegetarian.  His family knows he eats meat, but as long as he doesn't do it in front of them, in his mind, they don't know...Lol.

[luise.volta]

We are omnivores.    And with his parents your DH is a Vegetarian Chicken. 

[Pen]

Good one!

[penelope]

Luise thats funny:)

[Pooh]

Ha ha ha....good one!  I will have to call him that soon!!!!

[LaurieS]

Laurie, you are right about Law Enforcement.  Very rarely do they get thanked.  My DH always says, "Everyone loves a Fireman."   

Except a cop

[Pooh]

Laurie, you are right about Law Enforcement.  Very rarely do they get thanked.  My DH always says, "Everyone loves a Fireman."   

Except a cop

Hee...except Cops that haven't been Firemen

[Rose799]

Thanks for all the suggestions on how to help the troops!  Below are a couple websites that may be helpful also.

To send letters:
http://www.opgratitude.com/from_iraq.php

You can also contribute by signing this petition.  I got the website after hearing the story on MSNBC earlier today.
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6676/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5226

[penelope]

well,the DIL leaves in a few hours,still no contact about the bills or clothes..posted I have my stuff,jerky and ipod,all I need,time to hit the road. I am an awe,how do you not think of your dh things,it's not vacation,your moving.