This has been a week that I know someday will storm my memory bank, take me by surprise, and leave me with a deep, heavy sigh. After a week off from work for a well deserved vacation, Tuesday found me back in the office and DS at his first day of 7th grade. I had so many phone calls while on vacation that DS finally took my phone away and turned it off with a stern reminder that "we're on vacation", but I had already received word that my office would be moving to the Headquarters on Tuesday. I knew I would be overwhelmed with packing, moving and trying to conduct operations and for the first time in 8 years, I didn't take DS to school on his first day. He said he understood but I could hear the disappointment at the base of his words and felt a stab of regret at breaking our tradition. He survived the first day, and I survived the 12 hours of packing up the office and moving to my new office on the 3rd floor...an office with a view! And AC! Phones haven't been transfered yet and I can't help but enjoy the solitude. It will be short lived, I'm sure. I managed to unpack the necessities but there are still 25 boxes of files to deal with, pictures and plaques to hang, and boxes of old mementos to haul home and retire to the attic. The new office is smaller so I'm forced to downsize...it was hard trying to weed through all the stuff, trying to decide what held the most value to me, what I really wanted to display, what statement they made. I've decided that the office should be professional but still have a touch of whimsy that defines who I am. All my awards will be packed up, I am not defined by those words. Instead, I've decided to frame the unit t-shirts I've been given, many which are works of art, and display them. My Iron Mike statue which is an award of sorts will share the spotlight with the GI Joe given to me by a unit, and the Knight in Shining Armor, given to me by my DS. Professional, yet whimsical. That's me. This week also found me in the company of my dear friend who returned from Italy last August. While we've stayed in contact over the past 3 years, I needed the distance between us to dissect every minute detail of my emotions in regards to him. It hurt when he left, there was a void that I never thought would be filled. As I dissected, I decided what I felt was an infatuation with him, and that left me with 2 options. I could let myself be infatuated and possibly scar a long term friendship, or I could grow up and understand that true friendship is priceless. Where I thought a void existed, I suddenly saw that it was just my imagination, if I had looked hard enough I would have seen that his friendship never waivered and he never really left me. It was ok, I was ok. This week was wonderful, we spent a lot of time talking until the wee hours of the morning, we laughed, I cried, we went to dinner, he brought breakfast to my office, we shared secrets, we had intelligent adult conversations, we dreamed and planned our futures...it was like old times, except I didn't feel that tug on my heart strings like I did before. He left around noon today to head home but at 5 pm my phone rang, he called to remind me it was Friday and I shouldn't work late. As we talked, retreat sounded and I watched the flag retire for the night and was suddenly filled with such a warm, happy feeling...everything just felt right, life was good. Reality hit me on the drive home...this is what love feels like! Not being in love, we're definitely not in love with each other, but we do love each other. It's an easy love, a comfortable love, perhaps even an unconditional love. Most of all, it's the kind of love I need in my life right now. Although I'm exhausted from all the late nights, for the first time in a long time I can honestly say that I'm truly happy. I know that some day, when I least expect it, this memory will storm my memory bank and I'll heave a big sigh of happiness. Maryanne

Loved reading this! Only had a son, but raising him was tough enough, esp. from age 19 - 23. The Navy was the answer to my prayers and he is now a wonderful father to 3 kids. A friend said the other day that she would rather raise a football team of boys rather than one girl! I have a granddaughter, so look forward to watching from the sidelines how that develops. Going to send this application to my son/daughter in law. Thanks for the laugh! Glad my father didn't have that - he would have used it! Judith

I'm just stopping by to check out and say CONGRATS to the winners and wanted to say 'hi' as well. DH and I went down to NOLA last Thursday to celebrate Mardi Gras with family. Now we are trying to re-adjust getting back to reality... hahaha. Saw lots of parades; donned wild and crazy wigs, hairpieces, and facepaint; caught plenty of beads; and laughed whole-heartedly many, many times. I always say that my Mardi Gras is complete so long as I catch some doubloons, a beer koozie, and a strand of the elusive glass beads. There's just something about the good-natured silliness of Mardi Gras that really makes me laugh. This post was edited by kchd on Wed, Mar 5, 14 at 22:24

My DIL is pregnant and has settled on a very trendy name. I loathe trendy, but it's not my choice. We used all family names for our kids, and I've suggested a few names that we had't used, but I know it's up to them. One thing I wish these girls would consider today is that lots of these trendy names, which sound like last names, or place names are being used more and more for little girls, and little boys very much dislike having a name the same as a girl. I know from whence I speak as I teach in an elementary school. I had a professor in college named Taffy XXXXXX, PhD. I'm sure when those parents looked at little bundle o' joy Taffy that no one envisioned her being a quite stern and serious professor. Long ago, someone told me that good checks for names are 1. yell it out the back door to see if it sounds right. 2. Say, "my BIL (name) or my SIL (name) are going to go fishing with me this weekend." 3. Say " Presenting the Pres. Of the United States XXXXX" or "Nominated to the Supreme Court is Judge XXXXX." All of these tests should help one decide if you've chosen a name that will serve your shild well wherever he goes in life. The other thing to consider is that if you name your child what everyone else is there will be many in his/her class with the same name. Right now in second grade, we have so many Bens that several have to go by their first and last name because they have the same initials. Naming a child is such a heady responsibility. As MIL, I need to keep quiet, though.