tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68005475881468179352012-01-29T13:58:38.519-05:00military. family. lifeMom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125blogspot/UOYVhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-19857574422767793242012-01-24T15:23:00.007-05:002012-01-24T15:37:34.959-05:002012-01-24T15:37:34.959-05:00

Notoriously, military spouses get asked: How do you do it? "It" is: deployments, moving, reintegrating, deployments and moving. And parenting through it all. As I was driving my daughter to preschool (because all of my great thoughts come when I'm driving and can't write anything down) I asked myself: How do we do it? My first thought was: help. Coming in the form of relatives and friends.

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-48885237300790793922012-01-24T14:33:00.000-05:002012-01-24T14:33:06.963-05:002012-01-24T14:33:06.963-05:00

One of the great things about being a freelance writer is that I get to write about topics I'm interested in as a military spouse. Two issues on my mind for a long time were: eldercare and buying a house. I have an awesome editor at AmeriForce magazines who asked me to explore these topics more in two articles in their latest Finance Guide. Debunking House Buying Myths (PDF) and Caring From a

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-75933460053205882172012-01-05T16:00:00.002-05:002012-01-05T20:44:03.332-05:002012-01-05T20:44:03.332-05:00

Awhile back I was pontificating on Twitter: I wish someone would have told me as a young #milspouse how small the military world would eventually get... That got me thinking: what else did I wish I had known as a young (er) military spouse? Well, to start: Sometimes 'ya just got to smile and nod: Truth is, not everyone wants your opinion. And sometimes, even when they ask you what your opinion

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-7186991592695099262011-12-01T00:24:00.001-05:002011-12-01T00:26:18.309-05:002011-12-01T00:26:18.309-05:00

Some kids leave notes under the tree asking Santa for the biggest toy they can dream of.... ...military kids leave notes under the tree asking Santa for the best present they could ever imagine.

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-22172225207074563552011-11-16T23:22:00.002-05:002011-11-16T23:45:08.429-05:002011-11-16T23:45:08.429-05:00

There is one word that I have a love/hate relationship with when it comes to military life: Resilient For some people, this word is synonymous with "military spouse," "military families," and "military children." Why do I have a problem with this word? I think my biggest issue is that I feel it diminishes all of the struggling people. The people who buckle under the weight of the cycles of

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-73627286962593643972011-11-08T15:50:00.004-05:002011-11-08T16:08:07.039-05:002011-11-08T16:08:07.039-05:00

Looking for a simple project for your community or school group?Or maybe you are searching for a way to thank service members this holiday season...  The American Red Cross is encouraging Americans to send a “touch of home” to U.S. service members through Holiday Mail for Heroes. Americans can send messages of cheer and appreciation between now and Friday, December 9. The Red Cross and program

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-31007849548513202962011-10-20T19:47:00.000-04:002011-10-20T19:47:41.597-04:002011-10-20T19:47:41.597-04:00

Yesterday, I had my hair cut. No, I had my hair shampooed, conditioned, treated, massaged, cut, blown-out and straightened. Needless to say, a huge treat. An even bigger treat was my hairstylist. Since we're new to this Army town, I was on the search for a new stylist and, ignoring the advice of posters on Google, I tried this salon. My stylist, who I'm going to call M, was fabulous. We talked,

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-87651397073144570822011-10-07T16:37:00.005-04:002011-10-07T17:16:05.250-04:002011-10-07T17:16:05.250-04:00

During my husband's first deployment, I wrote a letter to the editor of our local newspaper. The letter spoke to my outrage over Cindy Sheehan's use of crosses with soldier's names on them as part of her demonstrations against the war. My issue: that the crosses made the dead soldiers unwilling protesters on her behalf. At the time, I felt it was important for me not to mention that my husband

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-10422344069098624822011-09-20T16:27:00.003-04:002011-09-20T17:00:52.633-04:002011-09-20T17:00:52.633-04:00

In the last couple of years, changes were made to the reimbursement process for damaged goods for PCS moves for active duty military to Full Replacement Value instead of Depreciated Value. Since then, I moved. And read the small print: ...full replacement value of destroyed* (the repair cost exceeds the replacement cost) or lost** items. *a term that can be defined by someone other than you**

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-46992971721342679762011-09-13T22:35:00.004-04:002011-09-13T22:50:40.863-04:002011-09-13T22:50:40.863-04:00

(photo credit: USO/Fred Greaves) Sesame Street characters have become trusted friends to millions of young children who watch them on television. And what I have always loved about the program is the diversity of the characters who appear on the show. So I was thrilled to learn that Sesame Street has introduced a new friend named Katie who is a military child. Why is she an important new

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-82065007138584764602011-09-13T16:54:00.002-04:002011-09-13T17:10:37.741-04:002011-09-13T17:10:37.741-04:00

There is one fuzzy little red character who all three of my children have enjoyed growing up with... Elmo of course! (photo credit: USO/Fred Greaves) For years, Elmo has been a staple in our house as each of my kids loved watching him over any other program when they were preschoolers. I always knew Elmo would ask good questions and give good answers on topics my kids wanted to know about. And

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-66329829975360696412011-09-13T00:24:00.002-04:002011-09-13T00:33:50.678-04:002011-09-13T00:33:50.678-04:00

For many, 9/11 is history. For military families, 9/11 was the first day of many... Unlike many Americans, 9/11’s impact, with resulting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has radically reshaped soldiers’ lives. They’ve wrestled with repeated, yearlong deployments that have made family separations, casualties and lasting trauma daily parts of life. For troops on duty during the events of Sept. 11,

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-10309970732106531822011-08-29T13:49:00.001-04:002011-08-29T13:51:16.725-04:002011-08-29T13:51:16.725-04:00

When talking about a soldier reuniting with his family on his return from Afghanistan, the reporter on CNN uttered those words military spouses cringe at hearing: "...and he will be coming home for good." Maybe there is some confusion. Deployment is not like a punch-card - once you've paid, well, it doesn't entitle you to a free sub sandwich or a "get out of the next deployment" free card. If

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-36490255507446252002011-08-15T16:43:00.003-04:002011-08-15T16:59:35.116-04:002011-08-15T16:59:35.116-04:00

If you're reading thisHalf way around the worldI won't be there to see the birth of our little girl... Tim McGraw, If You're Reading This....... A deployment isn't over until you are holding your soldier. Then you start what is called: Reintegration. But between redeployment and reintegration is a small space of time: when you know your soldier is out of the war zone and waiting for a ride back

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-23110032996772433482011-08-03T16:58:00.005-04:002011-08-03T19:41:45.372-04:002011-08-03T19:41:45.372-04:00

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since I wrote this post: After Goodbye. When I wrote it, my family lived in New York and my husband had made his last visit back from Fort Campbell before he left for a year long deployment. So, what happened "after goodbye?" 3 kids threw up. A lot. I broke my toe. I got strep throat. They got strep throat. More throw up. I wrote a lot of articles.

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-51161593201929947032011-07-27T09:00:00.024-04:002011-07-27T17:40:53.743-04:002011-07-27T17:40:53.743-04:00

How should the military share the burden of solving the American debt crisis? In some people's minds, even thinking this statement is absurd. Haven't service members had enough on their plates? They do not need to "share the burden" of solving this crisis. (I'm talking benefits not bombers). But wait. No one should be exempt from the discussion. Everyone can make a valid argument as to why their

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-50072226490447462112011-07-02T14:02:00.004-04:002011-07-05T21:23:03.242-04:002011-07-05T21:23:03.242-04:00

Everyone has an opinion on what is important when it comes to programs and policies regarding military families. And while the recent initiatives to support military families are making headway that is appreciated by many, I see some simple changes that could solve important issues that face many families in our community. Once such simple change is the current policy on condolence letters that

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-54917035526596629332011-06-19T21:06:00.004-04:002011-06-19T21:24:28.135-04:002011-06-19T21:24:28.135-04:00

Tonight, there is a lot I could write about regarding military life. The one year anniversary of my husband heading off for his deployment. Our upcoming move that I am doing without him. The fact that I worry about the lack of good nutrition in my house over the past few months (because of the deployment and the move) launching me into a new round of deployment mommy guilt*. *A discussion with

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-59393185310174137582011-06-15T07:54:00.003-04:002011-06-15T08:15:39.196-04:002011-06-15T08:15:39.196-04:00

Mom of Brats accepts books that focus on the military or military life for review. Books will be reviewed by Nancy B., military spouse and avid reader, for the site. Not all books will be accepted for review. *** Alice Bliss (author: Laura Harrington) This book took me places I didn't want to go. When I look for leisure entertainment, I usually look for fluff: no Jodi Picoult for me. In fact,

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-8612058051146376592011-06-11T22:23:00.001-04:002011-06-11T22:26:02.121-04:002011-06-11T22:26:02.121-04:00

Happy Anniversary to my husband... 

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-37306265755041946672011-06-05T22:27:00.004-04:002011-06-05T22:43:39.280-04:002011-06-05T22:43:39.280-04:00

I have a few rules when it comes to moving. One of them is: if I haven't opened the box since the last move, it's probably time to get rid of the stuff in it. Another rule: before I move, I try to go through all of our stuff so I don't move things that should just be thrown out. So when I heard about SargesList, I was interested to learn more...and I asked them a few questions that I'm going to

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-34714181690414819482011-06-02T23:07:00.000-04:002011-06-02T23:07:05.696-04:002011-06-02T23:07:05.696-04:00

It's been awhile since I took a look around the blogosphere about the state of military housing. So let's see what's been going on: Housing Health Toxic Waste Cleaned Up At Army Housing ProjectSpecial Assignment: Mold at Fort Gordon? Part 2 Army's tests on Bragg housing don't sway mothers of dead children General housing/BAH news Housing allowance deficit impacts Fort DrumMilitary Housing

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-73359616761325220922011-05-30T16:21:00.003-04:002011-05-30T16:31:59.872-04:002011-05-30T16:31:59.872-04:00

Today there are people driving by my house. Really slow. They usually have a clipboard with a sheet of paper attached and they are scribbling on it. They are writing stuff about my house. How it looks? How many kids seem to be in the neighborhood? Is there construction? What does the backyard look like? Is there room for "their" dog? Around the globe many people are in the process of "picking"

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-30942217344064333762011-05-27T23:20:00.003-04:002011-05-27T23:35:23.966-04:002011-05-27T23:35:23.966-04:00

Memorial Day is a day when Americans are supposed to remember those men and women who lost their lives while they served in the military. And, to quote Forrest Gump, that's all I have to say about that... There is a group of Americans who never forget the true meaning of Memorial Day...our veterans. They are the ones who came home when their friends did not. One group of veterans that witnessed

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6800547588146817935.post-29080611219525668022011-05-25T13:01:00.002-04:002011-05-25T13:04:34.602-04:002011-05-25T13:04:34.602-04:00

As part of an ongoing effort to better serve the military community, the American Red Cross announced that it will move to a single telephone number for its emergency communication services.   Beginning June 13, 2011, at 8:00 a.m. EDT, all military members and their families can use one number- 877-272-7337 (U.S. Toll Free) to send an urgent message to a service member. FOR MORE INFORMATION on

Mom Of Bratshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838590325861871593noreply@blogger.com0