You Know You Are a Marine Mom When...

DAY 11
I did not get to speak to Jerod last night (Monday night) but he did post a note on my facebook wall. So by judging his request, he is doing just fine at the present moment. I will take any communication I can get, but I am glad I did not stay up and wait for that green dot as it did not show up til 3am. Not in an update mood tonight so please enjoy the following as I have highlighted what I have actually done to give you a good laugh..


You Know You Are a Marine Mom When... 

- Your last good nights sleep was six months before he left for bootcamp. 

- You have finally resigned yourself to the fact that Marine mail is delivered seasonally rather than daily. 

- Your Marine gives 'you' ironing tips. 

- Your Marine's version of pneumonia is, "It's just a cold, I'm fine." 

- You realize the Marine Corps cure-all is Motrin. 

- The mere word 'deployment' has you on the phone refilling your Xanax.

- You can't quite figure out what non-Marine mother's worry about. 

- You finally realize Drill Instructors are not the Anti-Christ and more like our heroes.
 
- You've mailed at least a few packages that have been on around-the-world tours.
 
- You forgot there were TV stations other than Fox News. 

- You find yourself bragging to friends about your Marines accuracy with an M-16. 

- You will get in a high speed chase just to catch up with someone's Marine Corps bumper sticker. 

- When everything in your closet has Marine Mom on it and if it doesn't, you put pin and yellow ribbons on it. 

- When you recognize the haircut and ask if you can have a hug because your son is deployed. 

- Someone says to you, "My son has a high ASVAB and a great GP, so after he leaves for PI for CLJ and finishes his MOS at the SOI he is going to try for MSG", and it makes sense to you. 

- When you don't mind watching military movies even though you hated them growing up. 

- You tell your nephews (and husband in my case), that they need a "high and tight".
 
- You and your husband buy a 'good' flagpole for the front yard for Chirstmas and fly the American flag and the USMC flag 24/7. lighted and money is no object.
 
- You buy cadence CDs and listen to them when you power walk. 

- Your family and friends always start conversations with "How are the boys?" 

- You make sure to get up early to watch the Rose Bowl Parade so you can see the Marine Corps Band. 

- You tear up everytime you see someone in uniform. 

- When you have no small children, but you serach toy stores for Marine G.I. Joes, and buy them. 

- When the post office personnel know you by your first name. 

- When your son is in Afghanistan and you dial his cell phone so you can hear his voice on his outgoing message. 

- When you always know what time it is in Afghanistan, Iraq, Okinawa, or Hawaii. 

- Your son has the ability to iron his own shirt,... while he is wearing it! 

- You don't mind the long lines at the post office because you are NOT leaving until you get that care package mailed to your Marine. 

- You BEG his life-long best friend to do a "Derek impression" and then everyone eats Derek's favorite foods. 

- When the phone rings, you don't answer it unless the caller ID shows it is your Marine and then you run over husband, cats, dogs, small children and little old ladies to answer the phone, no matter what injuries any of them sustain in the process. 

- You purchase Marine shirts for sons, daughters, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. 

- You have a bad day at work and your co-workers serande you the with the Marine Hymn and give you a red rose and the whole office is crying. 

- Your son, who had such a messy room growing up that it was a health hazard, informs you on a visit home that you flunked inspection because of a little dust.
 
- When your Marine calls YOU for information because he knows you'll get it from the other mom's online. 

- When watching the West Wing, you care nothing about the plot, you are just peering closely to see the Marines in Dress Blues at the White House. 

- You are mopping the kitchen floor and your sons walks in and says, "You call that cleaning?" 

- You have a Blue Star Banner proudly displayed in your picture window. 

- You search military websites for any news of where your son might be or has been. 

- Your email has the Iwo Jima background, an animated American Flag, a "We Support Our Troops" yellow ribbon icon, and plays the Marine Hymn in a continuous loop. 

- When you try to read aloud to others the "You Know You Are A Marine Mom When"... list you can't becasue of the lump in your throat and the tears in your eyes. 

- You taped the Marine's Toys for Tots commercial where the little boy tells the Marine, "You really are Santa Claus" and you cry every time you see it.