I can finally hold my diploma!

Today I received something very exciting in the mail: my diploma from the University of Maryland University College with the words "Master in Business Administration" printed on it! I was SOOO excited! I completed the program in December, and have been waiting since then for it to be "official" with the diploma. Now I can truly breathe a sigh of relief-- I'm DONE! Not done with learning, of course, but done with formal education, at least for many years. I like school and love learning, so I'm open to pursuing a Ph.D... someday. If I have a reason to. Right now I am just basking in the fact that I finally completed my Master's, and am a lot more employable than before!
I signed up for the program 3 years ago, when I was pregnant with my 1st child. Now, 3 years later, and on the 3rd pregnancy, what a journey it has been! I chose the University of Maryland on-line program because of the school's strong reputation, and the convenience of classes. Honestly, I had planned to pursue a Master's in Education, because I wanted to teach high school students. But 2 things changed my mind. 1) I started working with high schoolers at church, and it was exhausting! 2) even with a B.A. in English, the new program wanted me to take several undergrad literature courses to align with their degree, and I was not willing to invest an additional year and the money to meet those requirements. Business Administration seemed more likely to get me a job down the road, and since I was already working in an office setting, it would have been a great transition. Unfortunately we moved (my husband got a new duty station) after only 3 classes. Then there was a pregnancy, then a deployment, now another pregnancy and another deployment! So it will be at least a year before I look for a job. We will probably wait until at least the 2 oldest are in school before I can be serious about a career. So it's not a decision I have to make now, and I can relax a bit knowing the degree is completed and available for my resume whenever/if ever I need it.

The best part is, we did not have to take out any loans to fund this. I want my followers to know about some education options available to them, because it can make a HUGE difference. First, many employers will match or completely cover costs for "job-related educational classes." I was working as a secretary at Northrop Grumman, but they paid $8,000 for 2 of my classes, in the hopes that I could transition into lower-level management in a few years. All I had to do was ask! When I became a stay-at-home mom, we had to look at scholarship options. The military has many great awards you can apply to. Most require an essay and some recommendations, which can be a hassle, but could be worth $1,000. There is also a great military program called MyCAA, which covers $6,000 in educational expenses for military spouses. The program was new last year, and is currently under DOD review, so there may be some changes coming up. But it covered another 1.5 of my classes at a time we really needed it. The rest we had to scrounge up out of pocket. Not easy, and it drained our savings, but it was worth it! Now instead of saving for my education, we can focus on saving for the kids! What a great day!

My Mom Groups

Moving to a new area is hard, whether you do it with or without kids. When we moved from Quantico to Camp Lejeune, it was the first time since college I was in a place where I didn't know anyone. Now, 2 years later, I have two different groups of friends who have helped me feel moved in and settled, like this is actually home.

First, I have the friends I have made through our local play group. I went to a site called Meetup.org, which has a list of Meetup groups throughout the country. There were several Mom's groups listed in my area, for parents of 1-4 year olds. So I contacted one group, became a member, and started attending events shortly after we moved here. The group is called Mamas and Munchkins of Camp Lejeune and Jacksonville. My daughter was only 9 months old, so she wasn't even walking, and certainly couldn't do the arts and crafts projects, but I still benefited from talking to moms with kids of other ages. The group had tons of ideas for field trips and cheap things to do in the area, and going to play dates at members' houses helped me learn my way around the new city. Now I can truly call some of them friends, and they are the ones I can call on if I ever need anything.

Recently, I have made friends with a new group of friends. I am Catholic and have always been very involved with my church. It was hard for me to move here and not know anyone at church. And I couldn't volunteer like I used to because of my kids. I realized that the church doesn't provide any childcare, which leaves out all the young parents and wives of deployed service-members. I contacted the priest asking if it was possible to start a young parents' group. He explained that because of all the scandals and lawsuits in recent years, the Church is now so sensitive to volunteers who work with children that all volunteers must have background checks and fingerprints. This means that a daycare is just too much of a liability for the church, even during Sunday Mass. But apparently, I wasn't the only mom who had contacted him about this issue. He sent an e-mail to about 6 moms who were all involved in the church, but hadn't met each other yet. He basically told us to meet and form our own group. So we started meeting weekly, and have since advertised and added several new members. We meet at each others' houses, so we can bring the babies with us to play. When the weather is nice, we put the kids in strollers and walk and pray together. Once a month we meet at church. We spend some time in a classroom together, and then go to Mass together too. These ladies are wonderful. It is encouraging to spend time with friends who share all the same religious beliefs. We talk about raising our children in faith-filled homes, the struggle of going to Mass with little ones, and anything else that is on our minds. I am so glad to have these friends who will encourage me through the next deployment!

While I have a few friends I have met through the Battalion and who I grew closer to during the deployment, the majority of my local friends are in these 2 groups. So for anyone else who is settling into a new place, I encourage you first to see what is available, and don't be afraid to start your own group!

The USO

Today we went to story time at the USO. You may think the USO exists only to provide care packages and concert entertainment to deployed military, but their centers are actually designed to provide outreach to military families too. There is a USO center near most major military bases, and they provide a variety of services. Ours hosts a lot of events for young children and families, since Jacksonville is over-run by little ones! Some are holiday events, like Thanksgiving and Christmas meals/parties. I think these are held in the large ballroom, which is where Sophia says Beauty and the Beast live. :-) Others are occasional events, like the free tickets to Sesame Street Live's deployment show. But story time is a weekly event. Every Tuesday at 10:30 AM they have a volunteer read from a new Little Golden Book in the cozy library room. Every child who attends gets their own book to take home! Afterward, they serve lunch. For $1, kids can get a hot dog or chicken nugget meal, with a juice box and a jello cup. The adult meals are discounted too. All 3 of us ate for $5.75 today! They also have a nice little playroom where the kids can hang out before and after lunch. There are plenty of books there, along with blocks and various donated toys. Adults can browse the table full of free donated novels and movies, too. We have gone a couple times now, and my kids always enjoy it. The only drawback is that parking is really limited. The USO in on the waterfront right behind the courthouse, and with all the construction downtown the courthouse patrons seems to overflow the local parking lots. But I encourage you to check out the USO as a good resource. The discounted lunch is available to anyone around 11 AM each day. Their lounge area with computers and internet is always available, and I think they will fax things for you, too. They also have ping pong tournaments if anyone else husband becomes addicted during a deployment, like mine did. :-) To find out all they offer, and to locate your local USO center, go to http://www.uso.org/
Let me know if anyone else has used the USO services!

How to do a Marine haircut yourself

Since Marines have to get a haircut every week, learning how to do it yourself is a great money-saving and time-saving tip, that can make Sundays go a little smoother for everyone. Like many Marine couples, we started considering this option shortly after we were married. The only problem? I had never used a pair of clippers, or cut anyone's hair. So of course my husband was hesitant to let me experiment on him! The first few tries did not go well. He described to me what the barber did. I followed his directions, but did NOT get the same results! He ended up with a line on the back of his head that earned him ridicule from his buddies for the next week. So I wasn't allowed to try again for a while. I tried to watch the barbers, and read about military haircuts online, but there were very few step-by-step directions. So, after a lot of reading and a few more experiments I finally figured it out, and have been cutting his hair for years now. Here's a guide for anyone who was in my shoes:
1. Start with a good pair of electric clippers. You don't need to get the most expensive ones, especially if you aren't sure how often you will use them. But you can't get good results with the cheapest models, and they won't last long enough to save you much money.
2. Start with the bare clipper, which is called 0. You are going to make a line around his head, from one ear to the other. Some guys like it just above their ear, others an inch or even 2 higher. It depends on whether they want a low-reg or high-reg cut. But there should be some kind of line visible from their last haircut. Follow this around and make sure it is even on both sides of the face. Everything below the line will be shaved bare with the 0. You now have a half-bald man. Congrats!
3. Put the #1 comb attachment on the clippers. Holding the clippers upright, you are going to start at the bald line, and go straight up. Don't follow the curve of his head, just go straight up into the air. This will not change the line, but will trim the hair on the upper sides of his head. Don't mess with the hair on top yet.
4. Fading is the hardest, but most important, part. Switch back to the 0. Again, start at the bald line, and move straight up into the air. Do NOT follow the curve of his head. Keep the clippers straight up and down. What you are doing is "erasing" the line by trimming the hairs closest to it the most, and then only slightly as you go higher up on his head. The area of the fade is about 2 inches wide. It's a little bit of an art form and will take some practice, but anyone can do it.
5. Finish the top. Each guy has his own preference for the top hairstyle, so I can tell you how to do this. If he has shorter hair, he may want you to buzz the whole top with a #3 or #4. If he has longer hair that he actually combs, you will need to use scissors to trim. You probably don't have to do this every week. My husband lets his grow out for a month or 2, with me just trimming the sides, and then goes occasionally to the barber to get the top trimmed and shaped.
I really hope this is helpful to someone! Let me know if you try it!

Childcare options in Jacksonville

The disadvantage of being stationed so far away from family is that there is no one to turn to in emergency situations. I am solely responsible for our 2, soon to be 3, kids while my husband is at work. If something happened to me, I honestly don't know who I would call to prevent the kids from riding the ambulance with me. There is no fallback support system.

Typically, the kids go with me wherever I go. I have gotten to used to going grocery shopping and to doctor's visits with both of them in tow. And we love any service that has a drive-through window! The bank, the dry cleaner, even the local Subway-- those windows are a time-saver and a life-saver! But sometimes children simply aren't allowed to accompany me, and that's when I have to get creative.

My favorite childcare option in Jacksonville is the PEERS Family Development Center. It is part of the Onslow County Social services. They offer free childcare 1 morning per week on either Monday, Wednesday, or Friday from 9 AM- 1 PM. If is a little tricky to get on the schedule, since it is first-come, first-served. The schedule opens 2 weeks in advance, and you have to call the morning it opens to get a reservation. Their number is 910-455-4145. But once you're in, it's great! They have an infant room and a toddler room (up to age 5) all run by trained social workers. You pack your child's lunch, and then they will supervise them eating it. If you have an appointment, you can try to work it around that schedule, or you can just use it to get a break 1 morning a week, which is what I do with my 2-year-old daughter.

However, as wonderful as PEERS is, they have left me in a bit of a pickle this morning. The social worker for the toddler room got sick, so they had to cancel us. I am supposed to go to the dentist in a few hours, ideally without children. There is a "drop-in" childcare center on base, but they are almost always filled a week in advance. Also, they are $3 an hour per child, so when I am leaving both it adds up quickly! But they are a nice facility, right next to the PX. Plus they provide all the meals, so you don't have to pack anything! Their number is 910-451-1220, and I strongly encourage making a reservation in advance.

Thankfully, this morning just got a little easier. I had already arranged for my friend to watch Danny, my 1-year-old. When I told her about Sophia's cancellation, she said she would be happy to watch her too! So now I just have to pack their lunches and take them to her house. Then it is off to the dentist for me! I think I really need to find more friends who are comfortable watching my kids. I always feel bad asking people to watch both at once, but that really limits me. Does anyone else have good childcare solutions, in or out of the Jacksonville area?