Page 1 of 16
Shore Duty
By Sarah Smiley
Summer Plans Hit a Bump
Yes, our summer has hit a bump in the road. But Lindell's foot will heal. He will be running and playing by September. With this perspective in mind, I know we can manage the next 8 weeks.The Modern Military Wife's Dilemma
The truth is that more times than not, being a military wife involves hard work and sacrifice, and very few rewards (the tangible, selfish kind). And yet most military wives will tell you that they love the military and its lifestyle.Wanted: One Immortal Coffee Mug
Add a ceramic coffee mug with a poorly printed image of the Padres' stadium in San Diego, Ca. to the list of things that have almost destroyed our family.Who's in Favor of Year-Round School?
Last Monday I went to the grocery store, as I always do, to stock up on food for the week. By noon on Tuesday, most of what I had bought was gone. It is officially summer. If you need me, I will either be restocking the pantry or drying pool towels.Ford and Owen's "Divorce"
For reasons I don't fully understand myself yet, I decided that it is time for Ford to have his own room, and to move our youngest son, Lindell, 3, into the room with Owen. Ford, who will be 10 years old in November, is (outwardly) thrilled at the opportunity. Owen isn't taking it so well.A Military Wife's Perspective of Memorial Day
For all the times I got frustrated about being a "single" parent, I knew that my husband was several time zones away, wishing more than anything that he could play with the boys in the backyard or take them for a walk while I went to the grocery store.White Beaches Treasure of Panhandle
The Panhandle isn't Disney World, but its beaches are a national treasure in their own right. For anyone who has not experienced this untouched, naturally beautiful side of Florida, I pray that BP's oil spill stays at bay, and that the Gulf's beaches remain forever white.One Family's Happiness is Another Family's Sorrow
This is the cruel irony of the military. One person's homecoming is another person's departure. One family's happiness is another family's sorrow. One ship returns to port; another ship leaves. Good news and bad news come in alternating waves, and eventually, they touch all military families.Mothers Don't Have Favorites
It's been brought to my attention by several sources (none of them Owen or Lindell) that I write about Ford more than I write about my other two boys. I'd like to correct that today.Kids' Baseball: Holding Close, Letting Them Go
Four years ago, I wrote a column about Ford, then 5-years old, playing baseball. A year later, still in Florida, I followed up "Lessons from the Dugout" with "Not an Easy Out," the story of me getting into a fight with a coach. Last year, now in Bangor, Maine, I thought I was past all of this, past the emotions of baseball.Lindell and Friend: Old Men Muppets
By all outward appearances, they seem to have known each other since the beginning of time. A friend compares the duo to the old men muppets on Sesame Street.Zucchini Plant Horror
Zucchini plants and I go way back to last year, when I first learned to garden. They are such innocent looking seeds--flat and oval like the familiar pumpkin seed. But out of this deceptive, smooth exterior springs one of nature's most angry and aggressive plants.What Kids Say
As the children get older and venture out on their own, mothers become even more paranoid about accidentally overhearing things they were better off not knowing.Accepting the Name You're Given
Dustin and I have never doubted our choice about Ford's name. So it came as a surprise last week when Ford said, quite vehemently, that he hates his name.An Email from My Son
As I was driving to the grocery store the other night, my iPhone, tucked in my pants pocket, vibrated. I had just received an email. On the screen, in bold letters--the universal sign for unread mail--was my son's name: Ford Smiley.He Who Hesitates Dresses Like a Duck
My oldest son, Ford, 9, has always been an affable kid, but he isn't very fast. (Dustin swears Ford has the unusual talent to run in slow motion.) Ford is slow in all endeavors, from from putting on his shoes to running to first base. Yet he has a positive attitude that rivals most motivational speakers.If Only the Children Knew
Some humorous examples of the many things that parents do many things that their children don't see or can't understand until later.Kids Say the Darndest Things...in the Dark
An interesting thing happened during our family vacation in New Hampshire. First, it snowed. That's pretty interesting considering that this winter has seen very little snow in Maine. But more fascinating than the snow was my boys' response when asked, "What was your favorite part of this trip?" Their answer was unanimous: They liked our nights spent without power most of all.Alterations to Cabin in the Woods Song
When Sarah was a child and couldn't fall asleep, her grandmother, Doris, sang a song I called "the cabin in the woods song." When Sarah changed the words to be "less scary" for her own kids, Doris didn't react well.PR Woes for Military Spouse Education Opportunity
On February 16th, the DoD abruptly halted the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program for "review." What's worse, many in the program, of which there are nearly 100,000 spouses, didn't know MyCAA had been suspended until they read about it in the Navy Times two days later. Some participants didn't even know until they heard about it on Facebook.Page 1 of 16
