Monday, December 06, 2004

It's Almost Over

We leave in two days to head to Basic Training Graduation...and I thought high school graduation was exciting, HA! Sprout has passed every test they have thrown at him with flying colors. My pride is bursting at the seams. We expected a call yesterday (Sunday is the normal "call-home" day) but when it didn't come, I began to worry. The Good Lord is testing my patience. All day today I was antsy wondering why he didn't call. Is he hurt? Did he go postal during the last field training exercise after eating one-too-many MRE's? What? Why didn't he call? I even thought that maybe his platoon didn't do so good and was being punished. I was to the point of calling his company to find out if he would graduate or not. Boy, he woulda loved that. But finally, late today he called his sweetheart. She immediately called me and now I can finally sleep well again.

He said he had met all his requirements and was ready to graduate. He said it rained during the campout and was cold but he survived it. He also said that the drill sergeants have suddenly turned back into the monsters they were during the first couple of weeks, screaming and yelling a lot. And I was right, it was the drill sergeants messing with their minds yesterday not letting them call home. But he is done, and in a few days he will come home for Christmas and it will be a joyous Christmas. This will be the first year I think that I have had something really good to look forward to at Christmas. A REAL reason to be thankful.

It's funny...six months ago Dad and I were the two dorkiest people on Earth. Now, Sprout can't wait to see us. All of the sudden he misses these two old dorks. Well, maybe we are dorks, but we are his dorks and he is our soldier and he has done a most honorable thing. I have more respect for this child than I do for most men I know. And I will never call him "baby" again. He is a man and I am a most proud mother.

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