Do you feel "left behind?"

When your spouse deploys or goes "away" (i.e. TDY), do you feel as though your spouse "leaves you behind?"

This is a question for anyone who is willing to answer.  Something I was thinking about today and wondered what you all think.  There is a purpose to my question, which I will kindly explain in a follow-up post in a few days.  I will not be giving my own opinion in this post - that will be in the next post.

Please answer "yes" or "no."  Then, if you feel so inclined, write something that justifies your answer (WHY you answered the way you did).  I appreciate it and I promise I will explain soon!

Thanks!

Fit Club - Report In!!

I'm back on track!

Exercise and diet wise, anyway.  The jury is still out on whether the weight is going to actually drop, thought,  because it's official.  I'VE HIT MY FIRST PLATEAU. 

But there are a few things I'm doing to try and fix that.

Out and About

If you live around the Washington, DC area, there are a couple of events taking place this weekend that may be of interest to you. First, there's the Joint Services Air Show that will take place at Andrews AFB beginning today through Sunday. Today would be a great day to go because only DoD cardholders are allowed in today. The show is open to the general public for the rest of the weekend. If you get over there, look for the USAA tent with a skydeck!

Also happening in Washington is the GI Film Festival. On Sunday, the festival will feature a panel on milblogging and our own Joan D'Arc will be sitting on the panel. Tickets are only $5. You can buy tickets here.

Anything happening where you are this weekend that you'd like to share?

It Starts Young

I find myself explaining a lot of military humor to people who aren't normally associated with military endeavors. 

It's gallows humor, definitely.  And then there's the teasing aspect - I can make fun of the Air Force, but God help someone not affiliated with the military trying to.  Just doesn't roll well, you know?  It's okay for us to call people PowerPoint Rangers, but if some TV pundit tried it I'd be at the front of the spitting line.

And it's not just my husband or myself with these humor issues - my kids pick them up.  I think they pick them up in the womb.

In fact, just a few weeks ago we had a bit of an issue with this.

Tonight on SBTR: Filmmaker Deborah Scranton

Join us tonight as we talk with filmmaker, Deborah Scranton. Deborah is the producer of two successful military-themed documentaries, The War Tapes and the recently-aired Bad Voodoo's War. Background here:

Show starts at 9:00 p.m. EDT. Click here to listen, and don't forget to join us in the chat room.

I agreed to wha?

That is right folks...

A full on DITY move with no husband, after being here for 8 years. 

I am sure some of you strong and courageous women have done this.

OK, I am 16 days out from being out of here, and could use some of your best cheerleading. (no horror stories PLEASE.)

What a pain!

So, He of the Sea had his stuff stolen at the gym recently.  It was kind of funny when he called to say that someone had stolen his pants, then the reality set it.  Carefully stored in the pockets were his phone (brand new), his keys (two houses, one post office box, two cars) and his wallet (one military ID [including social security number, of course], one driver's license, two credit cards, and various other paraphernalia).

The good news is, they didn't take the car.  It would have been easy enough...there weren't that many Ford cars in the parking lot that night.  That would have been a tragic loss, as he had put his wedding ring away in the car before he went to work out.  Plus the inconvenience, and expense, of replacing a perfectly good, and paid for, car.

He spent the evening filing police reports (one civilian, one military), calling banks and ordering a new driver's license.  We read up on credit alert vs. credit freeze and debated the relative merits of each.

While we can't prevent this kind of thing from ever happening, there are a few things that have made it easier, and a few things I'll change in case it happens again.

The Parent Zone

Frequent commenter and fellow milspouse/milparent LAW has just started up a blog for military parents called Parents Zone. 

From the blog:   "A page for parents – a place to gather online to talk to other parents of serving soldiers/airmen/marines/sailors/coast guards/national guard of any persuasion ( ok, did I get everyone now?) , to get information, to connect… are you interested?"

I know I'm going to be passing this link around to parents in my son's unit as well as to friends who have sons or daughters in the military!!!

It's a good thing DP sent me flowers

When the Dark Prince left for the sandbox, he left such a mess of dirty/clean clothing, etc., in his room and car that Lancelot and I practiced avoidance for a period of time.  The Light twin came home last week and as part of my Mother's Day present, helped me clean out his room. 

U-n-b-e-l-i-e-v-a-b-l-e!!!!!!!!

National Military Family Assn. - Government and You E-News May 13, 2008

1. President Honors Military Spouses at White House Event

2. New Video Explains Interstate Compact

3. Senate Passes Veterans' Benefit Legislation

4. Second Annual GI Film Festival Opens

5. AAFES Sponsors Contest Saluting Military Spouses

6. Summer Workshop Registration Now Open To Teachers

7. European PTA Celebrates Golden Jubilee

8. Marine Parents United Announces Summer Conference

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: A Force of Nature, A Fact of Life

Every human being on the planet experiences some level of depression, anxiety, and stress.  Like I said, it's a force of nature and a fact of life.  As a mental health therapist I treat people every day with one or all of these diagnoses.  And I, myself, have experienced these and also gone to a therapist.  As a graduate student our professors always told us, "Therapists need therapists, too."  We're human.

As military spouses we often face challenges that leave our heads spinning.  Like we're on a roller-coaster that NEVER ENDS!

So how do you know if/when to seek help?  Well, it's different for everyone, to be honest.  My suggestion is this: read the common symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress that I have written below.  Do a "self-assessment" - i.e. if you have more than a few of the symptoms and these symptoms are affecting you daily life, I would suggest seeking help.  Trust me, it NEVER hurts to seek help.  I have done it myself and my therapist was wonderful and very helpful. 

Click and Connect: Find a Battle Buddy

SpouseBUZZ is all about connecting with one another and sharing our collective "married to the military" experiences. We've updated the long list of milspouse bloggers that we've managed to gather from previous posts. Plus, additional links that you've sent our way have been added. You may find that there are some spouse blogs you can relate to more than others, so browse the links and try to find a battle buddy (or twenty). Sit back, click and connect.

And a reminder, this fall will bring three opportunities to connect live and in person with hundreds of other milspouses.

Norfolk - September 6

San Antonio - October 18

Seattle/Tacoma - November 15

Click "continue reading" for the list of milspouse bloggers (in no particular order). If we've missed a blog that should be added to the list, please list it in the comment section and I'll add the link to this post.

Ever thought about your change of command?

We've all had some great opportunities to attend one of the rights of passage for many people in uniform, the Change of Command.  Even though that is a specific event and denotes UCMJ authority, we've all seen the passing of the flag, the hand-over of the baton, ... the passing of the brain-book, from the out-going to the in-coming.  Shop level, platoon level, company or squadron, and higher.  Some with flair, some over a cup of hot coffee.  Always though, it's the transfer of "I tried to do my best" to the "it's now your turn to try your best, to better it yet still."

Okay -- the mental image is set.  You with me?

Did You Know?

House Panel Agrees to 3.9% Raise in 2009

Retiree Combat Compensation Expanded

Tuition Assistance can pay for Classes While You Serve

Servicemembers Share Videos, Photos, & Files from Their Desktop

Senate Supports 3 Week Paternity Leave

Bill to Help VA Refinance Homes

Discount on Child Alert System

Exchanges Sponsor Survey 

Internet Radio Show Debuts

The History of Memorial Day

Free Coming Home Comic Book

New Overseas Voter Website

Peak Moving Season for Sailors

'Sesame Street' Releases New Video

TRICARE Offers Free Courses

New Beneficiary Selection Options

Urgent Health Care Options Expanded

Videos Help Children Cope with Grief

Women's Leadership Symposium Coming

Wounded Warrior Program Marks Anniversary

TRICARE Spanish Materials Available

Help Test New Online Counseling Tool

Welcome Home Celebration

Scammers Sending Bogus IRS E-Mails

Send Your Name to the Moon

Nominees Sought for Volunteer Award

$40,000 Post-Service Bonus

Not Too Late for Stimulus Payments

Adopt a Platoon

Free SAT-ACT Prep Software

June Deadline for Woman Vet Scholarship

Camp Addresses Children's Grief

A "special" Mother's Day

Ok, I'm tired, I'm grumpy, I'm frustrated - and in need of a SpouseBUZZ vent!

Mother's Day in the life of a 'special needs' mom is always interesting.  Yesterday was no exception!  I feel for special needs moms.  They carry the weight of the world on their shoulders .  I don't consider myself worthy of this title anymore, as we've passed the chemo stage of life and are just 'orthopedically challenged' at this point.  But it seems like there's always something popping up - or in this case leaking out!

Gone, but not THAT Gone

I've had some very interesting conversations lately.  Air Force Guy is not getting ready for a deployment right now (as if anything is ever set in stone in this lifestyle), but we do know that he will be spending the rest of the year TDY.

This is the first time we've had an extended TDY that is not a deployment while living in a civilian community.  And the results and explanations coming out of this have been very interesting, to say the least.

"We Were Here"

Yesterday, I was talking with my neighbor and she asked if we would be staying here another year. It must have seemed strange to her that recently my husband and I were out planting flowers, just weeks before we're set to move. And we weren't planting annuals, but perennials. But it wasn't strange to us. First of all, I love to work in the yard, but that's not really why we were planting perennials. Excluding the apartments we've lived in during our military marriage (because there was no yard), we've lived in seven houses. I've planted perennials of various sorts in the yards of all but one of those houses.

I remember driving through Georgia several years ago and taking a detour through the old neighborhood just to look at the azalea bushes we had planted long ago. They were still there, and were in full bloom. I couldn't believe how much they had grown. Planting something permanent where we live is just one way to leave our mark on the many places we've called home. It's the modern-day military version of scrawling, "Andi was here" on a textbook, or bathroom stall (not that I would know anything about that, mom).

If we ever make our way back here again, I hope to see some large, healthy Rhododendrons in full bloom. And I'll look at my husband and say, "remember years ago when we planted those Rhododendrons?" And if we ever make our way back to Kansas (the one place where I didn't plant a perennial), I wonder if the tenants would find it strange if I pulled into the driveway with a trunk full of plants and did a little gardening?

Military Mom Wins "America's Favorite Mom" Contest

Terrific News!

SOLDIERS’ ANGELS FOUNDER WINS!
Patti Patton Bader Named “America’s Favorite Mom”

PASADENA, CA May 11, 2008 –Soldiers’ Angels founder Patti Patton Bader was named “America’s Favorite Mom” in a primetime television show Sunday night on NBC. Sponsored by Teleflora and hosted by Donnie and Marie Osmond, the show highlighted fifteen outstanding mothers who had distinguished themselves in categories ranging from Working Moms to Military Moms and “Non-Mom” Moms. 

Humbled by the honor, Bader is thrilled to be able to use it to continue the Soldiers’ Angels mission of “May No Soldier Go Unloved.”  As the grand prize winner, she will receive $250,000, a set of household appliances, and other valuable items.  Bader hopes to apply the winnings to her plans for a small ranch that will allow newly returned soldiers to relax with their families after deployments.

“I really am lucky to know so many heroes in my life,” said Bader, who herself has two sons in the Army, one currently deployed to Iraq.  “Whether they are the troops who serve our country or the amazing mothers here on this America’s Favorite Mom program, I am honored to be in the presence of such inspirational people and also am humbled to know that America thinks the same of me.”

Bader is also excited about the opportunities this platform gives her to help people learn more about America’s military heroes and options for supporting them and their families.  The attention she has received through the America’s Favorite Mom events has already drawn a number of new volunteers who want to use their talents and connections to help support the troops.

One-Way Communication

The other day, I wrote about the silver linings to deployment.  On the flip side, I've already come up with what I think is perhaps the worst thing about deployment: one-way communication.

When something really, really good or really, really bad happens, I hate that I can't get in touch with my husband to let him know.  And of course those things always seem to happen when there's a lull in our communication.  Several years ago, my grandmother passed away while my husband was at NTC.  I had no way of contacting him and telling him that I needed him.  I didn't hear from him until three days later, which meant that I had to deal with all of my emotions on my own, far from family since I was in Germany.  It was torture not to be able to reach him at such a sad time.

Right now I am dealing with the same feeling, though on the opposite side of the coin.  I have something really amazing and exciting to tell him, but I just have to keep waiting until he calls me.

I hate that I can't pick up a phone and share big life events with him.

"America's Favorite Mom" Will be Crowned Tonight

A reminder to watch NBC tonight at 7:00 EDT to see Donny and Marie Osmond crown America's Favorite Mom. There are three Military Moms vying for the title.

If one of these three moms win the title, here's how they plan to spend the prize money:

Patti Patton-Bader 

Patton Bader wants America’s soldiers to be the big winners. “I plan on using everything to help heroes. Everything,” she says, referring to the wide variety of prizes she could receive if she is lucky enough to win. “It is a true honor to stand with these fourteen outstanding moms," she adds.

Melinda Gintilas

If Melinda wins, Adam said, they plan to donate part of the prize to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and spend $10,000 or so buying groceries for families at the Fort Carson post exchange.

Rosanna Vasquez-Brown

I can't find an article that states how Rosanna plans to spend the money, but click here to watch her moving video.

All mom's are special, and I hope all of you are having a wonderful Mother's Day, but I'm biased and I'd love to see a Military Mom win! Good luck to all of you.

Silver Linings

My husband has only been gone for four days, but I've already come up with a few silver linings that I'm focusing on.  There are some things that I've decided I like about deployment.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day: A Guest Blogger Honors Military Spouses

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day, a day to recognize the service and sacrifices of military spouses. SpouseBUZZ is pleased to welcome guest blogger, Lieutenant General William Caldwell, Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Ft. Leavenworth. I'll turn it over to General Caldwell:

In 1984 President Reagan proclaimed the Friday before Mother's Day of each year to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day. We owe you, American military spouses, a great debt of gratitude for your strength and perseverance, especially during this time of war. Truly, your strength is the strength of our Nation.

All of us who have been deployed have drawn comfort from care packages, love letters, journal entries, holiday decorations, and prayers. Knowing that our Families are well looked after allows us to focus on our task to bring peace and stability to troubled areas of the world. The very security of this great nation is in the hands of our spouses at home.

We’ve watched you nurse your wounded warriors back to health in military hospitals. You’re there, still full of hope, when Troopers with head injuries don’t recognize their family. You encourage them. You decorate their rooms. You read their favorite books to them. You are the first to notice when they can squeeze your hand again for the first time.

The spouse on the home front pays the bills, fixes the car, gets the kids to soccer practice, helps with the homework and building the kids pinewood derby car...  you are our true heroes.  You have unique experiences that only other military spouses can comprehend.

Some spouses, like Deanna Salie, have had to comfort children when there was someone in uniform at the door, and when dad didn’t come home. Deanna’s husband, Army SFC David Salie, gave the ultimate sacrifice in Baqouba, Iraq, on Valentine’s Day in 2005. In one of David’s “just in case” videos he made for Deanna before he left for Iraq, he asked Deanna that in the event something did happen to him, “Hold our kids tight for me, and make sure they know who their daddy was and what he stood for.”

All military spouses know why their loved ones serve, and they share in their hardship and sacrifice and ask for little in return. It is humbling to those of us who wear the uniform to know that our best friends, our spouses, are serving along side us. Those of us in uniform serve because we love our Nation; our spouses do it for love of us.  Our service men and women could not continue in this profession without your help, and for that we are eternally grateful….and so is our Nation.

Thank you for your guest post, General Caldwell. It's nice to see "the brass" reaching out to military spouses. And thanks to all military spouses for what you do each day to support your spouse, and each other.

Fit Club - Report In!

Well, diet and exercise wise, this last week was a total wash.

Several of the SpouseBUZZ authors came to visit, and unless you count giggling madly and staying up late as forms of exercise, I did about ZILCH.  Although I will work out today.

I also dug in with relish to foods like waffles with real syrup, a bleu cheese burger, chips, and the dreaded Onion Petals at Logan's Road House.

Not my finest week in my fitness journey, to be sure.

But never fear!  Fitness Magazine has come to my rescue!

Discussion Time

Let's have a discussion about new military daddies!   

Read the article after the jump - then please share your thoughts and opinions on the information provided.

Kindness DOES matter

Recently had a flight down to Dallas, TX on Southwest Airlines. Which I have to say was an experience…it’s more like riding a bus. You get on and people get off at various stops, at which time you are free to move about the cabin and change seats before the next group of riders comes on….the same thing happens at the next stop. I kinda liked the system and will definitely fly them again! However, I digress.

 It was during one of the stops (out of St. Louis – not to point the finger at any one city) that I learned the importance of the small things – a smile, a thank you – and the impressions we leave with others.

Request for Milspouse Bloggers

If you operate a blog (or know of a blog) that you'd like to share with the rest of us, and it was not listed on this thread, please leave the blog name and url in the comment section. I'm sure there are new blogs which have cropped up since we posted the first list and we'd love to know about them so that we can pass the links on to SpouseBUZZ readers. 

Tonight on SBTR: Protect Yourself and Your Belongings

Tonight on SBTR, we are hosting a show about protecting your belongings, and your identity. Joining us for the first half of the program will be Tim Decker, USAA's Executive Director of Bank Fraud Services. Tim will talk with us about how to protect ourselves from "fraudsters" and "scams."

During the second half of the program, we'll be joined by Justin Schmitt, USAA's Executive Director of Property and Casualty Communications. Many military families rent their homes and apartments so we'll speak with Justin about the benefits of purchasing renter's insurance; why it's important, what it covers and how much it costs.

Tim and Justin will be taking your calls and answering your questions. In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day (May 9), USAA will present two lucky callers (must be a military spouse) with iPod Nanos, so get ready to phone your questions in. You could walk away with a brand new iPod!   

Don't miss tonight's show, it's going to be chock full of advice and tips. Click here at 9:00 p.m. EDT to listen in. And please join us in the chat room.

We've Known Each Other That Long...

As the week hurtles toward Saturday and my law school graduation ceremony, I am taking stock of the past two years and thought it might be fun if you did too...

Starting From Scratch

I wrote before about how, during the last deployment, I made so many Pillsbury biscuits that I cooked a lonely ring into my small bar pan.  And then I wrote a few months ago about how sad I felt when my husband broke the pan.  I had planned to bake more biscuits on this next deployment, and now my pan was gone.

What I haven't yet written about was how HomefrontSix mailed me a brand new bar pan when she read that mine had broken.  I started to cry when the box arrived on my doorstep; it was a reminder of how lucky I am to have this SpouseBUZZ community and how all of you will take care of me while my husband is gone.

My husband deployed last night.  I'm ready to get started on another biscuit ring.

Observations: The Extended Military Family

We often focus on the sisterhood (and brotherhood) of spouses here at SpouseBUZZ because, well, that's what SpouseBUZZ is all about. But over the past couple of days, I discovered that these bonds reach far beyond our fellow spouses, and it was a wonderful discovery.

The SpouseBUZZ team (minus two) began making their way to Washington last Sunday for a meet-up (little bit of business and a lot of pleasure). The nerve center was airforcewife's house. I arrived at the nerve center on Monday afternoon and was greeted by the smallest and youngest segments of airforcefamily - the kids. Before I could even get my door open, airforceboy was reaching in my car to give me a hug, and I got three or four more before I reached the front door! As soon as I stepped out of the car, the youngest airforce daughter excitedly approached me to show off her new caterpillar, and we had a discussion about the various colors of caterpillars. Once I finally got out of the car, the middle daughter ran to my car. "Hi, Ms. Andi. Oh, that's our neighbor's parking place, can you move your car here?" And with that, the traffic director guided me into a new parking spot.

Two Homes (or three, or four)

I don't know if this is normal, but I have a hard time letting go of homes.  Of course, anything outside of CONUS is easy.  But if we move within a day's drive, I try to pretend that I still sort of live in my old home while making a life at my new home.  The result is a special sort of multiple personality disorder that results in a ridiculous amount of driving and scheduling stress.  Throw in some part of my family anywhere nearby and the amount of time behind the wheel increases even more.

Did You Know?

AF Spouses Encouraged to Take Survey
Building a Lending Library for Troops
Commissaries Offer Online Dietician
DVDs Help Kids Cope With Deployment
Fisher House for St. Louis
Free Amusement Park Admission
Marines Face Strict New Motorcycle Rules
Military Spouse Appreciation Day May 9th
Must Read Blog on Transition
New Website Seeks User Input
Online Housing Referral Network Expands
Online Relocation Tool
VA Seeks More Volunteers
Vehicle Rules in Europe 

The Hard Conversations

On Sunday, my husband and I sat down and went over our finances.  Normally this is his lane, but since he'll be gone he's turning the reins over to me.  He showed me how the computer program works and we talked about what we're going to do with his extra entitlements.  In the course of discussing our day-to-day finances, I asked my husband what he would suggest I do if I did suddenly end up with SGLI money.

We Certainly Love Our Milpets

Let me begin this post by thanking all who participated and made this posting possible.  My hope is that the included photos will bring a smile to everyones face. 

I thoroughly enjoyed putting this post together.  Receiving the photos and the stories that accompanied the photos - made me grin from ear to ear.   

Now..........Behold the superb lineup of Milpets!

This and That

A reminder to watch NBC's Today Show this morning. In the 9:00 a.m. EDT hour, the military moms vying for America's Favorite Mom will be featured on the show. After you watch the show, go vote!

This month, our very own GBear has knocked Tony the Tiger off the cover of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal boxes. GBear is being honored for her wonderful work with Sew Much Comfort and her picture will appear on the cereal boxes. The boxes are only available in commissaries. Pick one up, GBear's GRREEEAAAATTTTT!

Weekly Gratitude!!

I have not written anything for quite some time over here at SB....

Plain old fashioned busy.

I do however have a lot to to be thankful for, not just this week either. I have had a month of real good news and events.

I am blessed.

I am thankul for my health, it has been imperative in getting things done.

I am thankful for my 2 children and their ENERGY!

I am thankful for a Husband who is understanding.

I am thankful for wonderful friends, and family.

I am thankful, for suprises. They come in all shapes and sizes. My home sold in 2 days after listing it in the paper. Which was a blessing, and a SURPRISE!

What are you thankful for this week?

From the Mailbag: Cutting the Umbilical Cord

Funny that Sarah mentioned this just last week.

An email from a reader:

I'm heading into our first war deployment.  Many of the other spouses in our FRG are first timers, too, and it seems that we are all having some similar struggles with our husbands.  We are about two months out, and while I have read a lot about anticipatory grief and all those other things that the spouses go through, I haven't seen much about the psychology and/or emotions that our servicemembers experience during this time.  Have other spouses found that their servicemembers have shorter tempers?  I'm not talking about major marital crises, but more petty arguments and disagreements over things that are usually easy to skim over? 

Do we all sort of need some detachment before the deployment so that it's not such a blow when they leave?

Thoughts?

Packing and Leaving

I think my husband is the bee's knees, and there are very few things he does that bug me.  But one of them is his packing habits.  Anytime he deploys or goes out in the field, he has a terrible habit of waiting until the last minute to pack.  And then he fusses, cusses, and sweats.  He gets mad at the sea of green in the living room and turns into a real bear.  And even though he too hates that he does this to himself, he never seems to change the behavior.

The man honestly packed for 13 months in Iraq the night before.

That does not make for a romantic send-off.

Words Aren't Adequate

Do yourself a huge favor. Grab some popcorn or beer or whatever floats your boat. Give yourself an hour, and watch. 

I feel pretty small right now.

If you're interested in the book, The Last Lecture, click here.

If you're having trouble with the YouTube video, which pauses in some spots, you can click here and watch it via Windows Streaming Video or Google Video. I recommend the Windows Video version, I didn't encounter any blips with it. You can fast forward to about eight minutes in when Randy begins his presentation if you choose the Windows Streaming Video. Whatever you do, watch this in its entirety.

From Double To Single

My husband came home from work last night and said his deployment got bumped forward a little.  It's not much, but it's enough to bump us from double digits down to single digits, which seems like a world of difference.

And I realized I had done that stupid thing that we all do from time to time: I had gotten attached to his departure date.  When he told me it was sooner than that, I freaked out a little bit.

All of a sudden, it seems very real.

Fit Club: Report In!

If you missed our show with Nikki from Nikki Fitness last night, you really should go catch the archived version!

We had Nikki for the entire hour, and talked about the two new DVDs she has coming out (including one she promises will work that booty right off!), the ideas behind the Military Wife Workout, and some great tips for getting in shape starting now!  We also talked sports bras - from the horrors of a random bra accident, to double-bra support, and all about our penchant for camouflage - even in sports bras.

Did I mention how you guys keep me on track?  Because you do.  And I have a confession to make...

Tonight On SpouseBUZZ Radio!

NIKKI FITNESS!!!

You KNOW you want to hear this one! 

We'll talk to Nikki about fitness, after baby kangaroo pouches, and just WHY my butt is still hanging around.  Seriously.  Why?

About halfway through we'll open it up for questions - so you can call in and ask Nikki everything you've ever wanted to know about fitness, but were waiting for an anonymous forum to do so.

Tonight - live at 9 pm Eastern at SpouseBUZZ Radio!

As always, the chat room will be open and hopping - you don't want to miss it!

Army Wives: You Write the Script

Last week when we talked with Katherine Fugate, creator of Army Wives, we didn't have enough time to get to some suggestions for story lines/plots. But Katherine did say that her goal is to tell your stories and that true stories are appealing to her. Apparently, they read stories sent to them and give them consideration. We told Katherine that we would open a thread at SpouseBUZZ soliciting your ideas for story lines based on your own experiences. So here's your chance to write a script. Who knows, maybe one day you'll see Denise or Pamela or Roxy portraying your story!

Please leave comments (anonymous if you choose) and we'll be sure to pass them on to Katherine. Army Wives is a drama, but it has humor and touches on many aspects of military life - the challenges and the joys. So, feel free to share funny or serious stories.

If you don't have a personal story to share, you can also leave ideas, suggestions for story lines, list topics you would like to see the show address or suggestions for improving the show.

After the jump is a funny story from a real Army wife.

America's Favorite Mom: The Military Mom

Updated: Click here to see the video if you missed the show.

NBC and Teleflora are hosting an "America's Favorite Mom" Contest. Over the past three months, people have nominated their mothers for the honor and online voting has been taking place. Three contests (one per month) have been decided and winners have been declared in three categories; America's Most Humorous Mom, America's Most Inspirational Mom and America's Most Popular Mom (TBA soon).

Now comes the big contest - America's Favorite Mom. Today, the semi-finalists were announced. They will appear on NBC's Today Show beginning next Monday, May 5. NBC has selected three semi-finalists for the "The Military Mom" category; Patti Patton-Bader, Melinda Gintilas and Rosanna Vasquez-Brown. These three ladies will be on NBC in the 9:00 hour next Monday morning. Patti (founder of Soldiers' Angels) was voted America's Most Inspirational Mom in the March contest and now, all of these women will be competing to be named a finalist for America's Favorite Mom.

Tune in next Monday and then go cast your vote. As often as you can. Wouldn't it be wonderful for a military mom to win?

New Card Offered Through AAFES

This post is for informational purposes only!

New Military Star card works off base