Just a phone call away

So I'm stirring the scrambled eggs when the phone rings.  I wondered who'd be calling on a Sunday afternoon but sure didn't even think it would be David's voice saying,  "Hi Mom!"  It took a second to sink in that it was my son calling from boot camp, from another time zone, from many states away.  He sounded so casual, with a little chuckle when I realized who it was.  

I'd been hoping that he would be able to call me soon.  Actually I was worried that he didn't have my phone number since everything was in his cell and they were not allowed to have them.   I was planning on including my phone number in my next letter since, as far as I knew,  he would have to use his phone card on a pay phone.   What a nice surprise!   They were given their cell phones for an hour and he was calling as many family members as he could fit in.   I'm so thrilled to have heard him live,  to ask my questions,  well, a few of them, while he was right there on the line.

He sounded good,  very good and proud of his accomplishments in the physical training area.  He was never the athlete his brother was and never played football like his father did. His brief years in AYSO were not terribly successful and he did not use his height to go forward with basketball.  He found karate very challenging and rewarding.  As a parent, I applauded the sense of responsibility and respect it brought forth.

I asked him about the food, his weight,  how long they had to eat.  He said that like anywhere, the food varied in quality and taste.  They had about five minutes to eat in and must finish with a glass of milk or water.  I refrained from inquiring if he had time to pick out the onions he didn't like or what happened if he didn't eat his tomato-laden entrees.   Now that he's in white phase, they can have the salad bar as a perk.  They still are not getting deserts or sweets.  Not that that's a bad thing, he's down below 250.  We probably won't recognize him. Forgot to ask about sodas--David was addicted to Pepsi,  guess that's not happening.

They've been into the rifle mode, shooting, etc.  With his vision that's going to be a challenge to qualify but I have faith.  If he's his mother's child or his grandmother's,  he should do well--both of us were keen shots back in our Texas days.  Course, that's a LONG time ago.   The next big activity is the Warrior Tower.  THAT is something I'm keen to hear his progress on.  He has an aversion to heights and I'm not sure how his upper arm strength is, but it's probably much better than when he left.

Anyway,  I'm still sitting here, basking in the afterglow of his phone call, checking flight schedules and prices,  waiting for a graduation date to plug in to finalize our trip.  I was proud of myself that I wasn't a blubbering idiot mom when he called,  just the oldest proud Army mom!