Month of the Military Child 2012 - Fave Picture

I submitted my favorite picture ever of my husband and our three boys to SpouseBuzz for Monthof the Military Child. They posted the pic on April 3rd...you can check it out HERE!

Month of the Military Child 2011 Interviews

Today is the last day of April and we will conclude it on our blog (though we will continue to always celebrate our Military kids every single day) by posting the interviews I did with my own three Army brats. You may have to turn up the volume to hear Daniel because he was rather soft-spoken. I could have redone it and had him speak louder but I wanted to capture their first response and didn't want to coach them into answering any of the questions so what you see is pure honesty and instinct on their parts.

At one point Daniel mentions sending Flat Stanley to his dad to see what Iraq is like. It has been a wonderful project and helped not only our kids but other kids to see that "war" isn't so scary. We have encouraged many Military members to do their own Flat/G.I. Stanley projects to keep connected during separation. You can see what we did with our G.I. Stanley project here.

I didn't expect to have two videos that together would be over 15 minutes long but that's what happened. I hope that you'll leave some feedback for the boys and their answers. They were quite excited about doing this and kept reminding me that we needed to get it done.

So here you go, your questions answered by Military children!

Month of the Military Child 2011

I love that the Military recognizes our youngest warriors.

April is Month of the Military Child and is being celebrated with a theme of "Celebrate Military Children: The Strength of Our Future" on Army garrisons.

More than 1.7 million children under the age of 18 have at least one parent serving in the armed forces. And it is estimated that more than 900,000 children have had one or both parents deployed multiple times.

I plan on dedicating many entries throughout April to our Military children. I am starting it off with a video I made last year interviewing my own children, all three who have known nothing else but life in the Army. I plan on making a new video this month and I'd love to get questions from others.

What would you like to ask a Military Child?

Leave questions in my comments or leave a question for the boys at formspring. I hope to get lots of participation.

April is Month of the Military Child

Throughout the month of April, I will post different things in regards to honoring our Military Children.

I am an Army Brat. My hometown is nowhere, my friends are everywhere, and if I haven't been someplace yesterday, I am sure to go there tomorrow. I grew up with bugle calls and artillery salutes and the knowledge that home is where the heart is and the family--with no dependence on the dwelling.

Mobility is my way of life. I have found security and happiness in motels and guest houses, in duplexes and apartments around the world. Some would wonder about my roots, yet they are as deep and strong as the mighty oak's. I sink them quickly, absorbing all an area offers and hopefully giving enrichment in return.

Like all Army dependents, I can say "Hello," "Good-bye," and count to 20 in five languages. I can tell of the shores of Maine, the marketplaces of Mexico, the Buddhas of Japan; and my knickknack shelves look like those of an import shop, for my memories span the globe.

Travel has taught me to be open. By age nine I had seen more of the world than most people do in a lifetime; I had touched many and allowed their cultures to touch me. Shaking hands with the universe, I found a brotherhood in all men.

Just as there is joy in meeting, so is there pain in parting; and although practice makes perfect, there is no way to perfect "Good-bye." Farewells are never easy. Yet, even in sorrow comes strength and an ability to face tomorrow with anticipation. And if when I leave one place I feel that half my world has been left behind, I also know that the other half is still waiting to be met.

As an Army Brat, I go out to others extending hand and heart. Friendships are formed in hours and kept for decades. I will never grow up with someone, but I will mature with many, and the help that I offer today will be returned farther down the road. Be it inevitable that paths part, there is constant hope that they will meet again.

I feel fortunate to live in a society of tradition drawing from the past to enhance the present - where silver baby cups announce life, horse-drawn caissons pronounce death and the living in between is dedicated to the service of God, man and our nation.

Love of country, respect and pride fill my being when Old Glory passes in review. As I stand to honor that flag, so also do I stand to honor all soldiers, most especially to the man whose life created mine -- my father. Because of him I have shared in the rich heritage of Army life.

Now, as Army wife and mother, I have passed on that legacy to my children. I wish for them a wealth of experiences and knowledge and love, so that their lives will be blessed as mine, and I pray that one day they will join me in boasting, "I am an Army Brat!"

Deborah W. Giusti