Count Off The Cadence Loud And Strong

With NLB in the Air National Guard (preparing to deploy to Afghanistan in the winter) and Fidget winning a Congressional Nomination to West Point, we have become a military family in the past year.

Fidget has wanted to go into the Army since she was about 14. I don’t know that any of us really thought she’d follow through with it. How many dreams did you have at 14 that seemed really dumb by the time you were actually old enough to go for them?

But Fidget held onto it. She qualified academically for West Point (which is not easy) and won one of the few Congressional Nominations to West Point in our state (which really isn’t easy). But she wasn’t accepted.

(You can’t get in without a nomination, but just because you get a nomination doesn’t mean you get in. Clear as mud? It should be…it’s the government.)

So what do you do if you have the goods but you don’t get into your military academy? You go to a military prep school for a year and then go to your military academy. (Again, it’s the government.) So, Fidget left yesterday, headed for her first semester at military prep school.

Fidget has the distinction of being the first of our siblings to leave home for college. Lucky girl.

Before she left, Fidget wanted us to all get together and make a Build-A-Bear for her. She needed something to remember us by. Isn’t that sweet?

Really if she wants to truly remember us, she needs something that insults you, not cuddles with you.

Anyway, with our schedules, there’s no way we could all show up at the same place at the same time. But we did the best we could, and on Saturday, we built Fidget a bear.

Fidget, Caedmon and I arrived on time. Curly and Squirt (who are never on time) were together, so we knew we had a little time to kill. So we threw some pennies in the fountain.

Then the other girls finally arrived and we got down to business (Trump, HLB and NLB couldn’t make it). First, Fidget had to choose her bear.

Then we stuffed it.

If you’ve never made a Build-A-Bear before, there’s a process. You put the stuffing in, then you get a little satin heart and do the heart ceremony.

I don’t know all of the heart ceremony and it differs some. But the lady who was stuffing Fidget’s bear knew just what to do for us. She had us rub it on our head so Fidget will make good choices. Then on our ear so she always listens. On our other ear so we always listen to her. On our heart so she would always feel our love, and on our rear so she’ll never be left behind. Then we spun around three times, gave the heart a kiss, and put it inside the bear.

Each of us girls had a heart, and Caedmon held his and Trump’s. We brought special things for the boys. HLB’s token was a .357 shell casing and NLB’s was a little green army man.

We rubbed those on our rears too, but not for the same reason.

Then we had to outfit the bear, which Fidget named Boris.

And here we are, all finished.

Caedmon already had a bear at home, and he got a guitar for him. The bear may not actually get to wear it.

We are proud of you, little sister. Remember where you come from. Remember who you are. And remember Whose you are. Do the right thing and don’t be stupid. Don’t forget that even though you will be an entire day’s drive away, we will come kick your tail if we need to. Because we love you like that.