Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: son

Throwback Thursday – Halloween Costume Edition

Aaron as a Bullfighter Mike as the Bull 1999

Okay this isn’t the best photo but the only one I could find that showed Mike’s surprise costume that year. Below the cut you’ll see Aaron’s bull fighter better. He was out posing for me when Mike came out in his bull one to take Aaron house to house. Yes if you look close it’s a shower curtain ring in his nose there and there are aluminum foil horns on the hat. Aaron was telling Mike to wait in the shadows that year. LOL! Again click below to see Aaron’s costume as well as his first one and one as a paleontologist the next year. (more…)

October 15, 2015
My Son The Army Man

During the initial stages of dealing with Rappy’s injury (She did it right before we left and was hospitalized the whole time we were gone) we attended a joyous occasion of Aaron graduating from Basic Training. He’s in the ROTC program for the Army/Wisconsin Army National Guard. Part of this is he has to complete Army Basic Training. He did his at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Here’s the trip in pictures. As always you can click on one and go to my Flickr account where there are many more (yes this for the grandmothers.)

To get there we went through St. Louis.

Then we got to the base. Now I know why the Army guys called it Ft. Lost In The Woods because it’s in the middle of NO WHERE!

RHP – rank has privileges. Yet being an Senior Officer Mike reserved a cabin for us and his parents. It was nice with two bedrooms, full kitchen, living room, and bath. If you are really curious there are photos of the interior over on Flickr. We were on base and didn’t have a far drive to anywhere. Not that there was a lot to go to other than the graduation. We did spend time at the museums on base (another post for that) when Aaron was busy.

Needless to say I was thrilled to see him. (not at all thrilled to see myself in a photo it always makes me feel physically ill). We had to sign him and his friend out for the evening. It was nice and we took them to dinner on base. His friend didn’t have family coming in for the ceremony so it was good to take him away from the barracks to relax. It was their first time out since they got there in January. Which reminds me here’s a picture of Aaron talking with Mike as he waited to leave for Basic.

Always going through the ever present paperwork.

Any way we got the guys back to the barracks and signed in for the night. Len and Donna, Mike’s parents, arrived later that night and we all got some sleep. It was a long day and stressful dealing with Rappy’s medical decisions multiple times a day during the whole process.

There aren’t any really good pictures of the ceremony. It was dark. We were far away. It was packed crowded. Still the graduation consisted mostly of jodis (the chants they march to), slide shows, music, and speeches.

Aaron was one of three graduates to make a speech. He was the last and spoke on courage. The funny story to that is he got up to the podium to find his speech notes gone, they were supposed to be there. So he just had to give it off the cuff from memory after only doing it a few times before. He did excellent his time as a state officer in DECA served him well. He maintained excellent eye contact with the audience and didn’t faulter. Talk about courage – then again he’s like me performing in front of people isn’t too bad.

We did make more pictures of him in his dress uniform after. Here he is with his proud dad.

Here he is with his friends that came with us. They didn’t have family attending so we took them out to eat off base to celebrate. Where did they want to go? Buffalo Wild Wings of course! LOL! Then just hang out at the cabin enjoying seeing tv, having their cell phones, and internet available for the first time since January.

Really it wasn’t THAT serious of a dinner but I KNOW he got tired of having his picture taken. He was also anxious to get some private time to call and talk with Sara. Once that was done it was a quick dinner on base then back to the barracks for the boys (I guess they are men now being in the Army and all). We chilled at the cabin. I had a good cry about Rappy as her prognosis wasn’t improving.

The next morning was a bit more time to ourselves as Aaron had to check into his next training school. That was 88Mike a big equipment/truck driving school. We checked out the on base museums. Something to see and got lots of photos for another post. Rappy was stablizing but still didn’t know if shew was going to make it until we got home.

After that we got Aaron. First he ad to deal with some uniform stuff. Also had to get the internet repaired at the cabin so Aaron could do his taxes. It wasn’t fun but we got it done.

Yes there were more pictures posed for to avoid Mom taking candids. He likes his picture taken just a wee bit less than I do.
Under his new command he had to wear a water camelback at all times.

I teased him about he wouldn’t dehyrdrate while driving that way. Also they marched about wearing eye protection glasses. I asked if eye injuries resulting from marching had resulted in this new development (new since Mike went through his training *cough* 30 yrs ago *cough*) Aaron just laughed and said the Drill Instructors wouldn’t put it past new recruits to poke themselves in the eye while walking. LOL!

We took Aaron to lunch on base at the golf course then dropped him off at his new school. That was the trip. Now he’s finishing up that school. Scary thought my son could now be driving a big rig – the boy I taught to drive! He’ll be coming home in a week or so. Then it’s back to college a changed man from the experience I’m sure.

April 30, 2013
A Trip to Aaron’s House

My son is now 19 years old, a college sophomore, an E3 in the Army, and rents his own home. Right now he’s in the stand-on-my-own-two-feet time where he doesn’t call regular, doesn’t answer all the texts, and is busy building his life. That’s fine I get it. However we did make an appointment to go up to Madison, see his new house he is renting, and take him and Sara out to lunch.

There’s football on TV women! Mom making his picture and girlfriend trying to make him SMILE!

His new digs were built in 1904. It has narrow staircases, hardwood floors, and exposed stone basement. The bathroom was obviously a converted bedroom but why they choose the largest bedroom in the house is beyond me. As for condition – it’s a typical student slum. LOL! I’m sure he loves it just as much as I loved my student slum apartment.

We drove down to State Street which is the street from campus to the State Capital building. It’s also the center of shopping, dining, and drinking. The main drag if you will of Madison. At University of Tennessee in Knoxville we had Cumberland Avenue. They have State Street. We wound up getting a deep pan Chicago style pizza and watching football at bar.

Below are a few sites of Madison and the trip to see Aaron and Sara.

This is the Red Gym a landmark on campus should you ever visit. I went up to a writer’s seminar years before Aaron went to college. It was in a building near the Red Gym. I drove up early that morning in the snow, parked and made it to the conference. Every direction or lecture referred to this building. It was my first time in Madison, I didn’t pass it when coming in and had NO IDEA what they were talking about.

It is a very historical and distinct building Madison. The castle like look is explained by it being built to serve a dual purpose.

This one of the many lovely buildings on campus. I don’t remember the name of it but it’s where Aaron would catch the Badger Bus last year to come home and visit Sara.

Construction – I’ve never been to a large campus that didn’t always have construction going on some where.

A view down State Street to the capital building.

November 13, 2012