Flashback Friday...Like Father, Like Son

When Patrick was in the first grade and his teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said "a Marine." She shared this with me because she was kind of taken aback by his response. You see, Patrick is brilliant. I realize I'm not exactly impartial, but he and his brother Troy have always been very advanced...in their early grades, they began each year having met every milestone they'd be expected to meet for the year. She expected Patrick to respond with "a neurosurgeon" or "an astrophysicist," I'm sure. She quickly followed it up with something along the lines of, "Oh, but I know we need good people in the military, too."
(Good save!)

At the time, I didn't quite know how to take her response. I mean, did she realize that, as we spoke, my husband was at work, doing his job...in the Marine Corps?! Did she know that he also happened to be brilliant and that he was responsible for our children's genetic gift? I'm not bashing her...she was one of our favorite teachers...she only said out loud what much of our country thinks...that people join the military when they have no better options.

I'm not saying that it isn't the truth in many cases. The military certainly was the best choice for me at the time...but not because I was on the road to nowhere...but rather because of everything the experience added to my life...

Anyway, this is a long introduction to my Flashback Friday:

I think this was the last time Patrick's hair was this short. I'm sure you've noticed in his pictures lately, he loves to keep in on the longer side...much to my dismay.

I loved this shirt...Troy had one in blue. (Trivia: To this day when asked what his dad does, Patrick will not just respond "He's a Chaplain in the Navy", but something along the lines of, "He was a Marine, but he wanted to be a Chaplain and the Marines don't have their own, they get them from the Navy, so he had to join the Navy, but he still works with the Marines." OR...once I even caught him telling some guys on Xbox Live that his dad IS a Marine. When I questioned him about it, he said, "Once a Marine, always a Marine, right?" I guess he's technically right...but does he think I just fell off the turnip truck?)

I'm glad that Patrick takes such pride in the fact that his dad was (is...whatever!) a Marine.

Well, here we are today...and Patrick decided he wanted to join Marine JROTC at school. We didn't even suggest it, much less encourage it...but he wanted to do it, and he LOVES it! After years of giving me grief about every haircut (and only then after I could no longer see his eyes when we were talking) he came home the first day and said, "Mom, I need a regulation haircut...can we go tonight?" When I grinned at him he said, "DON'T say a word...not a WORD!" Trust me, I know enough to (gratefully) keep my mouth shut

What do you think? It's almost scary! These are the same size of cammies that Cliff wore when we got married.


Does he look mean enough? He's smiling on the inside. Oh my dopplegangers, this is just freaky how much he looks like Cliff!

At any rate, Patrick has big plans. They involve the Naval Academy...and it is so exciting to see him setting and acheiving goals while he shoots for the stars! How many of us end up being what we thought we wanted to be in first grade? Wouldn't it be awesome if Patrick did? I would be proud of him no matter what honorable profession he chose...but I think "Marine" is a fantastic one!