[siskitkat]

DH went back to work today after a week of leave. He talked to the unit that he will be deploying with. We can plan on him not being at home after Memorial Day.
I am going to buy the game Battleship for our oldest. He and DH can play it via email while he is deployed. Now, I am trying to think of something that he can do with the other two while he is gone. Our daughter will be 6 on the 4th of July, and our youngest son will be 4 in April.

[KBT]

This may be totally out of left field, but what about Webkinz? My two kiddos (7 and 6) have them and love to meet their cousin online to play games. They are short games- bowling, go fish etc- if you picked a place and time, they could meet up and have fun! I know the time difference is a factor... still have my thinking cap on...

[dawnsmemories]

with Webkinz, he could play too and get them special gifts to be left as surprises for them.

[PattyBee]

Assuming that he has email access. How about emailing a picture-a-day from each of them? Nothing special just boring everyday sort of things that he might miss out on. You could make it part of your evening routine, to send Daddy his picture of the day before bedtime.

Some silly examples I'm making up off the top of my head:

-A picture of 6 yr olf holding bottle. "This is my new shampoo - it smells like apples" and then he could write back and say something like "I chose an apple at lunch today, just so I could pretend I was sniffing your hair".

-A picture of a boo-boo with explanation in 4 year old's words (written by you). Maybe he'd mail back a picture of some kissy lips for kissing the boo-boo.

-A picture of new hair-do with ponytails.

-Sitting in carseat all dressed for church.

-Child eating french fries at McDonald's. "Wish you were here so you could steal one of mine and then I could steal one of yours back."

-Child standing in front of refrigerator with scribbly art hanging on it.


Know what I mean?

[LisaL]

If you have a video camera you could also post videos on a website like Snapfish that he could go watch. Webkinz they can send messages back and forth and like was said, challenge each other to games that the young ones could play and there is a chat room they could meet in and chat with your help. The other option is a private blog that the two of you could leave messages on for each other also.

[siskitkat]

Thanks. I'll have to check out the Webkinz. I think that they would like either playing with him or finding special surprises.
I have been doing 8x8 layouts for Scrapgirls 52. During the last sale, I also picked up The Daily Do templates to make pages to send to DH. Now, I just have to get caught up with those layouts.

[B&K Mom]

These are great ideas! A family Facebook page could work too for sending messages and "treats" back and forth.

[Smiles]

I think whatever activities that are part of your family life that you can adapt would help everyone feel connected.
So if there's a favorite program you watch together, you could come up with a way to share the episode with Daddy (color a picture, tell the story etc).
If you're thinking of starting new activities, maybe you could try them as a family before he deploys.
If the kids have given him a little stuffed animal, he could take a picture of the animal with (and without) himself in interesting places - even the chow hall, the work out area, etc.
If he gives the kids little stuffed animals, the animals could write each other.
(that's actually a technique in counseling - a child will say things in the third person they won't say in the first person).
If they can get on voice (Ventrillo is a free program, and so is Team Speak). He could put them on a thumb drive - all he'd need is a headset.
You could have the kids speak into a tape recorder during the week as they think of things they want to tell him. That way they won't space out at the end of the week when they finally get to talk, and just say "Hi, Daddy, Hi Daddy."
If they want to say something to Daddy no one else hears, Mom needs to respect that.
They can make a list of things they want to do when he comes home. "We saw this neat movie, and we want to rent it and watch it with you when you get home" or "I just learned how to hula hoop. I could teach you when you get home."
If he has trouble with long downloads, you could put home videos on a thumb drive and mail back and forth.
What you don't want him to say when he gets home is, wow, you've grown so much, because he's seen photos or videos of them all the way through. He can say things like, I knew you learned ____, but I didn't realize you were so good.
Be sure to include any pets in the communications.
If he knows what the chow hall will be serving, you could have the same thing for dinner one night a week, so you could have a dinner "together." Maybe you could record the conversation at that meal???
(My DH is sharing his experiences here)
The kids need to feel like they're helping daddy, too. So if Daddy says, "I need a new toothbrush," (even though he can buy one at the PX), the kids can shop for one in his favorite color.
It's important that Daddy appreciate every thing they send him - so if he can take a picture of himself with the thing they sent. (he will want to be sure they are all lightweight, easily mailable things)
And DH adds, please don't share with Daddy all the things that go wrong in the normal day to day life that he would fix if he were home. It's great to tell him after it's been fixed. So instead of him feeling bad he's not there, he'll be so happy you're handling things. It's critical for his health and safety that he is free to concentrate on his assignment, and not worried about life at home.
Seriously, if you need to talk, send me a PM.

[bthornton17]

All of the above are great idea. I would also add to have your Dh record himself reading stories to the kids. Then you could play the videos and the kids could "real along" while dad reads to them. Also it is important for him to do this while he is there too. So maybe he could set up a tripod or have a someone there record it. Then he could send the book and the DVD to the kids and they would have a new story. Everytime you send him a care package, include a new DVD and a new book. Then he doesn't have to go looking for one to order.

As for care packages - try to remember things he really can't get there that he normally likes while at home. I tried hard to send my DH stuff that I knew he couldn't get there. And have the kids help pick those things out as well. they might come up with some great idea you never would.

I agree that you don't want to share everything little thing with him - remember it will all break as soon as he leaves anyways!!!! LOL!! That is how it always is for me, if it can happen, it will happen after he leaves. But do share with him how you are doing - don't keep everything bottled up and not share. Because he will have the same issues and it is good for you to talk it out together. This will also make for a smoother transition when he returns. I tried hard to not say too much and then finally broke down one day on IM. I felt bad but he was able to help me and truely was the only one that could. He is your partner - home and deployed.

PM me is you need anything - a phone call can always pick you up too. Hearing from a fellow scrapgirl that has been in your shoes.