New quote but not much else

I have added a new quote from the MMA handbook. Be sure to check the right hand column every time you visit for new nuggets of wisdom.

Jacob called me today very excited to have received two excellent grades on English assignments. He read me both papers over the phone. Things seem to be going dandy.

Now I'm going to try to "catch up" on all those months I fell behind blogging. I will post date them, so the entries will come up below Jacob's cadethood. This is for our family's benefit; some of these events happened months ago, but we want to have a record of them in the blog, which is printed out yearly. So no need for all readers to go back and plod through those. I'll try to keep on top of current events at the same time at the top of the blog.

Doug had my camera in Colombia last week, so I regret I don't have any photos to add today!

Promotion!

I had a call from one very excited young man today. The call came from his own cell phone number! This is important because his cell phone (a Christmas present) was being held by the Officer in Charge until Jacob's first promotion. So I knew by the caller ID that there was good news in store!

Sure enough, Jacob got is first promotion today. He moved from Recruit Candidate to Recruit 2nd class (R-2). Also this week he earned the privilege, based on his academic performance, of staying in his own room for evening study hall. Now that he is R-2, besides getting his phone, the major perc of this promotion is that he can now wear his pajamas during evening study hall in his room (rather than his uniform). He was very thrilled about this! With all these exciting privileges, he said that after class time, all the rest of the day is fun: first comes athletics, then mess, then study hall in your pajamas!

Jacob said that yesterday, the last full day of his third week at MMA, was the first fun day. He says that things are just really clicking and he is enjoying himself very much.

This weekend is an "Open Weekend," so Doug is going to head east instead of west when he arrives home from Colombia tomorrow, and spend a day with Jacob in Columbia. Did you get that? (Note the spelling difference.)

Now, on another note, I have reviewed the MMA Middle School Cadet Handbook and Regulations and found that I heartily approve of it. It has many words of very good advice for young men. It also has many important rules that suddenly make our system here at home--once viewed as oppressive and constrictive by our burgeoning adolescent--look like a blissful sojourn in Tahiti.

Therefore, I have decided to periodically share some quotations from this handbook for your edification. See sidebar. Check often.

Introducing: Cadet Von Feldt

There has been a long dry spell on this blog, but look what photos I have for you at last: Cadet Von Feldt.


Yes, it's true that Jacob transferred to Missouri Military Academy just over two weeks ago.

Here's how excited he was to go:


The decision was a long time coming, but all parties--parents and teenager--came to feel happy about it after many struggles and much fasting and prayer.

After some research, Doug and I and Jacob first took a weekend to visit a couple of boarding schools, and we settled on Missouri Military Academy (MMA). It is only about 3 1/2 hours away in Mexico, MO which is near Columbia, home of Mizzou (University of Missouri). Rather unfortunate neighbors if you are a KU fan, but many of the boys are not from Missouri at all and so have no particular devotion to Mizzou.

Please enjoy these photos of Jacob's send-off, his first day at MMA, and our first visit to see him there after his enrollment.