Author Archives: Jamie Wilson

Keep Math Skills Up Over The Summer

As a military spouse, you are often effectively a single mother (um, or father) — worse, you’re deployed away from supportive grandparents, siblings, and friends. That means when the military member is deployed, it’s totally up to you to keep often-unmotivated kids’ educational skills up over the summer. Most parents do this by using the summer reading list sent home by the teacher, and according to statistics and testing they do a great job (national pat-on-the-back). However, teachers don’t tell you to teach math. Math is where America lags the most, and kids lose more and more math skills over … Continue reading →

Worrying About Your Deployed Spouse

I’m one of the lucky ones. My husband rides submarines. If he is ever shot at by an insurgent then something, as he is fond of saying, has gone horribly wrong. But still, when you see the news and hear about someone’s husband, father, son, brother being killed or kidnapped by the enemy — an enemy who, unlike our military, has no qualms whatsoever about torturing and murdering prisoners — your heart breaks. I can see myself in that position. My husband is the love of my life; I have been in love with him since I was sixteen, even … Continue reading →

Disneyworld As An Educational Tool

Disneyworld is a great place to have fun with the kids – but it can also be a wonderful place to support their education. The best park for this is Epcot, of course (followed by Animal Kingdom). The name is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and it was originally planned in part as a place where children and adults could learn about advanced technology in a fun way. So how can you use it as an educational tool for your kids? First, realize that the rides and characters may well be a more compelling draw for the … Continue reading →

The Best German Food in America — At Disney’s Epcot Center

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Though Disney has been working at improving its amenities here, Epcot’s real attraction is the huge variety of international restaurants. When you’re having a romantic dinner or you’re dining with the family, Epcot offers reasonably-priced dining in neighborhoods themed to the nationality. In the Germany section, this results in some of the best food you ever tasted, at the Biergarten. But the experience does not start with the food. When you report for your reservation (required, and you need to be 15 minutes early or risk losing it), you’ll approach the restaurant along an alley made up like a medieval … Continue reading →

Post Memorial Day Gripe for Military Spouses

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Okay, we’ve honored our husbands. Now where’s the honor for us? Our men (and women) do a lot to keep us safe, but military spouses are here to make certain that they have something to come home to. While our husbands are often honored – Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Veterans Day – we have one lousy holiday decreed in 1984 by Ronald Reagan to celebrate the sacrifices of the military family. It’s the Friday before Mother’s Day every year, which implies — correct me if I’m wrong — that our real value is as mothers to our husband’s … Continue reading →

Military Move: Do It Yourself, Or Let The Government?

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Moving stinks. And we’re going to do it again this year, albeit to a very nice place. The thing is, this time it’ll be different. We probably won’t be able to do a DITY move because we’re going overseas, so I’ll have to watch other people pack my stuff, and probably yell at them half the time. If you don’t have a job and you want to ensure all your stuff is safe, the do-it-yourself (DITY, in the weird acronym of the military) is a good way to make some extra money too. Instead of the government paying contractors for … Continue reading →

Why I Love The Military Lifestyle

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Okay, so I could live a lot cheaper back where I came from in Kentucky. So I resent being torn away from the beaches I loved at Pensacola. And so I hate it up here in Connecticut, a foreign land for a born-and-bred Southerner. It doesn’t matter. I still love being a military spouse. For one thing, I have the advantage of moving all over the world, without the decided disadvantage of being sent out to sea or deployed somewhere unpleasant. Without being a Navy wife, I would never have discovered how I loathe New England. I also would never … Continue reading →

No Cranky Children on Disney Rest Days

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Unless you’re a marathon runner (and probably even if you are), vacationing at Disney parks is exhausting. It’s a good idea to schedule some down time in your vacation, at least one day of rest for each three of your park-visiting days. But if you’re there with kids, you know what that means. Children from the age of three up will complain about each “wasted” day on a Disney vacation. When they’re a little older, around 14, you can put them on a bus to one of the waterparks and not worry; but the smaller ones can’t go without you. … Continue reading →

Riding The Rails — In Front

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Everyone going to more than one Walt Disney World theme park will probably ride the monorail. It’s fun, it’s convenient, and it goes to resorts, restaurants, and two of the parks. But did you know that, if you have a party of six or fewer, you can ride up front with the driver? All you have to do is head to the front of the line. There is a sign there telling you to ask the attendant about riding with the driver; if there’s no one in front of you waiting to ride already, the attendant will escort you to … Continue reading →