V-day Stands for Video Teleconference!!!

I always wonder how Navy wives from 30 years ago had to rely on a hand delivered letter for communication! I have a feeling that 30 years from now, military wives are going to be saying, "How did those wives LIVE without daily videoconferencing?" I don't know how long it has been around, but today the kids and I experienced our 1st video teleconference with Dan.

I had not told the kids about it because I had a feeling it could really fall apart, and then the kids would be a mess. However, last night as T & I were having our end of day talk in his bed (where we discuss the events of the next day), I realized that I had to tell him because his entire morning was going to be different. I told him the surprise, and we talked about ways we could react if the "tv" that Daddy was supposed to be on broke.

You know how everything that can go wrong will go wrong whenever you try to accomplish something like this? Well,

1. I got stuck in base traffic-luckily I had planned plenty of time, so were still there 10 minutes early.
2. Timothy woke up with a sore in the corner of his mouth-He's never gotten one ever! As we were getting out of the car, he said, "I don't want to talk to Daddy with my sore". It was really hurting him. I told him he didn't have to talk. He could just wave and show Dad his new Batman umbrella. He lit up with that idea.
3. Samantha fell down on the loose, sharp gravel as we were walking in. A little section of skin actually pealed back. Oh, and this girl can cry-and did for the 10 minutes before our time.

When they came to get us in the waiting room, they said Dan was already on the screen. My throat caught! It made Timothy so excited to know that he would see Daddy on the tv as soon as we walked in. He forgot all about his sore!

Samantha, however, did not forget. I somehow convinced her to stop crying during the 10 minute teleconference. She just sat weepy and pathetic in my arms (luckily, Dan knows her!) Once it was over, we went back to the waiting room, and it's like all the crying she hadn't done the 10 minutes prior came out like a flood. She sobbed LOUDLY for 5 minutes straight and continues to cry about it 4 hours later.

We had such a great time! We were warned that depending on the quality of "continuity" that Dan could look like a dubbed movie where the mouth moves at different times than the noise. I didn't really notice that-just the regular delay you get when you make an international call.

Dan hasn't received either of my packages yet. One I sent the day after he left, and the other I sent a couple of weeks ago, so this was the only Valentines he'll get. I know it was nice for me, and I think he would say the same!