Saturday, June 30, 2007

Can you hear me?? Can you hear me?? VTC....Video TeleConference

What can evoke such emotion from a little girl who will let you know "I am not two, I am two half"???....<----Livi speak for two and a half.

We were able to go to post this afternoon to do a Video TeleConference (VTC) with Mike. We get to the building.....a huge building I might add. We finally found the right door to go into .....(I am trying so hard to keep this post positive, because I could really rant right now about the stupid doors!!) BUT....
where was I??? Oh yeah...We got there about 15 min early. Some times if no one is scheduled before or after you, you can get a little longer time than the fifteen minutes allotted to you. We wait in the waiting room....which by the way has no air conditioner...this is basically a glass building in 90+ degree Texas heat....can you say sauna?? Let's say it all together: sawwwwnnnaaa...it was H-O-T-T hot!
We finally get in to do our VTC....after the initial hoopla, the kids settled in like old pros...you can only talk when the button on the microphone is red, so both kids made sure their microphone stayed red. There is a bit of lag time in the transmission, but not that much.



Believe it or not, fifteen minutes is a long time. Since we get to talk on the phone several times a week, it is really just a chance to let him see the kids. See how big they have gotten....see how sassy they are, or I should say she is!


So after a bit, Mike starts playing peek a boo with them. Again, they think this is hysterical! They snuck under the table and started running for the big screen (that screen on the wall is pretty big. Mike is on the right, and what he sees of us is on the left. So I can tell when the kids get to close to that camera, because he can't see anything!

We had a great visit. Afterwards we ran around some of the old armour they have out there. I will post some of those pictures tomorrow.

happy Saturday, y'all

11 comments:

sandra said...

This about made me cry. My children and I both really take Mark for granted alot of times. After reading something like this, it makes you look into things. This is sooo sweet!!!

Anonymous said...

That is so cute!

CarrieB said...

I am crying right now. I'm so happy this technology exists so you can see each other. Wow. I can't wait for him to come home to all of you.

Thank you for offering a much needed dose of perspective for me. Your family has given so much and I think it is important that I/we realize it.

Have a great day.

tulipmom said...

So sweet! Sounds like you had a great "visit." Your daughter looks like a little spitfire :)

tommie said...

sandra- This is our first deployment. It has definitely made me look at things differently. He is a great husband and really takes care of me to the point of pampering. (like it should be!) So not having that soft place to fall at the end of the day has been a rude awakening for me!

jd's rose- thanks!

carrie-I knew he was a soldier when I married him, but I guess it never dawned on me that he would deploy. In ten years of marriage this is the first seperation of more than just training.

This deployment has shown me that I can do this alone, but I don't want to. He makes me a much better wife and mom than I am alone!

tulipmom- that is a great description of her. She might look just like me, but she acts just like my husband.

Sisters with Style said...

What a great story. Your daughter cracks me up each time I hear a new story about her. She kinda of reminds me of my middle little girl. I think that this has something to do with being 2nd born!!

Anonymous said...

wonderful! i never knew of such a thing. i loved seeing yor children's reactions!

Monogram Queen said...

I think it's really sweet you get to do that. Technology can be a PITA but it can also be a wonderful, wonderful thing!

k e r r y said...

so awesome!!

Head Hen said...

Oh the days...so anticipated and then sometimes awkward but every moment cherished! What a cool dad to play peek-a-boo! I'm always amazed at how "in touch" soldier dads manage to stay. It's their touchstone and driving force, I guess.

How often do you get to talk with him via VTC? Are you ever able to chat with him through an internet cafe on his end and with a little camera at home on your end?

tommie said...

I think we have four or five so far. We do them about every other month or so. We get phone calls probably three to four days a week. So we get to talk alot. Each call is only 15 minutes, but we can each get a turn. We don't do the any of the webcam stuff. Because he works so much, he didn't get internet in his room.