Back when I was a kid, and my dad was deployed, we didn't have email, satellite phones, or computers at all. (Unless you count my old Atari that had 5" floppy boot disks!) We received a letter every month or so, taking weeks and weeks to reach us. Maybe a phone call once a month. Often, he would record cassette tapes and mail those to us. (I loved that!) If you're asking yourself what a cassette tape is...it was an archaic form of sound recording before CDs and MP3s. Ask your parents.
Anyway, communication was brief. We usually got disconnected on phone calls. There was no guarantee that he'd be able to call us for birthdays, holidays, etc. Mail was also frequently lost. Even in the early days of OIF and OEF, communication was sparse compared to how we have it now. We can use facebook chat, email, snail mail (takes 6-7 days on average) and our personal favorite: Skype.
If you're not familiar with Skype...you should be! Skype allows you to instant message, voice and video call. FOR FREE. It's amazing. And there are multiple apps out there. We have Skype installed on all our computers, my Android tablet, and even my Droid phone. So I never miss a call or IM. Sure, I still sleep with the phone and my cell next to the bed, just in case of emergency, but our primary form of communication is Skype.
Moose's first Skype date with her daddy was great. She was so excited. She talked about it all day before. (We have to schedule our video chats somewhat, based upon the time change and the peak internet use hours at his location.) Moose has really missed her daddy. Like A LOT. And being able to see him made all the difference in the world. She was able to be silly with daddy, make faces, and even draw a picture to show him. We can't forget our furbabies....they are able to get in on the action, too! After a Skype session, Moose talks about it, and you can see how happy she was to be able to see Daddy, and not just hear his voice.
Skype is a free program and download. You *can* buy credits to use Skype to call regular phones, but for the free service all you both need is an account. I can already tell the ability to communicate almost daily is going to make a huge difference in this deployment for us. And it's super easy, so even those who are tech-challenged can do it!
www.skype.com
I was not paid by, asked by, endorsed by Skype. This is just an honest-to-goodness thankful Mommy who is so glad her baby girl can SEE her Daddy while he's gone!
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