Hollyanne Milley had a green thumb after spending time with pre-school students at the Cody Child Development Center, but it wasn't because she was gardening.
Milley, the spouse of Gen. Mark Milley, visited the Cody Child Development Center on the Fort Myer portion of JBM-HH Nov. 12 to decorate Christmas ornaments with two preschool classes. The green thumb was the result of a paint stain from decorating the ornaments.
"We had a great time today," said Milley. "It put us in a great holiday spirit."
Milley - who was accompanied by Holly Dailey, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey's wife - said she came because she thought it was important to involve the kids to paint ornaments that will be used to decorate the holiday tree at Quarters One, the Milley's residence. The ornaments will be put on a tree at the Milley's home sometime in December.
"Mark and I recognize what an honor it is to live in the 'House of Army,'" Milley wrote in a letter to Cody CDC Parent Outreach Director Kerry Ross. "We want to share that home and celebrate with the Fort Myer community in order to form a bond with our extended military family and solidify our commitment to the community as a whole."
In an email, Ross wrote that it is normal for the kids to participate in the annual "base-wide lighting of the tree." But noted that this is the first year that Cody CDC children will help create ornaments for the tree.
"Anytime the military community reaches out and wants to involve military children, it's a great opportunity," said Sunny Smith, director of facilities at the Cody CDC. "We exist to support the military community."
Arriving at the Cody CDC, Milley and Dailey were greeted by Smith, who gave the ladies a tour of the center. First, they strolled down the infant toddler wing of the building and then down the preschool wing, periodically pausing to watch children interact with their instructors.
Finally, they made their way into room 206, where instructors and classroom volunteers gave each child a clear, sphere-shaped ornament on a paper plate, paint brushes and three paper plates with red, green and white paint.
The ladies laughed, talked and painted with the children as they mixed colors and painted the clear, sphere shaped ornaments with them.
On Dec. 14, children and parents will travel to the Quarters One tree to see their hand-painted ornaments on display, according to Maj. Yesenia Hutch, special assistant to the U.S. Army chief of staff.
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