• For these military families, a special homecoming from Iraq

    Thousands of U.S. troops are returning home this month - many sooner than expected, to the delight and sometimes surprise of their families. At Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, about 3,400 soldiers are making the long journey home. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports.

    Janet Shamlian writes

    FORT BLISS, Texas -- The auditorium-style room at Fort Bliss is full of families and heavy with anticipation.

    Everyone here has a mother or father, son or daughter they haven't seen in months ... about to come home.

    With the drawdown of US troops from Iraq, these welcome home ceremonies are happening every few days at Fort Bliss as some 3,400 soldiers from the 4th Brigade head back to Texas. To attend one, as I did Tuesday, was a reminder of the sacrifice made by our military families.

    Byron Isler sat by himself with a bouquet of flowers, both nervous and full of excitement. Even though he and wife Thomasine were both stationed in Iraq, they never once saw each other there. Byron returned to El Paso last month. They have a 7-year-old son who has been without his parents for far too long.

    Cynthia Medrano sat nearby, surrounded by her mother, her sister and her three young daughters. Carlos Medrano is returning from his fourth and final deployment to Iraq. He's missed so many of the girls' birthdays and school performances, but at least this year he won't miss Christmas.

    And then there is Ashley Hopkins, who told her 6-year-old Lillian and 3-year-old Kaitlyn that they'd come to the event to welcome someone ELSE'S father home. The truth would be revealed to the girls in just a few minutes, when Brian Hopkins would step off the plane and into their arms.

    PhotoBlog: As US exits, Iraqis tell how their lives have changed

    For many of these families, there will be future deployments and more time away from loved ones. But at least this Christmas, mommy or daddy will be home. How will they spend the holidays, I wanted to know. It was heartbreaking to hear one mom of a toddler explain that her family is tight on cash and wasn't going to decorate or get a Christmas tree until they learned Dad was coming home.

    Most poignant from the afternoon with these families was one young woman's comment. She said she knew her husband would come home from Iraq, but now she knew he would be coming home alive.

    The reunions were as you'd expect: tearful and joyous. Bearing witness from the corner of a room, I felt the same. The holiday is just short of two weeks away. But for these families, Christmas came today. 

  • Back to Basics: Give kids time to play

    By Jane Derenowski
    NBC News producer

    The idea for the Back to Basics Series started with stuff - too much stuff! I was sick and tired of trying to find space and time to organize, repair and maintain the onslaught of possessions gathered, gifted and bought. My closets and email accounts were full, my bank account was empty, and I  had too many commitments on the calendar.

    All that clutter found its way into my psyche as well.  The quest for the latest and greatest caused a significant amount of stress - and the same thing was happening to a lot of families I knew. Parents I spoke with felt overwhelmed. On a typical night, they spent hours after work helping overscheduled kids with homework while trying to cook nutritious meals and balance the family budget.

    The  search  for  solutions led me to places across the country where simplifying life for kids and grownups was benefiting the whole family.

    Part 1: CREATIVE PLAY

    In Philadelphia, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a Temple University psychology professor, urges parents to get the kids away from TV and computer screens, limit organized activities, and encourage children to concoct their own games and adventures with simple toys. 

    As she tells correspondent Janet Shamlian, those changes could lead to not only a calmer household, but more creative kids. Giving children time to daydream, she says, is key.

    In this segment we'll also see the power of the playground. Darrell Hammond is CEO of KaBoom!, a nonprofit devoted to building outdoor spaces designed to help kids learn how to solve problems through play, stay fit, and improve interpersonal communication.

    Could you forgo texting and social media for a week? Look for the second installment of the Back to Basics series on The Daily Nightly on Wednesday.

  • ORANGE ALERT AT O'HARE

    Along Chicago's Kennedy Expressway, still miles from O'Hare Airport, signs that usually warn of traffic accidents and weather delays are now flashing unlikely advisories about hair gel and lotion. And it's impossible to miss the "Orange Alert" sign in red letters at the airport's entrance.

    O'Hare is always busy, but the fog blanketing the city was, or course, just part of the reason for the delays. Two hours was not uncommon. By mid-afternoon, the large bins set out near security checkpoints for as-of-today not allowed water bottles and lip gloss were no longer overflowing, as they had been earlier. Alert travelers packed those in their checked luggage. Bags awaiting screening by the TSA often outnumbered passengers.

    O'Hare has 11 flights into London today. The morning trip was canceled. Passengers arriving for evening and night flights were hopeful their vacations would be spared.

    The TSA screening manager at the American Airlines terminal credited travelers for adapting quickly to the new rules. There was little anger and an abundance of understanding, he told me, something he says he doesn't see very often.