Exhausted

Exhausted.

I think that word pretty much sums up today. After another cold and fitful night of sleep for both myself and Morgan, we woke up even earlier than yesterday for a morning "sunrise" ceremony called "Scouts Own". At least we were allowed to wear our jammies! The girls were asked to not speak from the minute we left the tents until the ceremony was over. When you factored in that many of the older troops had overslept and we had to wait for them to start, the ceremony went much longer than anticipated. Especially for sleepy girls. Who can't talk. :)

After the scouts own ceremony, we headed down to the dining hall for our last meal of Camporee. Pancakes, fruit, bacon, and yogurt awaited us as well as the hot chocolate and coffee from yesterday. Morgan was too exhausted to talk much while eating and before long, it was time for us to pack the cars up, take the tents down, and head home.

We got home around 11ish, just in time for Morgan and I to get showers before lunch. We ate lunch and then napped for a little while until it was time for me to get ready to go work Bingo for the school. Yes, I think I deserve a medal for this! ;-) A mother's work is never done.

"It's even better than I thought it would be!"

That would be a quote from Morgan after a day full of fun and sun at Camporee today. After a fitful night of sleep (thanks to the cold -- sub 30 degree temperatures all night!! -- and one little girl who called out a couple of times), the day started early with us getting the girls up and ready (complete with their Camporee shirt and pink bandannas, and their day packs ready) for Flag Up at 7am. At Flag Up, each of the troops had a cheer or chant for their role call and our troop (32511) chanted, "Two-Five-One-One, we think camping's lots of fun!", which was a chant that some of the staff girls had helped us come up with during one of the meetings they came to to tell the girls about Camporee. After the flag ceremony, it was time for our first meal at Camporee, breakfast. They had bananas, fritatta, sausages, and even hot chocolate, which Morgan was very excited about. But what was even MORE! EXCITING! is that she got to wash her own dishes. You probably remember the deal - mesh bag with your mess kit. Wash, dunk, hang? Yeah, so apparently this is a very exciting task for a five and a half year old. Who knew? Maybe I need to pull together mess kits for everyone in the family and get Morgan to do the dishes for me.

We hiked back to the soccer fields where the girls would get lined up and would be handed over to the "Pink Beard" staff girls who would lead them around the various stations that day. They did knife safety, outdoor cooking, semaphore, skit, first aid/safety, talking like a pirate, sword fighting, treasure hunting, and a service project where they were restoring a wildlife area by pulling weeds, removing dead trees and planting new ones. They had organized the stations to have activities for all the various aged girls, to tailor it to something they could and would do. This was by far, Morgan's favorite thing. She really enjoyed hanging around with the older girls and learning knew things. They had it split into morning session and afternoon session. During the morning session, the moms took shifts helping out at the service station, digging up trees and helping older girls plant trees. We stood by as our girls came to the station and watched them pull weeds. Around lunch, it was time for the Pink Beard patrol to be returned to troops and then it was time to eat lunch. There was a sandwich bar set up for lunch and after lunch the girls got a chance for some free play time with the other Girl Scouts in the landlubbers games. Morgan spent the whole time doing the catapult, and trying to hit me with the ping pong balls. :) When the landlubbers games were over, it was time for the girls to finish their rotations, and Morgan was already exhausted! She kept asking if she was going to be taking a nap. :)

The girls were off doing their stations and the moms all had free time so we went to the cafeteria and a lot of the moms made lanyards and we all chatted a bunch, mostly about school stuff. I even managed to catch a cat nap, completely by accident. Before long, it was time to go get the girls at the soccer field and head back to camp for "troop time". We were to head to dinner (cheeseburgers, corn, and salad) shortly after and then the girls would be going campfire with their patrols. They had learned a skit at one of their stations and each patrol performed their skit for the large audience. As special guests, we had some people from the school for the blind who were camping near us and came to listen to the campfire that night. Our girls did a skit called The Invisible Bench and shortly after that, we were signaled by the staff that they were "done" and ready to go back to camp to sleep. We mixed up the sleeping arrangements a little and so Kristin and Kaitlyn, Morgan and I slept in one tent with the other moms and Daisies slept in the other tent. Although it was cold (though not as cold for as long as last night), the girls were quickly asleep again!

Girls go camping

Today was our first night camping with the tiniest of Girl Scouts, our Daisies. I've had everything ready to go for a couple of days, and put the final touches on last night. Poor Bennett, wants to go camping so bad. He keeps seeing all the equipment and crying, "me go!!!". I worked in Morgan's class this morning and my friend Lara kept Bennett for me. The anxiety and excitement was starting to grow by the time school was over and I was rushing to pick up Bennett and get home. I wanted to get the kids fed and Morgan napping ASAP since we were to meet at Kristin's house at 3:30. One of the other Daisy moms was picking me up at 3, so I knew I had little time to waste.

We were ready, waiting at the curb at 3 with all our gear, even if Morgan was a little grumpy from being woken from her nap too soon. We all met at Kristin's house and waited a little bit for the one last mom and Daisy to show up and then we were off to Camporee! We were warned that the road to the camp grounds is very windy and they made no exaggerations on this matter. I was relieved that I had remembered to give Morgan her dramamine and had her wearing her anti-motion sickness wristbands. The girls got really excited as we drove into the camp grounds and the scout characteristics hung over our heads, from the trees. Now that the girls could read, it was fun for them to find them and read them. Loyalty. Cheerful. Obedience.

We pulled up to the first stop and were greeted by a woman dressed up like a pirate, getting our troop checked in and getting us the important information we needed. We parked and loaded up a wagon with gears, the girls with their gear and headed up this hill that we'd come to know and love over the next two days as we hiked up and down it to get to and from all the activities. The camp sites rested at the top of the hill and we were given what had to have been the world's smallest campsite. We had two 7 person tents to pitch in an area that *might* comfortably house one. No time to worry, we set the girls up with their dinners we had brought and got to work setting up the tents. One of the nicest things I found about the whole weekend were the older girls who had organized the whole event. They literally had 2 or 3 girls available to us the minute we got there to help us pitch our tent, take the girls to the bathroom, or do whatever we needed help with. It was so nice!

We managed to get the tents pitched, our gear trekked up hill, and everyone bundled up for campfire just in time. We hiked back down the hill to where they were attempting to light the camp fire. The girls hung out and waited for the fun to start, but were also incredibly tired and incredibly cold! Pretty soon, the staff girls (older Girl Scouts running the trip) came up and started teaching the girls songs. The girls were loving it (especially loving playing with their flashlights), but their age really showed when they all climbed into their mothers laps, one by one, wanting to warm up and whispering how tired they were. We decided it was time to get back to camp, so we hiked back up the hill, got the girls bundled up in hats and gloves and sleeping bags with blankets so sleep out there in the freezing cold. Once they were settled, Kristin stayed in the tent with them while the other moms went into the other tent to sleep. The girls were out within fifteen minutes! Amazing little campers! :)

Be prepared

I spent the better part of the day going from store to store. Not like a fun, hey let's run over to Nordie's shopping trip. Nooo, this one included stores like Dom's Outdoor Outfitter, Orchard Supply Hardware, and Walmart. Far from fun, but I'm making progress on the crazy long list of items needed for upcoming Girl Scout Camporee weekend. Things like ponchos, compasses, light sticks, emergency whistles and day packs. We were warned to pack light (as the girls have to haul their own gear), but yet this long list of things we need doesn't really lend itself to that sentiment.

Nevertheless, I have begun the process of packing. Good thing I'm crazy about having lots of Ziploc bags on hand, because EVERYTHING is going in a Ziploc bag. I mean, not only does it help compact clothes and stuff, but also? Despite having completely warm and wonderful weather for several days now, we are expecting the weather to turn cold, and worse....WET! The forecast is showing potential showers all weekend.

As I'm packing things up, Morgan is getting more and more excited about the trip. We've discussed ad nauseum the plan for when we are leaving, where we are going, who's going to be there. We've discussed activities there and how we'll eat and all these kinds of things. However, I am thinking that nothing I can do or say is going to truly prepare her or me for a weekend of first time scout camping.

I know it's the boy scout motto, but I'm stealing it for this weekend. Be prepared. That's my plan.

A long, busy day of FUN!

Today was busy, starting right away this morning when I got up with the kids so that Lance could gain some progress on the project that is now suitably referred to as The Great Ceiling Project '09. Poor guy had to repatch the area that needed repair and therefore had to re-puddy, re-sand, etc. So, no sleeping in for anyone. Before long, it was time for Morgan's second tennis lesson. Things went much better this time, in that I sat my freezing butt on the bench outside the court and chatted it up with a few of the other moms while she enjoyed her practice alone. Considering that she is not at all affected by the Tennis Wench, it's best that I don't hear the things coming out of TW's mouth.

After tennis, we rushed back home so that I could throw together a lunch for Morgan and I and head to the Girl Scout Thinking Day. It was a fun time with each Girl Scout troop in our association manning a booth that represented a country. Each table had a poster with facts about the country, an activity for the girls to do and one (or more) snack from that country. We started in Italy and literally ate our way around the world. So fun! Bruschetta and a gondolier race while in Italy, Swiss cheese and chocolate from Switzerland, dragon making in China, bookmarks from Sweden, and even lemon sorbet from France! The girls all had their passports and at each table, they got a stamp after they'd learned something about that country. Morgan really enjoyed seeing what kind of stamp each country used. I think Morgan's favorite country was Germany since they had built a big "castle" and the girls from the troop had decorated it with pictures of stories from Germany (like Hansel and Gretel) and animals that are indigenous of Germany. Guess her full bred German instincts are quite intact. :)


After Thinking Day, we headed home for a quick nap because Morgan was having her first official sleepover that night with her friend Kaitlyn. While naps were going on, I was busy chopping and simmering and preparing for our second "supper club" as Lance has coined it with the Alexanders. Last time we had dinner with them and it was so nice to come and just hang out and enjoy some good food and good company. This time it was our turn to host and I had to make my Dad's famous Cuban style black beans and rice.

While Morgan was having her first sleepover with her friend Kaitlyn, complete with McDonald's, High School Musical 3 and sleeping bags, we were having fun hanging out with a couple of crazy toddlers. They were so funny together! Here's a taste.

Grace in small things

Another wonderful day. Here's my list of five things I'm grateful for today.

1. My tennis club membership. It's such a luxury (especially in this economic climate), but it really does help me retain my sanity. I can go there, drop off the kids and get lost in my music and exercise for a good hour or so. Then, I can take my time and shower, shave my legs, hang out in the sauna, dry my hair, do my makeup and basically make myself feel like a woman. I love the feeling I have every day when I leave there. For that, I will overlook the ludicrous amount it costs to go there to exercise.

2. A wonderful library program. I've been trying to take Bennett to story time at the library once a week since Christmas. Except for illness, he's been to them all and he LOVES them. He asks me to sing songs from them, he talks about stories that were read to him there, and he loves checking out his very own books to bring home. And I love that our playgroup met there today. :)

3. Daisies. When you look for options for extracurricular activities for your child, there's always a sport to be played or dance lessons to be taken. Luckily for us, my good friend Kristin wanted to start a Daisy troop (first level of girl scouts) at Morgan's school. Where sports can teach things like teamwork and sportsmanship, Daisies teaches things like character. I believe it's particularly important as these girls are now exposed to so many different things and people since they are now school aged. The girls will be together as a troop for a good long while, and it makes me happy to know that they will have all been taught things like how to treat friends, taking care of the earth and how to defend yourself against a stranger. I'm so happy to have such an activity for Morgan.

4. I'm so thankful that my friend Kristin agrees to keep Morgan with her between Morgan's reading group and Daisies. She does this even when she's got so much work to do to set up for Daisies and she does it when she knows that I can't be there to help. Ever since Lance got his new job, he hasn't been able to work from home (which was the original plan since Daisy meetings are every other Wednesday) and subsequently be there to "watch" Bennett during his nap. So, instead of me having to go pick Morgan up after reading group (at 1:10) and then have her back in time for Daisies at 2pm and then picking her back up at 3, I'm able to be at home with Bennett while he naps. Don't underestimate how important a nap is to an almost-two-year-old!

5. I'm thankful for a husband who understand that even though my obligations may not drive income, they are still important and he will go out of his way to come home so I can be where I need to be on time. I know this seems like a simple thing, but you'd be amazed at how many women have problems with this! Of course, I would never be married to those men anyway, but I still have to give props to my husband.

Safety Stuff

Today was the police station tour with Morgan's Daisy troop, plus another Daisy troop from school. Morgan was very excited about getting a behind the scenes look at what goes on at the police station. The tour took us through a lot of the highlights of the station, the dispatch area, the briefing room, the holding cells, and even the gym. The girls got to sit in a police car and got to see what all those cool things were in there. They even got to meet a detective, who is not in uniform, to understand that not all police officers wear uniforms.

After the tour, the girls went back to the meeting room where we had left our packed lunches and the girls got to watch the movie, The Safe Side, which was created by John Walsh and Julie Clark (of Baby Einstein fame). The movie was fun for the girls to watch, but also successful taught them about "Don't Knows" (people they don't know -- usually called strangers), "Kinda Knows" (like a soccer coach, school teacher, principal, friend's parent, etc), and "Safe Side adult" (someone your parents have cleared as being a trusted adult to take care of you. The video went through several situations where the kids needed Safe Side adults, like when answering a door or when a "Don't Know" approached them or when an adult came to them and asked them to help them find a lost kitten or something equally as tricky. That one really resonated with Morgan. I highly recommend the video (suitable for children ages 4 and older), not only for what it taught, but also for the discussion points that it provides for you and your child after watching it.

Case in point. As we were walking home from the tour, Morgan started talking about how she was ready to make her "safe side adult" list and that she wanted to put it on a board at home where we could always see it. We started discussing who potential people for our "safe side adult" list could be. She immediately started naming relatives. Her cousin, her aunt, her grandma and grandpa. I explained to her that in most cases, family members are going to be "safe side adults" but that in some families, it's not that way. I told her that luckily our family members are okay, but that we needed to also think of non family members since we really don't have much family around us. I asked her to think about someone that she thought we could trust to take care of her. She mentioned her teacher, but then remembered that we had talked about teachers being "Kinda Knows", so she wouldn't be one. I asked her about Miss Kristin (my good friend, also her girl scout leader). She said that Miss Kristin was a "Kinda Know", as we had discussed during the meeting. Which was true, to most of the girls in the troop, Kristin is a "Kinda Know". She also happens to be a very close family friend to us. I asked Morgan if maybe she could be one of our "safe side adults", to which she responded that she wasn't sure and we'd have to test her. When I questioned her on why we would need to test her, or even how we would test her, she told me that we needed to see if she could "handle her". LOL. I explained that Miss Kristin had "handled her" many times now, and that Daddy and I trusted her and I thought it would be okay to have her on our "safe side adult" list. She concurred.

We were almost home, when Morgan looked across the street and saw her preschool friend's Dad's truck. She said, "Is Nolan's Dad a Kinda Know?" I told her that he was. Then she asked, "Does that mean I can't go to his house anymore?" I told her that's not at all what it meant. That as long as she talks to ME and has mine or another safe side adult's permission, she could do things like hanging out with her friends at their house. But, she needed to check with us first. She said she understood.

It was a really good conversation starter. I had already talked to Morgan about our code word and how to use it, so now we just applied it to this new concept of "Don't Knows", "Kinda Knows" and "Safe Side adults". Anything I can do to empower her to know what to do to protect her and her brother, the better.