Girl Scout Camp Out

Last weekend was a Girl Scout camp out. Our guys don't consider it a true camp out since we did not sleep in tents, but all of our activities were "real" camping activities. Lauren and I got to the place around 4:00 Friday. We had packed all of our stuff into a suitcase, and then also had to bring some food, lawn chairs, and a griddle.

Once we were there the girls played outside until it was time to gather fire wood and cook hot dogs followed by s'mores over an open fire. None of us moms knew how to build a fire but our leader had brought a book and we followed the directions, and it was successful!

Once it was dark we stayed inside the lodge and the girls played games and sat around talking until about 11:30. By this time all of us moms were wanting to go to sleep so it was lights out, but it did take about 30 minutes for the girls to settle down. Our group slept upstairs in a room with several bunk beds with mattresses. I didn't sleep too badly. I think everyone began waking up around 7:00.

Saturday consisted of introduction to learning about a compass, learning how to tie a knot with their handkerchiefs to make cute little hats, taking a hike, playing at the playground, a nature scavenger hunt, making pizza pita pockets for supper, and then Lauren and I came on home instead of staying the second night.

Starting out on the hike

I had no idea we would come out of the woods and be by the Arkansas River--this was my favorite part of the camping experience

We followed the sign to the o.w.c.--outdoor worship center

A fun hidden area with a labyrinth

The older girl scouts did sleep outside in a tent

I had much more fun doing this with Lauren than I thought I would. The camp was only 20 minutes from our house, but you really did feel like you were isolated from anything that had to do with a city. I am proud to say that I was not one of the moms who was on the phone talking to their husbands at all during this time, and I was pretty impressed with how much I was able to contribute when it came to figuring things out involving cooking and hiking. Now Lauren and I are ready to go on more camp outs with our guys!

Scouting

Lauren's last Girl Scout meeting was last Thursday. We will be taking next year off and will think about joining the following year when she would be a Brownie. Not sure if that will happen, though. I think we will try a program called Keepers of the Faith. I've known about this program for a few years, and think I would like to try it. In this picture of her troop they are all holding bears from Build-A-Bear--their last activity they chose to spend their troop funds on.

Tonight Evan graduated from being a Cub Scout Bear to a Webelo (We Be Loyal Scouts). They had a fun way of promoting them. There was a long box that they entered wearing their former neckerchief, and on the back side there was an opening they would stop in front of, a leader would help them quickly put on their new neckerchief, and then they would come out on the other side of the box "magically" wearing their new neckerchief.

Investiture Ceremony

Lauren's daisy girl scout troop had their investiture ceremony tonight. This basically welcomes a new girl into scouting.
Parading in
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Luckily where she was in line she ended up sitting right in front of us for good photo ops.

Adding a petal to the daisy flower representing the girls scout law and promise.

Reciting the girl scout promise.

Getting her pin on her vest by the troop leader

The handshake


Each petal gets sewn onto her vest as they learn a part of the girl scout law

Girl Scouts at Botanica

The temperature was only in the 30s, but thank goodness the activities were inside except for collecting leaves. It was a fun 1 1/2 hours at Botanica--our first Girl Scout outing that Lauren will earn a watering can patch for. She enjoyed it and so did I. (The last slide shows her holding a butterfly made out of leaves--sorry I didn't get a better picture of it).

Goddard Fall Festival 2009

Another year of Evan's cub scout troop in the Goddard Fall Festival Parade. Evan was happy that one of the bands was behind their float because he got to listen to music the whole parade route, but was very tired of waving by the end. Lauren's Girl Scout troop also marched but Lauren didn't. She was very upset for 2 days when we kept telling her no (she doesn't like to walk long distances--next year she will get to), but when she realized how cold it was today, she was happy to just wave at her Girl Scout friends as they walked by. Plus, she got to sit and gather candy as parade participants walked by and handed it out and was happy to do that. After the parade Roger and Evan rode the Sizzler ride and Evan got dizzy but liked it. Lauren and I rode the ferris wheel and she enjoyed that.