Project Linus

This morning I had the honor of attending a Project Linus event with my brownie girl scout troop.  This is one of the many service projects we are hoping to do this year.  One of the girls mothers was nice enough to recommend Project Linus for the girls this year.  I have heard of Project Linus but I had never attended one of their event.

The girls took pieces of muslin and white cotton fabric and go to work.  They were given fabric markers, stencils and a seat.  They were then off to create the first step of a Project Linus blanket!  The Project Linus “blanketeer” told the girls that they could color their squares in anyway they wished!  She was sure to tell the girls to use bright and happy colors.  Other then that there were no rules as to what designs they could create.  We sat and colored for 2 hours!  I will admit that we also got up and looked at the tables of things to buy… Oh yes, we also had a cookie.  We are after all girl scouts.  How could we pass on a cookie?

The girls were also given the chance to see how a tie blanket is made, watch women knit and more.  There were so many different styled Project Linus blankets being made.  Everywhere you looked there were women woking hard while enjoying one another.  The girls even had the opportunity to watch their squares become a quite right in font of them!

If you are a scout leader, a 4H leader or just someone who likes to craft I would highly recommend attending a Project Linus event!  I am sure that you will love not only the cause but the atmosphere, people and certainly the cookies!  I know we sure did.

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Girl Scouts Leaders

:en:Juliette Gordon Low :en:Category:Girl Scou...
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As some of you know and others are about to find out I am a Girl Scouts Leader for both Abigail and Emma’ troops.  I have come to learn a few things in the past year and a half about being a leader.  Most of these lessons were learned out of frustration which makes me want to remember them for when Analiese is in kindergarten.

  1. It is NOT a one person job.  Do not kid yourself and think that you can take over the world.  You need help.  It is such a relief to finally have one with my daisy troop.
  2. The adults ARE worse then the kids.  If it is not mothers who will not leave it is fellow troop leaders fighting like kids.  Adults are much nastier then kids could ever dream of being.  This is too much.  I will not take a side in this current matter.  A friend was hurt and for that I am sad but I do not want to fall into the high school clique mentality as others have.  I think that the adults should act as adults.
  3. It is a full time job.  Planning all of the details involved can be overwhelming.  There are a bunch of websites to plan and investigate how to best handle the kids.  All of the fund raising, crafts, field trips and community service are quite time consuming.
  4. There is a lot to learn.  There is the old program with badges and patches and now there is the new Journey’s program.  So much to learn and process it is amazing that I can pass it on!

For all that Girl Scouts is I feel that it is a vital part of making girls into productive leaders in society.  I think about that each and every time I think about throwing in the towel.  I pray that one day my daughter will thank me.  I am hoping that I get better at it all.  I am hoping that all of my friends that I am making along the way find it in their hearts to forgive and forget.  I am most of all hoping for three college scholarships!  Oh come on I am just kidding.  Or am I?  Either way I am hoping that I am giving my girls the best experience I can because I know in few blinks of my eyes they will be off to their own lives leaving me behind!

Becca

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Is My Baby Blind? Part II

From here I could tell that the Dr. was worried too.  He was trying not to let me know.  As he set down the flashlight that he had been shining into Analiese’s eyes he picked up a great big bright toy!  I thought that she would for sure watch this.  He moved it slowly back and forth in front of her.  She just stared into space as if there was noting there.   The Dr. then went to his tie that he was wearing, which was also bright, and waved it back and forth slowly and yet again nothing.analiese-coming-home-from-h1

By this point I was standing there watching this thinking, “you have to be kidding me!”  I had told the Dr. about my concern, but Analiese  should have come into the office and looked at him and track things and show that I am a worry wart.  She was supposed to prove me wrong.  By this point I was FLIPPING out inside.  All of a sudden he stopped moving his tie and accepted defeat.  I was right!

At this moment he said he was sending her to a pediatric opthomolgist.  He had given me a name of one and he was even nice enough to schedule the appointment.  I know from my other children and all of their issues that this is not a good thing!  It is actually a really bad thing when your Dr. feels that he needs to sit down and call another Dr.  Now I was again FLIPPING out inside.

On the way home I called my mother-in-law.  She is like my best friend.  She is the one I always call first.  Tears were welling in my eyes and I told her how the appointment had gone.  She was silent!  This is never good.  She usuaully has so much to say.  She tells you that it is all fine and she tells you that it is just a precaution.  She helps you figure out how to fix it.  This itme though she was silent.

I felt like it was 10 minutes before she said anything.  I am sure it was more like 1 minute but to me it felt like an eternity.  Here I was looking for infinate wisdom and all I got was silence!  Then she spoke and she was alomst yelling, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!”  I said,  “well no I am not.”  This was me stalling while still waiting for her to reassure me!  Then she said, “I am speachless.  How much crap can be put on your plate?  I just cannot believe this!”

It was then that I cried.  She was right.  I already had a child with Mastocytosis, undiagnosed bipolar and another child with Cerebral Palsy.  When would God think that enough was enough?  Why me is all I kept saying.  I am a good person.  I have always been overly kind even to nasty people.  I went to church on an almost regular basis.  Why was God doing this to me?  All I had ever wanted out of life was to be a mother and have the “perfect” family.  This mess was anything from perfect!

Links to the Full Series

Baby Blind Part I
Baby Blind Part II
Baby Blind Part III
Baby Blind Part IV
Baby Blind Part V

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Death of a Child

This weekend something quite heart wrenching happened to someone I know.  It has shaken me to the core of my sole.  I am a Girl Scout Leader and the worst thing has happened to another leader’s daughter.  She died two nights ago.  My thoughts and prayers are with them.  I just cannot imagine if it were me.  For the past 48 hours that is all I have done.  I cannot stop imagining.

I have not spoken to the mother herself but from what I understand their daughter was feeling a little sick on Friday.  By Saturday morning she had a fever and her mother took her to the doctor.  The doctor assured her that her daughter was fine and sent them home.  The rest of the day her daughter rested.  Then, as the mother was going to bed, the mother went to check in on her daughter. She found her daughter in distress.  I guess at this point she called 911 but it is too late.

I am crying while typing.  This woman has a heart of gold.  She is about the nicest woman you ever wat to meet.  Her daughter was only 12 years old.  Her life ended much too quickly.  As of now they do not know what caused her death.  Her parents sat around waiting to hear from the medical examiner all day yesterday.

I guess my point in posting this is to remind all of us of a few things:

  1. Even though your kids annoy you smile and let it go.  They are just kids.
  2. Kiss them and hold them every chance you get.  You never know when it will be the last time.
  3. Always say I love you before they leave.

I know this all seems so obvious and simple but think about it.  I am sure that there are days that you are in a rush and forget to kiss them.  I am sure that there are days when you just wish they would leave you alone!  I am sure that there are days when I love you does not leave your mouth.  I just know I would not want that day to be my daughters last!

Becca

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