Secret Hanshakes And Pimping Cookies

Over the past few weeks I have been feeling a lot better. Aside from my brief yet intense round of screaming kidneys, all has been fairly well. I have hesistated to write or talk about it because I highly suspect that celebrating the fact will undoubtedly jinx the whole thing.

In light of the improvement, both in health and in location, I am making more of an effort to distance myself and the children from the hermit routine that we are so used to. Park day is once again becoming our "Friday thing". The children are getting outside to play nearly every day. We have been shopping a lot lately which isn'ty such a great thing as Home Depot is getting more than their fair share of our money this month. It does, however, get us out of the house and gives us something constructive, or destructive depending on which way you look at it, to bring home and do while we are here.

Savannah has been invited to join a fellow homeschooler's Brownie troop. We attended the troop's ceremony that graduated them from Daisies to Brownies yesterday afternoon. We just observed so that Savannah could decide if this was something she was interested in doing. The first Brownie meeting will start next week. I found it both odd and convienent that one can just jump in anytime and doesn't have to start at the beginning and complete the previous levels. You are assigned to a level according to your age and nothing more. At least this is the way it has been explained to me. Maybe it gets more complicated beyond Brownie status. I don't know.

It is a fairly informal group which pleases me to no end. The mother who invited us is a really nice lady. She seems like someone I could hang out with, but then again I have piss poor judgement when it comes to people so I don't know for sure. We have done a few things together before. We seem to be on the same page in a lot of ways and we seem to have at least a little bit in common. Yesterday, I was the outsider grown up at the meeting though and no one except the inviting mother and the other troop leader were very friendly. That is okay though because I wasn't there for that purpose.

Though you can go all out with the uniform if you like, this group will only require a brownie t-shirt and any form of tan bottoms along with just the brownie sash for badges and pins. I am not much for organized anything but I am also aware that each of my children needs a chance to make friends outside of the family and be a part of something fun and see that they are still an individual and can be a part of something else. I have mixed emotions about the sales and fundraising but I do realize that this teaches the girls that money doesn't fall out of the sky and if they want to be able to fund their adventures then they must put forth an effort to aquire the money. Even if it is annoying as hell, I have to choose my battles.

We have discussed the idea of cub scouts with Logan who doesn't seem interested. I would by lying if I said that I am not a bit relieved about that. I know that isn't the typical all-American motherly thing to say. No one has ever accused me of being the typical all-American mother though. Isn't there some weird scout leader/ pedophile issue though? I just know that Savannah is in it mostly for the other seven squealing six year old girls' company. I don't know how long it will last. It may lead to some socialization and possibly other activities. It is all fine and good to learn a few little songs about being a good girl and making friends but I don't want a bunch of brain washing for either of them. Logan would be more impressionable. I am not saying that scouts are bad. I just don't know enough about either organization yet too be totally for it or really against it. I am instinctively against anything with lots of pledging, reciting, and conformity.

Posted by gwendolyn on September 24, 2003 at 12:24 PM