HUNTINGTON BEACH GIRL SCOUT TROOP 746

EARTH DAY AT THE KELP FEST 2012

2012-04-23T00:55:00.000-07:00

For Earth Day weekend, Troop 746 headed down to Laguna Beach to celebrate in the fun at Kelp Fest 2012.

We went in two cars and while the girls in my car were waiting to meet up with the girls from the other car, we ran into a lady who had a snake.

I was really surprised the girls were all willing to pet the snake. No fear in these girl scouts!

They asked a lot of questions about the snake and snakes in general. I love how these girls are always learning every time we get together.

There were several booths set up and games to play.

The thing the girls really wanted to do was go to the Tide Pools.

There were tours going on and before we got to head on over there, we had to listen to a little presentation on what a Tide Pool was, how it was formed, what they may see and how to treat Tide Pools.

Once the "business stuff" was done, it was time to head on over to the real fun.

Each girl had a little brochure that showed the different sea life they may find.

Here Skylar is showing us she found one.

One of the guides points out other things to see.

Safa really enjoyed trying to stay out of the way of the waves.

Going in the water at the beach is so tempting to kids. So, I did promise we could have a fun day at the beach this summer.

That information seemed to satisfy the girls so they didn't mind not being able to go in right then.

Verenice and Cailyn both had a blast at the Tide Pools.

We didn't want to leave the area but we had to because other people were coming to check out the Tide Pools.

On the way back, we made a quick stop at the Lifeguard Tower. The Laguna Beach Lifeguard Dept has been around for 83 years!

We came across a beautiful mermaid. Her tail was so pretty as it sparkled with it's many colors.

Some of the girls wanted their picture taken alone with her. So, I clicked away as they took their turns sitting with her.

Here is Nikki.

Diana also wanted her picture with the mermaid. I can't blame her. After all, how many times do you really get this chance?

Skylar was happy to have to have her picture taken with her.

The other girls were happy with the group photo and decided they didn't want to be in a picture alone with the mermaid.

We moved over to the face painting station.

The girls always seem to enjoy getting their faces painted.

There were starfish, whales, mermaids and more painted on the girls.

Everyone worked up a hardy appetite so we went across the street to have lunch at Johnny Rockets.

It was a lot of fun. Not only did everyone enjoy their meal but the staff came out and danced for us.

When it was time to go, everyone seemed to be tired. Fresh air and exercise does that to you.

We all agreed that we had a blast and Earth Day Rocks!!!

EASTER FESTIVAL 2012

2012-04-22T23:50:00.001-07:00

It was time to celebrate Easter and go visit with the Easter Bunny! OK, maybe I had to beg a few girls to have their picture taken with the Bunny but so what. I'm sure they really wanted to sit on his or I guess I should say her lap. Look at those big smiles.

I always thought the Easter Bunny was a boy. After all, the song says it's Peter Cottontail that hopped down the bunny trail. Not Sally Cottontail. Oh well.

We had fun going to the Orange County Fair Grounds for their Easter Celebration.

The girls had fun picking out what they wanted painted on their face.

Diana went with a full face butterfly. Doesn't she look beautiful?

Most of the girls went with only one side of their face being painted.

Here the girls are showing off their lovely painted faces.

Each girl also had a basket to collect the candy, stuffed animals and of course the Easter Eggs that they opened up quickly to see if a "Golden Ticket" was inside the egg.

Sadly, no such ticket was found by our girls. But, they did get a lot of candy, small toys and a stuffed animal.

Right before my eyes, some of the girls turned into pretty Spring flowers!

Some were trying out their hands at being the new Easter Bunny.

There were lines at every station we had to wait in to for the chance at winning that coveted "Golden Ticket" that would have brought with it a Super Big Easter Basket.

Yet, the longest line we had to wait in was for lunch. We got an extra large fresh baked pizza that we all shared. YUM!

There were all sorts of magical moments. We even came across some extra tall butterfly ladies.

After we hit up all the spaces, got tons of treats and everyone had a nice full tummy, it was time to leave.

The girls were not ready to go home yet. So, we made a stop back at Perry School so the 5th grade girls could help paint the wall behind the school. It's a way they got to leave their mark behind once they move on to 6th grade.

Then we spent some time a park where the girls had fun running around, playing hide and seek and using up what little energy they had.

Another fun outing was over.

GENERATIONS LONG AGO

2012-04-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

We have been spending the last few weeks working on our Generation Badge. The girls have been learning about their family trees and how to go about being an investigator to find out more info on who their family was, several generations back.

Each girl found out some interesting information about their family that they didn't know before.

Some were able to see names that were passed down from generation, to generation. Some learned where their blue eyes could have come from.

Some saw a history of health problems that could have been passed down to even their generation.

Many found out when their family first came to America.

The girls were able to see how getting birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, military records, old school records, family bibles and many other documentations, could give them valuable information for their family trees.

A few of the girls found out that other family members have been working on their family tree. This of course was great for them as it already provided them with a lot of information to work off of.

One other thing we did was a craft to help remind the girls of these new "family members" they just learned about.

We took old photos and made copies. Then they cute out the picture, glued it to the back of a clear stone and then added a magnet to the back.

This way, they are able to put these on their refrigerators and think of them often.

Some girls forgot to bring their pictures with them. They had the option to either take the supplies home to make them at home or they could draw a picture, write a name or saying to use as their magnets.

They all came out great and the girls enjoyed making these.

I also showed them how they could make larger paper weights the same way, only using a larger piece of glass.

They have all been really interested in learning about past generations and how times have changed so much.

It's always nice to know where we came from.

GIRL SCOUTS 100th YEAR CELEBRATION

2012-04-02T18:25:00.001-07:00

One hundred years ago, Girl Scouts was first started by Juliette Gordon Low. She sold her strand of pearls to get the money to start this wonderful girls group.

We went as a troop to the Nixon Library to celebrate the 100th Anniversary along with hundreds of other girl scouts.

There were several stations that the girls could do an activity and also earn a "badge", which was really a sticker. These "badges" were actual badges that girls could earn from years ago. We had to find 9 locations and do what they planned for us and then we would get a sticker/badge.
The first one we stopped at was the Millinery (hat making) badge. The girls made a birthday hat.

This badge was very popular back in the days that girls and women wore hats.

We stopped for a photo with the 100th Birthday cake they made just for this event.

The girls all wanted to stop and send a card to the men and women that are in the Military to thank them for their service and for keeping us safe.

We then headed over to the house that President Nixon actually lived in a child.

We got to go through the little house and see some of the actual furniture, kitchen items, piano, photos and other items from when he lived there.

We then made a mad dash over the actual helicopter that President Nixon used while he was in office. We were very lucky because there were no lines and we got to go right in without waiting.

The girls thought it was very interesting to see how a President used to get to locations by helicopter.

We decided we would eat before the crowds got super bad. We lucked out and were able to get tables to sit down at.

Everyone got to pick between hot dogs, chicken tacos or pizza. Each item also came with a snack and drink.

After everyone had full tummies, it was back to finding the locations of the other "badges". The girls liked making the rose pens. The rose was Pat Nixon's favorite flower and since it was also her birthday celebration, the rose was used and made very cute pens.

The girls also made little clothes pin dolls.

We got to see several of Pat Nixon's old dresses from when she lived in the White House. We all picked out the ones we liked the most.

We were all pretty tired from walking around for hours. So, we took advantage of going inside and listening to a lady sing some fun girl scout songs.

They also had some drawings going on where the girls could enter to win a free gutiar, bike or other items.

We got stopped by someone taking photos for council and they asked if the girls would pose in front of the water. We actually got stopped by several people because they said our troop looked so nice and were very well mannered. How nice.

After we got all the badges/stickers, the girls still had some energy left. They wanted to go to where the DJ was and dance. So dance they did!

They had so much fun there. They said it was the best part of the day. They also laughed a lot.

No one wanted to stay for cake. WHAT! Kids didn't want to eat cake?

Well, truth be told, we all stopped and the girls were able to get drinks and a treat earlier.

Since we did everything and the girls finally got tired of dancing, we decided it was time to go. Everyone was tired and ready to go.

We all said our good byes and headed home.

HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY GIRL SCOUTS!

BOOTH SALES ARE GOING GREAT!

2012-02-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

As we all know, it's COOKIE TIME! The girls have been going door to door, asking friends and family, sending order forms to work with their parents and now doing booth sales, all in an attempt to sell hundreds and hundreds of boxes of cookies.

The colorful boxes of cookies are now being seen all over Orange County and the sound of "Girl Scout Cookies!" fills the air.

The first day of the sales was by far the best! Everyone was happy to see the cookies out finally and were ready to buy up.

Jesse was full of energy and did a fantastic job of selling.

Our first Sat. booth sale started out a bit rough. We had a prime location and two doors to sell at. Four girls had signed up but only Trinity was able to make it.

She was able to hold down the fort and it turned out to be a great selling day for her. Way to go Trinity!

Diana has been doing a super job of having booth sales out front of dad's place of employment. We got her special permission to do this and it's been a great location for her.

She is doing a super job and has sold almost 500 boxes of cookies so far. Great job Diana!

Going down the beach was a fun spot to sell at. The crowds were big and there was a lot of fun people watching going.

Liz got really good at being loud as she sold her cookies. Way to go Liz :)

It was the first year of selling for some of our girls. While they all seem to start off shy at first, soon they get the hang of it and are selling like pros.

Skylar was so cute out there holding her sign and trying to get everyone to come over to the booth and pull their wallets out to purchase as many cookies as they could afford.

That's how you do it Skylar. Keep up the good work!

One booth sale Trinity had sold 122 boxes of cookies. Wow! That was wonderful and a lot of hard work. She is a super seller. Perhaps she got some tips from her Daddy who is a great salesman too.

Liz has been working a lot of hours trying to sell 500 boxes of cookies. With that kind of devotion I have no doubt she will hit her goal and even sell more then that!

Love that bright and colorful sign you made Liz.

Another day down at the beach was a lot of fun because we had lots of girl signed up.

This was Cailyn's first booth sale and she pick up on the way to sell right away.

Cailyn would switch from holding a sign to holding boxes of cookies. I love how she would mix it up and try different things to get people buying.

It worked too. Her bright smile couldn't be passed up by many without buying cookies. Plus, she looked so nice in her uniform! That's how it's done Cailyn! Continue on the same way and I'm sure you too will reach your goal!

Another great sign by Nikkie! Who could pass up these two happy girls with their cheerful signs?

Diana has been doing great in her location. While she would love to do group booth sale, she has decided that since she has a great location it is better to stay there and sell, sell, sell. I'm so proud of her.

Actually, I'm so very proud of our whole troop! They really have stepped up and are working long hard hours. They all set their goals and trying hard to reach them.

We still have about two weeks to go and we have lots of booth sales signed up by all the girls.

I know some of the girls are holding sales on their own that I'm not making it to. If you have any pictures of the girls that you would like to share with me, please email them to and I'll add them to our blog :)

Thank you to the girls and of course to the parents. I know cookie sales takes a lot out of your days but without you, we couldn't do 1/2 of the fun things we do in our troop.

READY, AIM, FIRE!!!

2012-02-12T18:35:00.000-08:00

It was a fun night for the girls as they got to go to the archery range.

They gathered around the table waiting for their lesson to start. They were all excited. Some had gotten a chance to try their hand at archery before but it was nothing like this. This is where the pros go to practice!

Don showed them the different types of bows and arrows. He also explained the parts of them and the girls were listening to him and really took it all in.

Of course once they got to actually get up and start to shoot was the most fun part. But, before they could even pick up their bows, Don made sure they knew all the rules. One has to be very careful here. We don't want anyone to get hurt.

After learning all the safety rules, it was time to get their target to hang up. This is when the excitement really kicked in.

They all had big smiles on their faces as they carefully hung their targets just like Don told them to.

They were taught how to hang the targets at the right height for them. They didn't want them to be to high or to low.

There was giggles and laughter going on as they each went to their own lane to hang up the brightly colored target that they just knew they would hit.

They then went back to their spots, got their bows and arrows ready. They all had their arm guards on and they were ready to go!

Don is Jesse's dad so she had her own equipment as they go shooting fairly often. Lucky girl!

As the girls were shown how to hold the bow they really paid attention. It was shown how they could really get hurt if they didn't hold it right. Their arm could get cut, they could hurt their fingers and a lot worse.

This information was really drilled into them. Safety is very important and the rules must be followed at all times.

By now I thought the girls were about to burst from excitement and wanting to shoot those arrows. Finally, it was time.

They all picked up their arrow, put it in their bows...

They pulled back, took aim...

Kept their elbows up and pulled all the way back to their face. Then they let go and the arrows flew forward...OK, some flew up to the ceiling, some hit the floor and some when into the other lanes. But they were all flying.

After everyone was done shooting their arrows and it was clear for them to go, they walked towards the targets and retrieved their arrows.

They went back and tried again. Don was very good about going to each girl to show them just how to stand, hold the bow and arrow and to remind them to hold their elbow up.

Each time when it was cleared they would walk (not run or skip) down to the wall and get their arrows..if they could reach them.

After shooting for awhile, the girls put a pink balloon up on their target. No one expected them to be able to hit that small balloon from so far away.

The truth was the girls got closer to hitting the target with having the balloon there then they did without it. Some got pretty close.

Some even hit the target!

After they finished shooting, Don showed the girls how to make their own arrows.

They got to pick out their own feathers. Liz picked out purple. Just like the Panther Purple at her school.

There was just about every color feather to pick from. Verenice picked purple and pink. Each girl had different color combos on their arrows.

They glued on the top and bottom part of the arrows. I wonder if they remember what they are called. The top part is the point. The bottom part is the nock.

Nice job Skylar and Diana!

They got to use the machine that attaches the feathers to the arrow. Jesse did a super job.

They had to be sure to put the feather in the correct way or it wouldn't come out right. Great job Trinity! You got it right.

Don was there to give one on one lessons to the girls.

Diana was happy with her arrow and took her target home with her too. She said she had a lot of fun.

Sofa made a nice arrow too! I was proud of all the girls and the good job they did.

Nikki said she really enjoyed getting to learn more about archery and wanted to go back again.

Skylar said she loved everything they did. She was taking her arrow and target home to help her remember how much fun she had.

They girls earned their Archery badge. This will be the first badge that Verenice will get. She just joined our troop and already earned a badge. Way to go Verenice!

Cailyn was having a great time all night. I didn't even have to ask her if she enjoyed the night. I could tell by the way she laughed and giggled she was having a blast!

Trinity said she made her arrow to give to her daddy. How sweet and thoughtful!

Jesse couldn't wait to play with her arrow.

Liz was proud of her arrow. She said she also had a lot of fun and learned a lot.

The girls were very well behaved. They all listened carefully, followed all the rules, was respectful and followed all safety rules.

When it was time to go, they thanked Don and we gave manager of Orange County Archery a box of girl scout cookies to thank him. He was thrilled to get them.

I too had a lot of fun and took a lot of pleasure seeing all the girls having such a good time and finding out how much they liked shooting archery.

IT'S TIME FOR GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!!!

2012-01-28T22:50:00.000-08:00

It was cookie delivery day and Jesse and Nikki showed up to lend a hand.

There were over 46,700 cases of cookies to count and help get into the troops cars. That's a lot of cookies. That's a half of million boxes of cookies! YIKES!

It was a lot of work picking up all those boxes of cookies and making everything run smoothly.

Most of the girls helping were older girls. But, they didn't have enough help signed up so they sent out an email asking for Juniors to come help if possible.

Even though it was hard work, bending, lifting and carrying all those boxes, both Nikki and Jesse said it was fun and enjoyed helping out.

I was happy that girls from our troop was there to lend a hand. Of course Michelle and I were there too but it was nice to have some of our girls representing Troop 746.

So now, everyone has their cookies and it's time to hit the streets to get all those yummy cookies in the tummies of all of our neighbors, friends and family.

Thanks Michelle. Thanks Jesse. Thanks Nikki for helping out today.

GLOW IN THE DARK DANCE

2012-01-27T23:25:00.000-08:00

The night was all a glow! As you looked around you noticed how dark it was. Almost to dark to see. Yet, there was color all around. Everyone and everything was glowing. We were at the Glow in the Dark Dance.

There were several stations for the girls to stop at before they entered the dance area. They got their faces painted with glow in the dark face paint.

They had to stop and get the paint activated so it would glow. Since there was no sunshine or bright lights to activate the paint, they had flashlights that they would shine on the area painted.

There was glow in the dark tinsel that got tied in their hair. This didn't work out to well though. It was hard to get it tied and then once it was in it fell out pretty easy.

The girls made glow in the dark bracelets. There were glow in the dark nail painting and glow in the dark hair spray stations but, the girls didn't want to have those things done.

Our troop had lots of glow in the dark items to wear. The girls turned the glow in the dark sticks into a necklace, hats, glasses, bracelets and many other shapes.

There was pizza, cupcakes and lemon aide to keep the girls full and quenched their thirst.

The music was loud, everyone was dancing and having a lot of fun!

There was glowing hula hoops and glowing balls being played with too.

Even the cups they had lemon aide out of was glowing. Lots and lots of neon colors were everywhere.
It was very pretty.

Yes, even the frosting from the cupcake that got smashed onto the nose of our co-leader, Michelle's, face was glowing. Don't worry though, it was her own daughter that did this and Michelle just laughed about it.

I have to admit, I'm very surprised I was able to get any photos to come out. It was very dark and there was a fog machine going on, flashing lights, black lights and I was sure all the pictures were going to be just a big bunch of nothing. So, while these are not the best photos, I'm happy they came out at all.

It was really fun to see the girls having so much fun and dancing. They were hooting and hollering and even screaming, they were having such a good time.

I really enjoy seeing the girls having such a great time. They were all so good and well behaved. I always feel so proud of "my girls". They do get noticed for how well mannered they are and for how much they get along.

I've had several other leaders tell me they wished their troops were like ours. I just puff up like a mother hen and beam with pride when they say things like that. I know it really has nothing to do with me though and it's all how well they are being brought up at home. Yet, I still feel great joy when "my girls" get compliments like that.

It seemed like we just got there and then they were saying the party was over and it was time to go home. It's so true when they say "time flies when you are having fun".

So ended another night, full of memories for Troop 746. I hope everyone has sweet dreams and that those dreams are in neon glow in the dark colors.

CHRISTMAS CAROLING 2011

2011-12-20T22:23:00.000-08:00

After weeks of practicing, it was finally time to go out and hit the neighborhood to cheer everyone up with singing Christmas Carols.

We first spent some time enjoying cookies and getting in one last practice.

The girls donned their Santa hats and scarfs and were ready to go.

We decided that each girl would take turns picking the song to sing at each house.

The first house we sang at was Nikki's. The girls went outside, knocked on the door and sang for Susie (Diana's mom) and Chase (Nikki's brother).

The girls figured out how to stand so they could all be seen by those who answered the doors.

The girls were excited and ready to go sing to the neighbors. They wanted to bring good tidings and great cheer to everyone.

They did great! They sang loud and wished everyone a Merry Christmas before heading on to the next house.

Everyone who answered the door was thrilled to see the girls. They loved hearing them sing and everyone wished the girls Merry Christmas and thanked them over and over for "making their night".

They were greeted by dogs, cats, kids and even had their picture taken.

Every girl said she had a lot of fun. When our time was up we headed back and we all sang more songs walking down the street.

I remember years ago having carolers come to my house. It was fun and reminded me of what I had seen in the movies.

Not to many people go caroling any more these days. I really hope that everyone who got entertained by these great girls enjoyed it as much I did. I hope they remember it always, as I have all these years later.

Merry Christmas everyone!

CHRISTMAS PENGUIN PARTY

2011-12-15T22:31:00.000-08:00

The girls walked in to the room and the table was all set for their Christmas party. This years theme was Christmas penguins.

The girls found their name cards and sat down. We had a yummy dinner of spaghetti, salad, garlic bread and drinks.

After we ate, everyone moved over to the craft table that was set up with all the supplies for each girl to make ornaments.

They cut, glued and watched their ornaments come to life.

There were several laughs and giggles over some of the ornaments they came up with. The first one they made was a snowman face.

The noses were what brought about the laughs. I told the girls they could cut the noses down but no one wanted to. They liked the funny noses.

A few did decide to leave the nose off all together.

Skylar made her nose go sideways. It looked cute that way.

The other ornament we made was a cute Christmas Penguin. Of course, to go with our theme.

These girls really have some talent.

They are very creative.

Each girl made darling ornaments.

They all looked different, but all were cute.

I think the girls all were very pleased with what they made.

Some how Jesse got away without me getting a picture with both of her ornaments. Hey, doesn't her snowman look like a penguin? How fun.

After crafting, it was time to do the gift exchange.

Rather then draw names, like last year, the girls all sat around the table with their own gift. Then we played a game.

I told them a Christmas story.

Whenever I said "right" or "left" in the story, the girls would pass the gift they had to either the right or left.

The girls had fun doing this and laughed every time they heard the words would come up.

Some of the times they even had their own gift back. They were worried the story was going to end and they would have their gift. So, they wanted to quickly pass it either right or left as fast as they could.

Some times the same direction would be said again and again. This of course caused more laughter.

Then finally the story ended and the girls got to open the gift that they were left holding. Everyone liked what they got.

When everyone was finished opening their gifts, I gave them their gifts from me.

These girls know me so well. They knew inside the gifts would all have a Christmas penguin theme.

It was fun listening to them as they pulled out each little item and got excited over them.

They were all so thankful for everything. They made me feel like I bought them each a thousand dollar toy.

It was then time for dessert. We had cupcakes, peppermint ice cream and a star shaped sugar cookie.

As the girls ate they sugar goodies, they went over what gifts they got from each other.

They talked about what they wanted for Christmas.

Then the sugar high started to hit and they got silly.

Trinity started singing Christmas songs but made up the words.

She had the whole group cracking up. I don't think I've ever seen these girls laughing so hard and they have done some pretty hardy laughs before.

All to soon, our time was up and we had to clean up and pack up to go home.

Look at these girls. Aren't they the best group of girls you have ever seen? No wonder I love spending time with them. How could you not be happy with them around?

CHRISTMAS PARADE 2011

2011-12-08T15:52:00.000-08:00

It was finally time for the yearly Huntington Beach Christmas Parade!

This was the 2nd year our troop has decided to be in the parade.

Last year, our troop was much smaller. This year was going to be more fun since there were more of us together.

All of the girls wore solid red t-shirts, green scarfs and Santa hats. They looked so cute!

They made us get there early, so we had a lot of time to stand around and goof off. The girls even did a dance number together.

The girls were very excited and some even said they were nervous about getting to be in the parade.

When I asked what they would be nervous about, they said, everyone will be looking at us. I told them, no, we will be looking at them. That made them laugh and they were no longer worried about a thing.

It seemed at times that it was taking forever for us to get started. Yet, once the time was there, it seemed to go so fast.

Our troop was handing out mini candy canes and Christmas suckers. There were four stockings filled with the candy and the girls took turns handing out the candy and then switching to holding the banner. That way, they all got to do both jobs.

Of course, being the picture taker that I am, I had the girls take a few minutes to pose for some pictures.

We had to line up in the order they wanted us to walk in the parade. This took awhile to get all the different troops in the proper order.

The excitement built up as we saw the bands and cars lining up. There were skaters, dogs dressed up as Santa Paws, cheerleaders and so many others waiting in lines like we were.

Then it was finally time and the line was moving pretty fast. Soon we were up and ready to go. We were in the parade, handing out candy, waving hello to everyone and searching the crowds for family faces.

While we didn't see everyone, we did see Trinity's dad, Elizabeth's mom and dad and Skylar's dad.

We also saw many friends and neighbors smiling faces.

Before, we knew it, the parade was over. We met up with the parents and was able to snap a few quick photos.

It took longer for us to stand around and get ready then we spent actually walking in the parade.

It didn't matter though because the girls felt like they were celebrities. With everyone waving and yelling out to them, it was almost like walking the red carpet.

It was really nice to see how many people came out to support the girls.

It was cold and really put everyone in the Christmas spirit.

We all said good night to each other and everyone went about on their own. I don't think any one hung around. Mostly everyone just went home. We were tired and hungry.

It was fun and something we were happy to get to do.

Once again, GIRL SCOUTS RULE!!!

A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS

2011-12-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

We all had a lovely time at the Victorian Christmas celebration this past weekend.

The girls got to do a lot of fun things. They made ornaments out of pine cones.

They got to visit with Santa and those that wanted, told him what they wanted for Christmas.

They got to make their own silly hats.

This man showed them how to make hats out of paper bags. Very clever and they all had fun wearing them too.

I had to put a time limit on how long they could stay to decorate because these girls are very crafty and would have hung out here for hours, if they were allowed.

Each hat looked so different but they were all super cute!

We got to go inside a real church that was built in 1891. It was a darling church and furnished with pews, alters and windows that were restored from the original location.

Then it was on to the school house that was built in 1890. The girls really loved seeing the way the schools were over 100 years ago. They were also interested to learn that 1 through 8were taught in the same room/school house.

I really thought the girls would be happy to see how much more they have at school now days. But, they all said they wished they their school was like it was in the Victorian days.

I think the "teacher" that was telling everyone what it was like back then, made it sound very fun and really helped them want to relive those days.

The girls all got to do a little shopping. They had a booth set up where kids could buy anything there for only a quarter.

It was funny to hear some of the adults (not in our group) trying to talk their kids into buying for them, but the kids had their eyes on other things.

There was even a native Indian hut that they got to explore.

The girls all took turns making candles. First they learned to dip candles. This way took awhile to do.

Yet, it didn't seem to matter because they had fun making their own candle.

They learned how to dip the wick in the wax, then quickly remove it and dunk it in water. This had to be done over and over again until they got their candle to the size they wanted.

They also learned that if they kept the candle to long in the hot wax it would only cause the other layers to melt off and in turn made their candle smaller. So they had to work quickly in order to make a candle come out right.

The other way they made candles was much easier and faster. They took sheets of bees wax and wrapped it around the wick. Then they were done!

I think they had more fun dipping though.

While we were over making candles, a group of men and women dressed in Victorian clothing, came by and sang carols for us.

The girls enjoyed listening to them and some even sang along when they sang songs we will be singing when our troop goes out caroling.

By now, the girls learned that in the Victorian times, most things were made by hand. Christmas decorations were made, clothes were sewn and a lot of the time, making things turned into a community event.

When we reached the station for the girls to make cards, I thought it was so nice that they remembered their fellow girl scout sister (who was at home getting ready for her birthday party) and made her a card.

This troop really has very thoughtful girls and time after time have shown to be very caring and loving girls.

There was one station that showed how to make simple toys. One that showed how to make crackers for the holiday table. They were very popular in the Victorian days.

Churning ice cream is hard work! No one really wanted to sit there for almost an hour to make ice cream.

But, they all enjoyed getting to taste what it was like when it was finished! YUM!

Making butter back then, sure took a lot of time too. The girls were surprised to find out they could make their own butter with heavy cream at home.

They learned that they could use an electric mixer and make it much faster then the Victorian women could make it.

They loved how creamy and fresh tasting it was. Learning that the liquid that remains after the butter is made is actually buttermilk was interesting to them too.

We all enjoyed the tour of the old Bennett House. Seeing how small the rooms were and how different our kitchens are was fun.

So many people lived in the one small house. Even though it was tiny, we all thought it would be fun to live there. It was very cute.

By now, everyone was getting tired. The girls said they wanted to sit and watch the puppet show. So, that's what we did.

It was a darling show. The story of Thumbalina was acted out by both live humans and puppets.

As we were getting ready to leave, we over heard someone talking about the cookie decorating taking place on the other side of the park.

Even though everyone said they were ready to go home, their minds were quickly changed when they heard they could decorate and eat cookies.

We made our way back to the other side of the park and the girls got to work on making their own masterpieces.

OK, to be honest, they just slapped some icing on the cookies and gobbled them right down.

Since the park was getting ready to close and they had so many left over cookies, they told the girls they could have as many as they wanted. Oh no! A sugar high was about to happen!

They somehow refrained from going overboard and only made two.

It was then time to go home. Everyone agreed, it was a wonderful day and we would love to come back again next year.

NIGHT HIKE

2011-12-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

Going on a Night Hike is different then going on a hike in the day.
We met up with the Girl Scout organizer and the Ranger who was going to guide us through out hike.
It was cold, so we bundled up.

We met up at Irvine Park and found the other girls we were going to hike with as well as the park Ranger.

He told us that we were not going to use our flash lights. That the moon was going to guide us instead.

We had to get our "night eyes" first and then we headed out.

It was an easy hike but seeing shadows and hearing sounds can make ones mind wonder what is out there.

We thought maybe we would come across some kind of an animal that came out at night but, we didn't see any.

The hike took a little over an hour, which was long enough as it was chilly. We did get to see more stars then we can see out in the city with all the lights. We also saw Jupiter.

We got to go by where the cabins and tents are if you are camping. We all agreed it looked like fun.

Of course all the hiking and being out doors worked up an appetite. So, the girls were excited when the Park Ranger brought us in to enjoy some cookies!

We all talked about what else we were going to do this weekend. Everyone seemed to be looking forward to the Victorian Christmas event.

Since two troops didn't make it to the night hike, there were lots and lots of extra cookies. So many in fact, that I had to limit the amount the girls could eat.

I didn't think the parents would be thrilled to have the girls going home on a sugar high.

As always with this troop, there were lots of giggles and laughs going on all night.

On our way back to the cars, the girls stopped for a photo outside. It was hard to get good night time photos though as it was pretty dark there and the flash on my camera is pretty weak.

The fun part of this was how much the girls laughed as the flash did go off and blind them for a second or two. They thought it was a crack up for some reason.

Since nothing showed up in the view finder of my camera as I looked to take the photos, we never knew what kind of photos we would get.

We took a group of photo and you can see, our troop was pretty much it for the hikers. The leader who got the night planned out only had her daughter show up and then there was another leader who had two kids.

So, even though it was a service unit event, it really was more like a hike we went on as a troop. The girls were happy with that. They said they would rather do things with just our troop then to get together with a lot of other troops.

I guess that is a good thing because it means they really enjoy our troop and the friends they have made.

OUR MEETING WAS FUN

2011-11-22T20:13:00.000-08:00

We experimented with color tonight as part of the Looking Your Best badge.

The girls took turns holding up different colors to their face.

Then everyone voted on which colors looked the best on everyone.

It was interesting to see that everyone looked best in different colors. Though several did have the same colors.

So, we picked the most popular colors and the girls voted to pick three of those colors. They were hot pink, orange and yellow.

We are going to use those three colors to make tied dyed shirts after the Holidays. We will use those shirts as another troop shirt to wear on outings.

Then we did a fun craft that the girls really enjoyed doing.

We took clear glass candle holders and covered them in a glue called Mod Podge.

Then they rolled them in Epsom Salt.

They turned out looking like snow was all over them. The frosty glass looks pretty once they are glowing from the candle being lit.

Each girl got to make two candle holders to take home.

They were easy to make and fun to do. I think the girls could have a made a dozen more if we had the supplies.

The last thing we did was practice singing the Christmas Carols they will be singing. Then the girls decided to sing a funny song just for fun. Even though it's one we won't be singing when we go out to carol, they thought it was so funny and kept asking to sing it so I told them they could.

They sang "Grandma got run over by a reindeer". Oh poor grandma!

These girls crack me up. They are so fun to be around and I always leave the meetings in a good mood.

LET'S GO BOWLING!

2011-11-11T00:32:00.000-08:00

The girls all met at the flag pole after school. They looked so cute in their bright pink shirts.

We then carpooled to 300 Bowling in Anaheim.

This photo cracks me up. I don't know what came over the girls. I told them to go stand in front of the back drop for a photo and they all started to pose. Silly girls!

Then they decided to huddle up for this picture. Cute!

We all agreed this was the best bowling place we had ever seen. It was so modern and fun.

It was hard to get photos in there because it was fairly dark.

We loved they had bright hot pink, lime green and orange bowling balls.

Some of the girls had been bowling before.

Some had never been. But, it didn't matter because they all had a good time.

There were hugs, high fives and claps for every pen that was knocked down. What great sportsmanship!

Everyone was laughing. Not at each other but just because it was ok to not bowl perfectly.

It was ok to miss all the pens, not let go of the ball on time so it ended up making a big bang when it hit the lane or even having the ball go backwards because they let go of it to soon.

Yes, all those things and more really happened. But, there were also several STRIKES and SPARES too.

Our troop is really a pretty close troop and I believe all the girls really enjoy spending time together.

They all get along, no fighting ever and they all listen so well.

They bowled one game and then took a break to have snacks and drinks and rest a little bit. Bowling is a lot of exercise.

Scores were kept by the machine but honestly, I don't think anyone could tell you who bowled what score. It really didn't matter. It was all about having a great time, learning how to bowl and getting along with everyone.

Like always, our time together just flew by and before we knew it, our time was up.

So, everyone put their shoes back on and carried their rental shoes and bowling balls back to the front to be put away.

I wasn't surprised at all when each and everyone of the girls said they wanted to go back again.

It was a fun outing and fun treat to spend some time going out during the week.

BIRD FEEDERS AND CHRISTMAS SONGS

2011-11-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

At our meeting this week, our troop grew even larger. We got another new girl, Safa. We want to welcome her and are thrilled to have her in our troop.

This month my assistant leader is Diana. She helped me hand out all the supplies and get ready for us to do our project.

Since the weather has become cooler and at times down right chilly, the trees and flowers are are not producing as much food for our birds. So, we made bird feeders to hang up at every one's homes.

It was a simple, yet fun project to do.

We took pine cones and tied a ribbon on them to tie them to trees, hooks or other places. Then we put peanut butter all over the pine cones.

We mixed up, bird seed, peanuts and raisins and rolled the peanut butter covered pine cones in it.

I thought it was funny that several of the girls wanted to eat the peanut butter. I had to stop them before they ate the left overs.

I explained that they had put peanut butter on the pine cone and then back in their peanut butter. Who knows what dirt or germs were on the pine cones and are now in the peanut butter.

I was pleased they were able to each make two bird feeders without much mess at all.

After they were finished making their bird feeders, they put them on paper plates and then they were wrapped up in a large plastic zip lock bag to take home.

I think the girls would have loved to make these for hours. They were laughing and have a great time.

They were all excited about hanging them up when they got home so the birds would have some yummy treats.

I think they all turned out just perfect!!

The girls were proud of how they turned out too.

I'm looking forward to hearing about where they all hung them up.

We then cleaned up and practiced singing Christmas Carols. We are going to go Caroling in December but we need to practice until then so everyone knows the songs.

The girls were enjoying singing and getting in the Christmas Spirit so much that they didn't want our meeting to end. They asked if we could keep singing and stay longer.

But, we were out of time and had to pack up. The girls gathered in the "Girl Scout Friendship Circle" and passed around their happy departing wishes for each other.

Then we all went home.

TRICK OR TREAT ~ TROOP HALLOWEEN PARTY

2011-11-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Halloween is always a fun time for children. They get to dress up, decorate pumpkins and of course Trick or Treat.

So that was the theme of our party this year. Trick or Treat!

The colors were black and orange.

We had black and orange candy.

Black and orange chips.

The table decorations were black and orange.

The goodie bags were Black and Orange.

The little coffin candy holders were black and orange and had black and orange candy inside.

Even the cupcakes were black and orange.

There was also a "story" about an old lady that lived in this house who was really a witch. If you have not heard about it, have your girls tell you.

Trinity is showing the fireplace mantle that tells the full story.

The girls looked so cute in their costumes.

The girls all got to make their own pizza. Who knew they were all such good cooks.

They got to decide what they put on their pizza.

Some of the girls put more sauce, some more cheese.

The two little bee's finished their pizzas first.

Some put black olives, some put pepperoni.

They all put lots of cheese.

Once they were all made, into the oven they went.

They all were so excited to see how the pizzas came out.

Cailyn made it just in time. She quickly made her pizza and got caught up.

We enjoyed snacks and ghost stories as we waited for the pizza to cook.

The girls loved the ghost stories and kept asking for more.

They started to tell their own ghost stories...which were all true... of course.

We were all so excited to see how great the pizza turned out. Plus, they taste wonderful. Perhaps we should open up a troop pizza place.

By the way, don't they all look great in their costumes!

Everyone ate until they were ready to pop.

I don't think there was anything left on any one's plate. I wonder why it is that when kids cook something themselves, it always tastes so much better to them.

It was a beautiful day out so, we headed outside to work on our craft project.

Everyone knows that I always try to fit in a lesson or two into everything we do. Even when it's a fun party.

For our art project we did decoupage on canvas. Which is actually one part of a badge we are working on.

While the art project was drying, the girls came back inside and they got to Trick or Treat with each other.

Each girl brought items to give to the other girls. But, only after they said "Trick or Treat".

There were lots of laughs and giggles going on.

They really had a lot of fun doing this. They enjoyed giving to each other and of course getting little treats from everyone was fun.

They got toys, candy, wash cloths, chap stick, stuffed animals and loads of other things. So much, it wouldn't all fit into one bag.

After all the treats were handed out, the girls watched a darling Halloween movie.

What seemed like a blink of an eye was actually three hours and it was time for parents to come to take them home.

They made sure they didn't forget to take home their art work. What they made was silhouette pictures.

Silhouettes are dark shadows of a person or animals or figures.

With the addition of a sparkling BOO and ribbon glued on the back, these pictures will look darling for years to come as they hang up on Halloween.

Everyone agreed they had a lot of fun and enjoyed everything we did.

SPA PARTY

2011-10-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

The girls were all excited about Spa Night. First we had a quick discussion about how this night was going to be fun and relaxing but it was really for them to learn and I wanted them to not forget that this was actually being done because it's part of the badge we were working on.

We actually had four stations set up. With the help of some of the mom's and grandma's there was an adult at each station to teach the girls about the proper way to take care of their feet, nails and face.

There was a manicure station, a facial station, a pedicure station and a healthy snack station.

The girls learned how to make their own facials with food that they may even have at home.

They were surprised to learn that food that is good for you to eat, can also be good for your face.

Things like plain yogurt is great to use. It has zinc, calcium, Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and B12 as well as proteins and yeast. It adds enzymes and oils to your skin and is a natural moisturizer.

Add some oatmeal and that helps to sooth the skin. It is a natural mild exfoliant and absorbs excess oil while keeping the skin from drying out.

Add a little bit of honey too because it has powerful healing properties. It adds antioxidant and cleansing benefits.

Honey fights infections and aids in tissue healing, helps reduce inflammation and scarring. Therefore, making it perfect for those with acne problems.

Cucumbers are also wonderful to use on your eyes. Chill slices and place on your eyes. They will sooth your eyes. They also reduce red and puffy eyes.

Cucumbers have a natural astringent that helps to reduce large pores and are also great to help treat acne or sooth sunburns.

I think they really liked the idea that they get to play with their food and slather it on their face too.

They all said it felt very refreshing and make their skin super soft.

They also had lots of laughs as they tried to keep the cucumbers from falling off their eyes.

The girls also learned that eating healthy snacks can also taste really good! Fruits, veggies, cheese and crackers are always good picks.

They also discovered how great chilled water with cucumbers taste. It is refreshing and good for you.

As they waited for their nails to dry or for a station to open up the girls chatted with each other and nibbled on a few yummies.

OK, I admit there was some sugar in the snacks. There was caramel for them to dip the apples in. A BIG hit and a great way to get kids to eat apples. Plus, we had some cupcakes that Brittnee's mom sent for us to enjoy.

But hey, everyone needs a sweet treat now and then.

The pedicure also included a nice warm foot soak. Feels wonderful after a long hard day of playing.

Several girls brought bottles of nail polish so there was a big assortment of colors to choose from.

A facial, a pedicure, a manicure and healthy snacks made the girls feel wonderful. They all went home beautiful, relaxed and with goodie bags full of items to use at home.

I really hope they all learned a little bit about taking care of themselves and learned that as they grow up they need to change the way they clean their skin, nails and hair. As girls age their routines will continue to change.

Boy, my little girls are growing up so fast.

CAMP SCHERMAN ~ A DAY OF FUN!

2011-10-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful morning. The weather was lovely, the girls all in pink and everyone was excited to finally be at Camp Scherman!

The girls had fun finding little treasures left by Mother Nature. Things like Pine Cones, rocks and flowers.

We got signed in and was put in a group. Our groups name was The Pumpkins. Each group would rotate to do different fun things and then move to the next fun activity waiting for us.

The girls were thrilled our first activity for the day was the canoes.

Everyone was given a life jacket and showed how to row the canoe as well as turn around. Everyone was going to take turns rowing.

The girls loved being able to go in their own canoe without the adults.

They were like pros out there. Even the leaders said they did a super job and had no problems at all.

It was fun watching them getting the hang of rowing and working together to make the canoe work properly.

They all had so much fun. They had big smiles on their faces and you could hear them giggling as they would go by.

It was almost like something out of a movie watching the girls having a great time out on the water as the sun sparkled off the water.

It was very relaxing out there too. Unless you were the one who was in charge of rowing. Then it was serious business.

The time flew by. All to soon, it was time to paddle back to shore and get ready for our next area of fun.

The girls turned around and headed in.

They all agreed they loved being in the canoe and wanted to go again some day.

After putting the canoes and life vest away, we gathered to meet up with the other girls in our Pumpkin Group.

While waiting for everyone to gather together they had the girls get in a circle to play a funny game.

The game was to say Pterodactyl without showing your teeth. Then the next girl would say it. If you showed your teeth (which many did when they laughed) then you got out.

I wonder how many of the girls even knew what a Pterodactyl was. Which by the way, did you know it was spelled with a P? I didn't. Guess we learn something new every day.

We found out our next thing would be going on a hike.

It took awhile to get all the girls ready though. Everyone had to fill up their water bottles and many made a pit stop in the BIFFY (which stands for bathroom in the forest for you).

Finally we were on our way.

Did your girls tell you about smelling the tree? This is not any tree. This is a yummy smelling tree.

The bark smells like butterscotch. Funny thing is that whey you pull the bark off, it doesn't smell any more.

Our leader guided us up the mountain. We had to walk single file because sometimes the trail was pretty small and had trees that could scratch us or even cactus was on the side of the trail.

Our troop lead the way for all the girls. It was fun seeing their bright pink shirts going up higher and higher.

Once up at the top, there was a nice view of the pond we were just in with the canoes.

The girls enjoyed rock climbing. No it wasn't as dangerous or scary as it looks in the photos.

The leader/guide showed them the way so it was safe.

Just taking in the view of all of Camp Scherman down below.

You can see in this picture that it really wasn't that scary up there. It was safe. Girl Scouts wouldn't do things that are not safe.

Our girls helped one of the other girls in our group climb down as she was a bit scared. How nice to know our troop really lives the Girl Scout Law and helps others.

Also, no girl is ever forced to do something they really don't want to do.

After playing around on the rocks for awhile it was time to head back down. The girls had worked up an appetite and our next thing to do was have lunch.

We ate our lunch by the lake. It was nice to be able to rest a little bit.

When lunch was over, the girls went through the museum and then it was time to head out for our next location. A quick stop to fill up the water bottles. This time there was lemon aid or water to pick from.

A few quick pictures were taken while we waited for everyone.

I'm so happy to see how the three new girls all fit in perfectly with our troop. They seem like they have been part of our troop from the start.

Everyone getting a lesson in how to do archery.

For some of the girls it was their 3rd time doing archery. For some it was the 2nd time and for some it was the first.

They all did really good. Some of the ones who had never done archery before even hit the target! Way to go girls!

I think they all had fun. It didn't really matter who hit the target and who didn't.

We then moved on to the Veggie and Pumpkin field. Everyone got to take home a pumpkin she picked herself.

It was pretty much the end of the veggie season. But, there was still lots to be found.

They even grilled some wonderful vegetables for us to enjoy. Then there was a craft to do and finally off on the hey ride around Camp Scherman.

They showed the girls the cabins and dining hall. Also, they did a tour of the whole camp.

A tired from having fun all day. From getting lots of exercise and from running around with friends.

We then hit the road for our long drive home. We hated to leave Camp Scherman but we know that one day we will be back!

TROOP GARAGE SALE

2011-10-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our first ever, Troop Garage Sale! Look at how bright eyed and bushy tailed these girls are!

I have to admit, I wasn't sure how well the girls were going to do at a Garage Sale because they had to get up so early. But, they did great!!!

They helped set up, straighten up, help customers, put up signs and all around did a wonderful job.

It was nice to see the girls all getting along and bonding too.

Skylar had fun playing with the Littlest Pet shop figures.

Jesse had a blast dressing up in some of the clothes that were for sale.

Elizabeth and Diana had fun sorting through all the toys.

We had full stream of customers but the morning was super busy!

Trinity showed up a little later as she was out the night before until 1:00am and needed to sleep in a little bit later. She is the only one who has made it to every meeting, every field trip and every community service for the whole year, so everyone agreed it was fine for her come a bit later.

I didn't notice until I got home that I didn't capture one photo of the whole troop together. One girl was always missing for some reason.

We did have our Troop sign up so everyone knew we were a Girl Scout Troop and the money they spent was going towards a good cause.

We even had a few people, let us keep the change or they said they would pay more for what they bought "Because it was going to Girl Scouts". How nice.

Diana had fun spending time with the girls and she did a super job of helping the customers. The girls also had fun wearing the sparkly hats.

There were a lot of smiles and laughing that went on too.

When we had some slower times, the girls got to play with the stuff that was for sale. In the end, some of the stuff for sale, ended up going home with girls.

The girls all took turns holding up the signs so traffic would stop and come shop. It worked too!

These girls LOVE stuffed animals. Even though they donated some of their own to be sold, they all found new ones to love.

I loved seeing new friendship being made as the day went on.

More play time.

By far, this was every one's favorite customer of the day. The girls had a blast finding doll clothes that fit this little girl.

They got to hold her and all had a great laugh watching her go home with a few new outfits to wear.

Everyone worked up a hearty appetite and Sara (Nikki's mom) was so kind, she went and bought pizza and drinks for everyone. Thanks Sara!

After lunch, everyone was tired. We sold everything for 25 cents. We had a goal in mind of making $300. Everyone agreed that as soon as we hit that, we would pack up.

Thanks to Maureen (Trinity's grandma) who just gave us the last $6.00, we were able to pack everything up and close up early.

We ended up making $300.50. Not bad for one weekend morning! Again, I was proud of the girls. They did a great job.

Thanks to all the parents and grandparents that donated and helpped out too. Without you guys, we couldn't have done this. Thank you!

THREE NEW MEMBERS, COMPLIMENTS and COMMUNTITY SERVICE

2011-10-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

Today, we got not one, not two but THREE new girls! How exciting.

All three new girls are in 4th grade and they all knew each other. Most of them knew all the other girls in our Troop too. It's nice that they all go to the same school.

Skylar is a darling blond girl who is soft spoken and very sweet. Diana is a lovely and friendly girl and Cailyn is a beautiful girl with a big smile. All three seemed to be somewhat shy but I have no doubt that after a few meetings they will come out of their shell more.

They all joined in as we said the Pledge of Allegiance and Girl Scout Promise. It was so sweet to see them saying the Girl Scout Promise (or at least trying to follow along) for the first time. Soon they will be able to say it without a 2nd thought.

We are working on getting our Looking Your Best badge.

One of the requirements is to go around in a circle and give each other an honest complement to the person who's turn it is. That person listens to everyone and then they move on to the next girl.

One thing the girls learned was it can sometimes be uncomfortable to get compliments. They tend to get embarrassed by the attention that was placed on them.

They also learned, that you really don't have to know someone in order to give them a compliment. It can be as simple as telling someone how pretty their hair is or how you like what they are wearing.

This week the girls were going to give one stranger a day a compliment. This could be at school to one of the students they don't know or even while standing in a line somewhere with their parents.

They discussed how getting a compliment is nice and makes you feel good. So as girl scouts they want to bring smiles to peoples lives and that is why they will give out the compliments this week.

The girls also voted on different types of community service they wanted to work on this year. One of the things they wanted to do was to color/draw pictures for Color A Smile.

They are a group that delivers meals to needy and sick people. They used the pictures that are colored on the trays so they can bring a smile to someone who is in need.

We spent some time tonight working on this project. The girls each colored/drew three pictures. They turned them back into to and I'm going to mail them off to Color A Smile so they can use them when they deliver their meals.

They girls were all so creative in their drawings.

Each one put a smile on my face so I'm sure the person who gets these on their trays will smile too.

The girls are allowed to only put their first name and how old they are on the pages. I think that is a great way to protect the children who participate in this.

We also talked about several other things the girls want to do this year. One of them is going to the senior center and singing Christmas songs and playing BINGO with them.

These girls are so kind hearted that everything that was suggested to do for community service hours, they wanted to do.

We could only do community service and I think these girls would be happy. Such givers.

But, we will also be doing lots more fun things and learning lots of new things too. Like next week, we are having a Spa Night at our meeting.

The girls will learn how to take care of their face, nails, feet and hair. Plus, they will get to be pampered too. They are looking forward to this.

I really do enjoy spending time with this group of girls. It doesn't matter how tired or down I may be when I walk in there, they always make me happy.

It really is an honor to be their leader.

WILD RIVERS AND THE GREAT RUBBER DUCKY RACE

2011-10-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Wild Rivers has closed it doors to the General Public but they held a Rubber Ducky event to help raise funds for children in need. So, we joined in the fun.

It turned out that the weather man was good to us and provided sun which was perfect for a day of playing in the water.

Our girls are like human fish and they adore being in the water.

They also have no fear when it comes to going on the big rides.

I don't think Wild River heats the water on any of the rides or pools but no one seemed to mind. They jumped right in without any hesitation.

The wave pool was a big hit with our girls. They could have hung out there all day and been happy.

The cracked me up as I watched them. Bobbing around like little rubber ducks themselves.

There was seven minutes of calm water followed by seven minutes of wild waves to play around in.

The colors were very pretty. The sparkling blue water had lots of bright yellow inter tubes floating on top.

Inside all those yellow inter tubes were big smiles.

I have to admit, after standing in the sun for awhile, it got hot out and that pool sure did look refreshing. Even I wanted to jump in.

We kept asking the girls if they wanted to get out and go on another ride, but they wanted to stay here. So, they did. At least until it was time to move on for the Rubber Ducky contest and lunch.

I mean really, how could you make five happy girls stop having so much fun? Well, you can't. It was a day for them to have fun and a day for them to get to enjoy whatever rides they wanted to go on.

They picked what and when they did something.

Even when it was time for the Rubber Ducky race, the girls found another pool right there with a big waterfall to play in.

It was finally time for the Rubber Ducky Race. Everyone was given a number and that number was written down under the rubber ducky. Then they were all released into the water and swam down the lazy river to the finish line.

We didn't win any of the prizes but that's ok. We were still having a blast.

We stopped to eat lunch and then the girls quickly got back to having fun. Racing down on the big water slide.

The lines to get on the rides were not really that bad. They seemed to move along pretty fast.

They came splashing through the water after riding through the dark tunnels that twist and turn.

I had fun watching everyone trying to get out of the inner tubes.

Since they all got off the ride laughing I guess that meant they had fun. We did see one girl in her 20's that got off and started crying because she was so scared. But, not our girls! They had a great time!

More splish splashing went on. These girls had never ending energy!

I really do wonder how they do it. Oh to be young again and be able to go and go and never get tired.

They even took a few minutes to play in the kiddie pool area.

As long as they were in the water, they were happy.

But, sadly, our time was up. The park was closing and we had to pack up and leave.

We had fun. It was also nice to know we were part of the final group that got to enjoy the park before it closed up for good.

However, they say, they are going to rebuild the new Wild Rivers over at the Irvine Great Park and it will be open in 2013. So, who knows, maybe we will part of the first group that goes there.

FRIENDSHIP SKATE NIGHT

2011-10-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

Our troop hosted it first Service Unit Event. It was Friendship Skate Night. It turned out great!

When we walked in and I saw all the skates lined up waiting to be put on feet in order to carry everyone around and around on the rink, it sure brought back a lot of childhood memories for me.

The girls all said how excited they were and how they had been waiting for this night.

This event was open to all friends and families of Girl Scouts in our Service Unit. However, it was really meant to bring girls who may be interested in joining Girl Scouts.

I was happy to see the girls in our troop asked some friends to come and join us.

I sure hope some, if not all of them, join our troop. It would be nice to have a few more girls in our troop.

I loved seeing our girls all wearing the same pink Junior Girl scout shirt. They looked like a troop even though they were not in uniform and it was easy to find them in the crowd.

Soon, it was time for the skating area to open up and the music started to play. Our girls got right out there and started to skate.

At first the area was pretty empty. There were still lots of people coming in and getting their skates on.

So, the girls had a little time to warm up and get the feel of being back in skates again.

I was really surprised that more kids didn't wear in line skates. I guess roller skates just never really go out of style.

I had a blast watching the girls as they went around and around. Hearing them laugh and seeing the big smiles they had made my night.

They had a wonderful time. Plus, don't tell them, but, it's great exercise for them too.

All the girls were so well behaved. I was once again proud of them. They showed others how to act towards each other and to respect the place we were at. True girl scouts!

All that skating sure makes you work up a hearty appetite.

The girls figured out that if they share drinks, they can make their money go further.

I thought it was super that even some of the girls families joined in the fun.

I had several leaders come up to me and tell me this was the best Friendship Skate they had ever gone to. How nice!

There were 237 kids that came. Not sure how many adults but the place was packed.

They did have times they would clear the area and only allow certain groups/ages out to skate. That made it nicer as it wasn't so crowed out there.

To be honest though, I don't think it mattered to the girls how packed it was. They had a blast and really, that was all that mattered.

Good friends, good times and now good memories!

BRONZE AWARD CELEBRATION!!!

2011-09-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

The girls worked very hard for a year on their Bronze Award. The earned two badges, the Wild Life Badge and Pet Care badge. They each earned the Sign of the Star patch and the Junior Leadership pin.

They did hours and hours of community service projects, helping out animals and then finally they did their big project of holding a Dog Adoption.

Several families and dogs have been matched and are now living happily together because of these girls.

The day was finally here for them to actually receive their Bronze Award and each one of them was very excited.

The beautiful Wyndham Hotel was kind enough to provide us, free of charge, one of their lovely meeting rooms so we could have our ceremony there.

Thanks goes out to Trinity's Grandma, Maureen, for setting this up for us.

The girls had practiced what they would be doing and the table was set waiting for them.

This was also the first time our troop did a proper flag ceremony outside of the two times we were at camp.

Elizabeth is this months troop assistant leader so she was the one in charge of carrying the flag.

The girls led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.

After I spoke to everyone who came and explained about the Bronze Award and how the girls earned it, each girl got up and told everyone what the Bronze Award meant to them.

They had each written out what they wanted to say. No one told them what to write.

The words they spoke were typed up by me but were words they wrote from their heart.

I was pleased to hear what each girl felt was important to them about how they earned the Bronze Award.

They all gave their speech perfectly!

I was beaming with pride as I'm sure each parent was too.

Then Michelle spoke to the group. Afterwards, the girls each came up to the table.

One by one, they took their candle and lit it from the flame of a candle that could be traced back to the first flame lit by the founder of the Girl Scouts in 1912.

After the candle was lit they each recited two lines of the Girl Scout Law.

I will do my best to be, Honest and Fair. Friendly and helpful.

Considerate and caring. Courageous and Strong.

And, responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others.

Respect authority. Use resources wisely.

Make the World a better place and be a sister to every Girl Scout.

The girls then came up and got their Bronze Award pin and certificate.

Nikki's mom, Sara, gave all the girls a pretty sunflower.

It was then time to take photos with their parents.

They were all so proud of their daughters.

The girls were all so happy to have their parents there too.

Everyone was very happy and there were smiles everywhere I looked.

I think everyone had a very good time.

It was wonderful that so many people came out to help the girls celebrate. I'm sure it meant the world to the girls to have everyone there.

Since the girls got their Bronze Award and will be Bridging during the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts, I thought it would be fun to give them all a pink shirt that says Juniors 1912 which is the year Girl Scouts first started.

They loved them and all wanted to wear them over to the Rainforest Cafe while we had lunch.

We all headed over to South Coast Plaza and had a celebration meal together at the Rainforest Cafe.

A man who made balloon animals made the girls cute little guys to take home. Nikki and Trinity both got dogs. They looked alike but were different colors. They were so cute!

Elizabeth got a little dog on a big leash. So sweet!

Brittnee got a twin to Nikki's dog. Darling!

No dog for Jesse though. She wanted a sword. It even came with a holder that went around her waist. Very clever.

While we waited for our meals to be served, we had some fun on the bar stools. I loved them and so did the girls.

But wait a minute! Where is the other 1/2 of the animals?? Jesse, did that sword have anything do with this??

After eating, Trinity's grandma ordered a dessert for the girls called a Volcano. Wow! That thing is big!!! It even comes with fireworks.

They dug into that thing like there was no tomorrow! It was like a swarm of ants attacking a piece of candy.

This was all that was left.

After everyone had finished eating it was time to go home.

It was a special day that I know I won't forget and I have a feeling the girls won't either.

These are five super girls that I love with all my heart and I'm very thankful that they allow me to be their leader.

Great job girls! You all ROCK!

BEACH CLEAN UP DAY

2011-09-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

We went to Huntington Beach to help out with the National Coastal Cleanup Day. We were all set to get down and dirty and clean up our local beach!

There were lots of other volunteers there too. We went to check in, get our gloves and then attack all the trash.

We thought it would be best to head down by the water where most people lay out and families play. We figured there would be lots of trash there.

The girls were ready to make a difference and they were excited to get to work.

We were surprised to find there wasn't much trash on the beach.

There was more washed up seaweed then anything.

This was the biggest piece of trash anyone found. It was a napkin. I made Trinity pose for this picture so we could at least have one shot of trash.

The girls ended up finding only about 1/3 of a trash bag full of trash all morning. They mostly found small pieces of trash from bags being opened, people smoking on the beach, plastic water bottle tops.

We were all very happy to see our city kept their beach clean and nice.

Since we couldn't find much trash to pick up, the girls started to search for sand crabs and shells.

The girls left their mark in the sand.

Once we were finished with the trash pick up, we headed up to the Go Green area that was set up on the boardwalk. There were lots of fun vendors and each one gave out free stuff.

They also talked to the girls about keeping our world a clean and better place.

They even got a free plant to take home and take care of.

After we hit up all the vendors, we went down the street to the park. They were having a Pet Adoption, which of course the girls wanted to go to.

Then we had a picnic lunch and the girls spent some time playing on the playground. We all had a lot of fun and had a great day.