Ok, we are a First Class Scout!!!
Last month Ry passed his swim test, and also earned his First Aid Merit badge, the first Eagle required badge!! So, we are totally on track.
Now, after a few months as a 1st class Ry can paruse leadership positions with our new troop in SC.
Yeah for Ry!!!
to South Carolina. My husband has bought us the most beautiful home in a great area. I’m listing this goal, just to remind myself after we get settled and the kids are in school that I would like to look into running a family daycare.
I’ve done it before, but haven’t had the oppurtunity to do it for a while, since we live in military housing and the restrictions are rigid.
Anyway, looking forward to updating this goal!!
Well, we were holding out with like 7 or eight found for a while, then, all of a sudden we’ve got 18!!!
We went to Disneyland with discount passes (because of Ry’s involvement with the Braille institute here in San Diego), so we made a short vacation out of it, camping for three nights. Yo, the LA area is quite nippy in January. M, Miss B, and the baby ended up sleeping in the truck the last two nights, the boys and Paul had mummy bags, so they were fine.
We did Disney on Thursday, then slept in friday and letterboxed from 3pm until, oh, real late, because we were getting lost and misdirected. NOTE TO SELF: Next time print or more detailed maps.
Anyhow, letterboxed our way back home along I-5, saw some really awesome views of the Pacific Ocean.
Got home tired, but a great time was had by all, at least I think so, because we all got home in one piece.
Can’t wait for the opportunity to plan another mini vacation!
Well, progress is very slow, but we are making significant changes to faciliate reaching this goal. I down sized alot of paperback books, and clothes myself and the kids have out grown. I went through the garage and started organizing with the hopes of having a yard sale.
We’ve recently learned we’ll likely be moving again this summer, ugh…so any progress I do make, will likely be undone by the whole moving progress.
The up side is another Great Gorsky Camp and Cruise!!!
Baby steps, baby steps…The mother of my husband’s other child is forgiven. I am so over the anger I felt towards her and the whole situation. Five years of being and angry self-righteous martyr. Let me tell you what a waste!
I’m sure in the future, she’ll do things that will rub me the wrong way, and I’m sure I will reciprocate, as is the nautral order of things.
But I’m done, her daughter is too cute, and she is actually to pleasant to dislike any longer. What a weight off my shoulders, I feel so free!
one hitchhiker, and I have been running in postal circles.
I am also planning a letterboxing party in a local park for my younger son. I have already carved 5 stamps, I’m thinking maybe two more, we’ll see. This week we’ll plot the clues.
Paulie likes Pokemon a whole lot, so I carved a Piplup as his Personal Stamp.
We have found 222 letterboxes, but 95% are virtuals and postals. I kept myself entertained doing these for the past year while awaiting the arriva of baby Daisy.
Well, we’re back in the game, and found 3 of the four boxes we looked for last week, but we also picked up a hitchhiker and made and exchange with two newbies on the trail. It was very excited.
These boxes took four hours and we walked nearly four miles. It was me and the younger three, we quit before we became unreasonably cranky, and had a pretty good time. We were even pretty stealthy.
In October we jumped right back into Letterboxing with an event up in Orange County. Thia was our first event and it was great.
Well, this afternoon I sewed on all Ry’s awards from camp…ugh, I am surprised I didn’t trip a breaker, or set my sewing machine on fire.
Next time will be worse though, because I will not be able to aviod sewing on my daughter’s Brownie badges, or my other son’s “fun” scout patches. Paulie has like 30 of these things the call arcs, they are a weird shape, and will probably be a PIA to sew onto his vest.
Anyway, trying hard not to complain too loud, because everyone has been working so hard.
Ry earned his Tenderfoot rank in May. Earlier in the Spring we attended Scout Fair and he also picked up two Merit Badges, Art and Fire Safety. He also partically completed Dog Care, Law Enforcement, and Pioneering. Somewhere along the line he also managed to earn his Firem’n Chit.
This August right before school started, and my Dad managee to be visiting we attended another Court of Honor. Ry received his Second Class Rank, and Merit Badges earned at Summer camp. He earned Repiles and Amphibians, Fingerprinting, Weather, and Cooking. He also earned his Totin’ Chip.
His dad, whom was on leave for the birth of his sister, went to summer camp with him, and ended up earning a bunch of his own acheivements as well. He mostly went just to be an extra set of eyes, but ended up becoming a certified life guard, and is now awaiting the next training cycle to become an Assistant Scout Master!!
I attempted to homeschool my youngst son for his third grade year. His second grade year had been very difficult, with his dad on a year long deployment. He is also bookended by two special needs siblings. He seemed to be having trouble with school, mainly with with just being bored.
I thought if I pulled him out for a year, we could work things out.
After finally convincing my husband to let me give it a shot, I blew it. I became pregnant and used it as an excuse for not making my son apply himself and work. I allowed myself to be manipulated, and things never got done.
After three months, I decided, I had better get him back into public school. I was worried he would be behind, but he was ahead of the game, and made a nice transition, making tons of friends.
I realize now that my son needs structure to thrive, and I was not prepared to offer that structure. I wish I had the will power, or whatever it takes to have made this work, I think it could have been wonderful.
We moved from Washington state to California. We took the scenic route, through New York, Florida, and Georgia to get there. It was a fun trip, and we’ll probably do something like it again.
Ry had been promoted from Webelo scout to Boy Scout this past winter. He has been very active in his new troop camping at least once a month, service projects, and working on knocking out his Tenderfoot requirements.
After every camping overnighter not fewer than 5 parents or leaders tell me what a blast Ry had. This is very reassuring to for me. This troop has embraced us completely, and we feel very blessed.
Picture above is Ry throwing a…(gulp!
I am really struggling with this one. I have have covertly moved my blog with the hopes my mother doesn’t find it, because frankily, I want to bitch and moan about her and her shitty behavior.
This Thursday at our Pack Production Ry will be receiving his Arrow of Light Award, and will in the next few weeks be advanced to Boy Scout. He has worked very hard, and several people have been working hard behind the scenes with encouragement, extra oppurtunities (he missed a campout, because he had a seizure 10 minutes before walking out the door), acceptance of his limitations, without caving to them. I am very proud of him and very thankful to have such a great group of leaders behind us.
Yesterday at our den BBQ, Ry took a few minutes to talk with his leader to wrap up the last few requirements for his Webelos badge, so he will get it on Tuesaday at our last pack meeting.
