laeroport

Recap #1 - the (gs) green edition

So if you've known me for more than five minutes, you know that Girl Scouting has played a huge role in my life.  And that role continues.

My daughter earned her Bronze Award this spring.  She and some of the other girls in our troop worked from January to May to make dolls to send to India.  I designed the dolls to try to look Indian and to be small enough that they could be carried in a pocket.

 

Those girls had no idea how much work making dolls would be.  From embroidering the face to braiding the hair to sewing and stuffing the bodies, there were a lot of steps that they had to complete on their own between meetings.  But they rose to the occasion and did a beautiful job.

Aidin and I also went to Girl Scout day camp this summer, which we learned is run VERY differently here than in our old town.  But we had a great time and enjoyed the time together.

Now we are full on in a new school year, one in which we celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouting in the USA.  I am super excited, so I guarantee this is not the last you'll hear of it.  And cookies arrive tomorrow. All 140 cases.   If you're local and need cookies, I can hook you up. ;)

Were you a Girl Scout?  You should join the Girl Scout Alumnae Association (it is free!).  But before you do, take a second to share with me a favorite Girl Scout/Guide memory.  I'll love reading about it.

scouting

So I mentioned yesterday that our hike on the Konza was with Eliot's Cub Scout Pack.  Yep, he is officially a Cub Scout, following in the footsteps of his dad, both Uncles and both Grandpa's - among others.

 

It was so fun to see Eliot buddy up with two of Aidin's classmates.  He was thrilled to be hanging with the big boys.

 
Have I mentioned here (I'm sure I have) that I met my husband at Boy Scout Camp?  He and my brother worked together at camp for a summer or two.  I, being a teenage girl, was only to happy to visit on family nights.  Years later when we had some classes together at KU we both thought the other one looked familiar..... It only took us a semester to figure out why.

Of course, I've blathered on about being a lifetime Girl Scout myself.  Some of my oldest and dearest friends are those I have camped with and lived with as Girl Scouts all around the globe.  I was so happy when Aidin and I were able to find a troop here in Manhattan. 

 
It is a little intimidating, whether a girl or an adult, to find your niche in a new group, but they have welcomed us both with open arms, and for that I am grateful.

We do still love our old Lawrence troop, who camped with in October.
My mom was one of my Girl Scout leaders growing up, but I am still close with my other leader.  And now that I am the leader, how lucky I feel to be close to all these kids.

Were you a Girl Scout?  What is your best memory?

thwarted

This week is not cooperating.  I worked my butt off the past two days in Lawrence.  Today I read with the kiddos at school.  My husband stayed home with a head cold and sinus headache and a cough that is painful just to listen to.  My mother-in-law is in the hospital after a dizzy spell and blood pressure spike - it seems it was a fluke thing and she will be fine.  Thank goodness.  Our Girl Scout troop met and chose a Bronze Award project - more to come on that one.

All of that has kept me from doing the one thing I wanted to do this week - make pillows.  So come hell or high water tomorrow, this stenciled-by-Aidin outgrown t-shirt of Eliot's WILL be a pillow.

 
I hope.

Hello, friends....

I know.  Two months.  I did not intend to take a two month blogging break.  I did not intend to take any blogging break, but life sometimes gets in the way.

A lot has happened at Chez Laeroport in the past two months.

Eliot finished up his soccer season.

 
Tim went out of town with his friend, Gunther Dedmond, to a Horror Fest tribute to Vampira.

I ran a chilly, rainy overnight camping and tenting training with my dear friend, Jill, and a bunch of enthusiastic Girl Scout leaders.  During the training I got some sort of bite (tick?) that turned into a staph infection and required 3 weeks of antibiotic.  But that won't keep me from getting out there again as soon as a free weekend appears.

 
We celebrated Easter.

 

Tim was laid of his job of nearly 12 years due to company restructuring.  They did provide him with a severance package, so we have a few months to figure out the next move.  We are looking at this as an opportunity for Tim to find what he really loves.  And I now have a big stack of Time Warner Cable polos to refashion into something else.

Aidin got new glasses and Eliot learned he didn't need them - yet.

I became the Administrator of the Color + Color group on flickr when Amy needed to step away from the computer.  If you have any interest in playing along, we'd love to have you join us.  Participation has really dropped off, which makes me sad. I do so love this group.

I also managed (somehow - I'm amazed) to keep up with my 365::2010 challenge. It has been good to document my days.

We enjoyed the colors of spring - one of the most beautiful in recent memory.

 
I've done a lot of crochet, none of which has been photographed.

We had a Brownie Girl Scout overnight at the Topeka Zoo.  It was amazing to tour the zoo after dark and wake to the roar of lions, however, I'm getting a bit old to sleep on a concrete & tile floor.

 
Aidin and I went with two other mother/daughter pairs to visit the Girl Scout camp the girls will attend this summer, three hours away.  I think the girls will love it.  And we all decided an annual road trip was in order.  Spending time with those four and laughing (and laughing) was just what I needed.  The margarita at Applebees was pretty good, too.

 
My grandmother, Grandma Jean, fell ill.  She was in the hospital for a few weeks but she was beyond the hope of improvement.  We moved her to hospice and she passed away peacefully early the next morning.  We were all so sad to see her go, but felt blessed to have had her with us, and in such good health, for so very long. 

Aidin turned nine.  NINE!  We celebrated with a family party on Mother's Day and a PURPLE party with her friends on her actual birthday, the 15th.  I am amazed at what a lovely, smart, funny, sensitive and compassionate person she is becoming.  And I love her very much.

 
There have been many school activities - working in the gardens, field trips, sports day, and a final potluck at our beloved montessori school.

 
Farmer's Market opened and our CSA has started up again.  Tim's band, The WiseAcres, played at market on Aidin's birthday.  They took requests just for her.

My niece, Clare, graduated from the 8thgrade this week and gave a speech at her promotion ceremony.  She is quite the young lady. The whole famliy left at 4:00 a.m. the next morning for Disney World.

 
And that brings us to now, with softball and t-ball and summer camps and mini-vacations on the horizon, and wondering about the future and where we will be in a year and when Tim will find a job.  And although we've had plenty of heartache and worry in the past few months, we have certainly enjoyed life and each other to the utmost.
 
Thanks for getting thought this massive recap.  Thanks for your friendship here and on facebook and on flickr.  And thanks for hanging in there while I've been away from this space.  I'll try to be more present in the days to come.

~L

new year, new challenges

Several new challenges are giving me joy in this new year, all of which have little homes of their own on flickr.

After watching several friends document their days last year, I decided to do a 365 challenge, this year.  I'm just doing it for myself, not posting to a pool, but I'm already liking the results.

 

I'm also back to looking at things color by color.  After making the year of color challenge my weekly habit for three years, I have missed it since year three ended in July.  I guess Amy did too, because she's revived it for the new year.  Feel free to play along.  Last week was white + white.

 
(Yes, that is a tooth.)

This week is white + orange.

 

And once again, for the fourth year, I'm sewing along with Finny & Kelli.  With one recipe and one pattern a month, I am ready to eat well and bust some stash.

I'm nothing of not a joiner. {this may explain why I've been a happy camper Girl Scout for - ahem - 35 years.  and - ahem - if you're local and need some cookies, I can hook you up}

What are you joining this year?

20 days

That's how long it has been since my last blog post.  Rather pathetic.  And yet, that is how I am feeling at the moment.  Nothing I'm doing is particularly blog-worthy, but I guess I'll go ahead and fill you in:

• I went to the pumpkin patch with Eliot's class

 

• I went on a field trip with Aidin's class
• I took a friend to and from her colonoscopy
• I belly danced at a school fund raiser
• I spent five of the last six weekend days as a single parent, thanks to Tim working football games - that's not a complaint, it is just a fact.  I'll taking the padding to the holiday fund. :) 
• I attended a funeral visitation and sent a sympathy card for another I couldn't attend
• I made a birthday bag and pencil roll

 

• I had a night out with my girlfriends
• I worked in the school garden
• I organized Halloween costumes for my family, went to a potluck Halloween party/bonfire and took the kids to Trunk or Treat

 

• I enjoyed a fusion concert of jazz and middle eastern music with my belly dance friends
• I planned and organized Aidin's class Halloween party for tomorrow. I'm baking cupcakes tonight.
• I held a Brownie Girl Scout meeting and took the troop roller skating

 

• I experimented with the same granola bar recipe three times. It still needs a little work, but it's coming along
• I started Christmas shopping and making lists
• We FINALLY finished watching all of Battlestar Gallactica
• We are halfway through watching Roots

I've also been blog reading, which has made me wanty.  Wanty for more time in my day, more organization in my life.  What I really would like to do is quit my day job and just volunteer at school and stay home and be domestic.  Too bad that doesn't pay the bills.  Despite the fact that we lead a rather frugal existence, we still like having my paycheck to pay down the mortgage and car loan and keep us otherwise debt free.  Maybe once the little man is in public school...

And at the moment I have a couple of pentagon baby ballsin production, a boy's toothfairy pillow to complete, some birthday and baby shower gifts.  So if I drop off the blogosphere again, you'll know where I am.  Just busy....

Mwwwah! - L

Made in the shade

(or how to cope at Girl Scout day camp when the heat index is 110)

 

We have spent the week trying to keep cool at day camp.  We scrapped plans to cook over the fire and I brought out my camp stove.

We have eaten at least 20 pounds of ice per day and have drained the big orange Gott water cooler.

We have walked very slowly to and from the activities that we actually chose to participate in.

We have spent a lot of time sitting around, wrapping yarn around sticks and making friendship bracelets.

We have played water games like Drip, Drip, Splash (Duck, Duck, Goose but with a sopping wet sponge) and have constantly had a wet bandanna tied either on our head or around our neck or both.

We have discovered all the shady spots.

Above all, we have made the best of it and had fun. 

 

These photos are a bit odd because I cropped all the other kids out.

In other news, Tim's surprise party was a complete success.   He didn't suspect a thing, although after the fact he said there were lots of clues if only he had put them all together.

Next week, things might get back to normal.

I said might.

:)

Cheers!

The Camp Report

This weekend Aidin, my mom, my niece Caroline and I went to Mother / Daughter (Granddaughter) weekend at Camp Daisy Hindman, my old stomping grounds.

Camp Daisy is the place I went to as a child, and worked at during my college years when I answered to the name Topaz. 

I am still in awe of the camp's natural beauty.

We stayed in Trails End unit, just over the dam of Lake Odanata,

in some very fine tented accommodation

   

with all our tent flaps rolled up, until about midnight, when the thunderstorm blew through. (and blew everything on my bunk out the side of the tent as I was trying to tie the door shut.)

 

There was swimming in the very chilly pool

until we needed a hug from grandma to warm up.

 

We canoed in the lake,

 

had our fill of crafts,

  

had our meals in the dining hall and helped with the cleaning up.

 

Thanks, Camp Daisy, for all the new memories and the old ones that came flooding back in waves as I walked your trails.

I hope to see you again, soon!

two birds, one stone

Green Week #2

 

So in the chaos that was the end of our Thinking Day celebration, an announcement was made that one of the girls from the troop representing Australia had lost her bracelet.  And she was devastated.  We all had a look around as the tables were being cleared and the floor swept.  Nada.

Forward to Monday afternoon, Aidin hands me a bracelet that says "Australia" across it.  Evidently one of my girls thought it was a swap and picked it up.  She had left before the announcement was made, but one of my other girls realized what had happened and got it to Aidin who got it to me.

Convoluted enough?  Well, I connected with that troop's leader and took the lost item back to her at my meeting last night, but knowing how hard it is to lose something, I thought I'd throw in a few extras with the return.  I stitched up a little bag from a scrap, added some Australian badges (via Rachael) and a tie slide that I acquired along the way and a Japanese Girl Scout postcard.   

CAOK #2

School just called, darn it, and Aidin's not feeling well.  This may be the last you hear from me this week after all.  Peace, out!

March = Green

No time for much of anything today except a quick "hi".

I'm playing along with green week this week, since it is my favorite color and March is always the month of green for me.

 

I have a girl scout leader meeting tonight and then I'm going out for a drink (coffee? beer? I don't know?) with a new friend.  That should be fun.

Happy Monday, peeps!