The Way It Went Down

Saturday. What a day. I think it was the 7th of August.

It was a day full o' Scout activities: Rob and Jack were scheduled to spend the day at our local waterpark with th Cubs, and the girls and I were slated to attend the 2010 Girl Scout kick-off for our council, in Chesapeake.

There was just one problem: We girls had to be out there at around 0830, but the boys didn't need to be in place until 0930. I had to drive them there an hour and a half early, since the LandCruiser is currently inoperable (insert heavy eyerolls here) and we can't exactly strap the boy onto the back of the Beemer. It was a 40-minute drive from the Virginia Beach oceanfront - site of the waterpark - to the location of the Kick-off, but I made it there on time, with seconds to spare.

Um, except that I didn't.

I thought it was at council, but NO ONE was in the parking lot when I arrived. I goofed! Thankfully, I had the address entered into my iPhone, but I goofed again, because although the church where it was actually being held was nearby, I went south when I should've gone north. Twice. Maybe thrice. And then I realized I had the wrong segment of street. Argh!

So I finally showed up, with Curls and Soap in tow, about 15 minutes late. Have I mentioned that I despise being late?! I do not like to make an entrance, not in that way.

Bunches of people were milling around the large church compound, but not a single soul seemed to be able to help this poor mother frantically dragging two little girls around, trying to figure out where we were supposed to go. I finally found someone, who directed me to their check-in rooms. They ran in, I signed them in, and I didn't see them again until lunchtime.

It took another little while before I figured out where I was supposed to go, myself. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one late to my class (for new troop leaders, part 1), and another lady made the grand entrance with me.

Unfortunately, I was waved over to an empty seat in the middle of a crowded row, and I tripped and fell into the person on the other side of the seat, who was NOT thrilled about it. My face burned with embarrassment. Ugh.

The class went well and quicklly, though, and I picked up a lot of tips and even made friends (sort of, we didn't exchange numbers or anything, but I'd smile and say hi if I saw her again) with the lady on whom I so ungracefully landed.

After class, there was an assembly downstairs, and we listened to the council CEO, the new COO, and a former-turned-renewed adult Girl Scout volunteer ramble on and on and on. And on and on.  I really didn't get a whole lot out of that, and looking around, I could tell that not a lot of people did. I was pleased when my coach and the membership chair for our Service Unit found me and gave me a great, big, reassuring hug. I didn't see anyone else I knew from our Service Unit except for R, the lady from whom we got the kids' homeschooling desks last weekend, in Chloë's classroom.

The assembly ran really late, and unlike a lot of folks, I didn't have the gall to get up and walk out while they were still talking. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So by the time I collected my young ladies, we didn't have much time to eat. I hadn't purchased their boxed lunches for us, because you never know what you're going to get with those things, and I didn't want to pay $24 for food that might go to waste. I still didn't have my replacement debit card, so I had exactly seven dollars available for the three of us to eat.

Saved by The Bell - Taco Bell, right down the road. Hardly the kind of nutritious fare we're trying to fill their bellies with lately, but you gotta do what you gotta do, and they were ravenous. I got them each two mini-quesadillas, myself a bean burrito, a large Diet Pepsi (blech) to share, and we spent $6.90. And they were FULL. Phew!

We drove back and ate in the van, which was a sweaty proposition, but it let them be a bit more rambunctious than I'd have allowed them to be in the church. It was time to bring them back for the afternoon session as soon as they finshed, but when we got there, they claimed all the kids weren't supposed to be signed in until quarter past the hour. Didn't make much sense, since that's when our classes started, and wouldn't you think they'd give us a little time to go from one thing to the other?

I got them in and made it to class just as introductions were being made, which made it the second time that day I had to make an entrance. Hello, as much as I am the queen of TMI on here, I am SO SHY in real life!! At least until I get to know you. Unless I've had some alcohol or a good deal of caffeine, and then all bets are off. But never mind.

Class two, Leadership Essentials (basically part 2 for new leaders) was long but a lot of fun. I learned a LOT. Essentially, after running GSUSA about the same way for almost 100 years, they are completely revamping the entire movement and making huge program changes across the board. It's exciting, but for those of us used to the old way, it was also quite confusing.

The facilitator was going on and on about the new "journeys," and everyone seemed to be nodding their heads and going along with her, but I had no clue what the heck a Journey was. Finally, I raised my hand and said, "I don't GET it! WHAT is a journey?!!" and then half the class was with me, "Yeah, yeah, we're confused, too." She kinda treated me like the dumb one, but I think if I'm the only one who spoke up in a class full of people who were in the same boat, I'm the smart one. But that's just me...

So now, I'm clear, and I'm on board. I don't think Chloë's leader will transform, because she never attends Leader meetings, but I am definitely going to run the Daisy troop the "new and improved" way. It's just better and, when you understand it, much more sensible. I'll try to prevail on N to make the switch, but in the end, I am not their Leader, and that is not my troop.

So.

At last, class ended, and I set off to collect the ladies again. Who, by the way, I'm going to have to start referring to as the NEW Non-Twins, in that they are the exact same size (with Sophia outweighing her older sister by a few lbs), and everyone constantly asking me if they were twins, both going into Daisies, or some such. Poor Chloë. Jack doesn't seem to care and gets angry when people assume he's a baby or younger than he is, but Chloë seems much more personally wounded by it. :( I'll have to talk with her about it, or maybe have her therapist do so ... if I can ever get myself to make another appointment for her!

When I found Sophia, she was lying with her shoes off under a table, sucking her thumb and twiddling her hair. She was definitely in quiet, nap-time mode, while the cacophony of girly antics raged on around her. I watched her, unseen, for a smidge, and then I called out her name. She was instantly on her feet, calling, "Mommy, Mommy!!" and rushing into my arms. When we left to get Chlo, the sign-in lady told me that she had been asking for me. Aww. She's still my Little Little, even if she's big. ♥

I collected Curly Sue, and then we texted Daddy that we were on our way. The boys were ready to go. Thirty-five sweaty minutes later, we pulled up in front of the waterpark, acquired our men, and set off in search of a Starbucks for a desperately-needed free cup of coffee that I was owed for having an empty bag of their java. I could barely keep my eyes open, but we planned to stop by either the Kia dealership to look at Sedonas, or the Honda dealer to look at the Odysseys, after the coffee stop.

No could do. I didn't like my coffee (iced), so I gave it to Rob and decided to give up and go home for a snooze. And then he remembered he left his backpack at the waterpark! Which, by the way, is not even remotely close to our house. Argh. So I got off the highway, flipped a U, and got back on. Thankfully, the pack was located, and nothing was missing, including all his cards - both financial and identifical. We have been lucky with the Honest Joes lately, in that regard!

Wow, so I didn't plan on being this lenghty about our day at ALL. I was actually intending to do bullet points! Sorry...

We stopped for frappés again, on the way home, and I kicked myself the whole time. This caffeine habit is expensive and must be stopped!

Speaking of which, I think I give up on sleeping regularly. At nearly 34 years of age, it's time to stop fighting it and realize that I sleep when I sleep, and it may not make sense to you or you, there, but it's how my body works. I'm nocturnal. I'm sure of it. I've always been.So if I manage sleep at night, awesome, but if I don't, well, I'll nap when I can manage. It pretty much sucks, but hey, now that we're homeschooling, if I have to teach in the middle of the night and let the kids sleep all day right along with me, at least it's an option! (Don't worry, I don't plan on making the children conform to my whacked-out rhythms. I'm just sayin' - I could...)

Tomorrow's another busy day, taking Chloë up to Williamsburg for camp. She's NOT looking forward to it. Here's hoping she enjoys herself despite her reluctance!

Fin.

P.S. Oh, yeah - the boys had a LOT of fun at the park. Jack's face got sunburned, but he doesn't seem ouchy. He slept all the way home, and back, and home again, and he was in a joyous mood after. Rob just hung out with his little buddy all day and did what the kid wanted to do, and I think it was good for him.  For both of them.