Girl Scout camp

The girls and I headed to Girl Scout camp this weekend with the service unit for our area. We had four troops with a bunch of girls that went.

The weekend overall was good, but it was a wet, soggy weekend. The rain started pouring the night we arrived and the entire next day. It finally stopped on the day we were leaving, of course.

I heard the weather report the morning we were to leave and realized that I did not have a light jacket. The weatherman said that the mountains were supposed to have cool weather, so I knew I needed something because I also didn't have any long sleeve shirts that could get messed up.

I frantically headed to Target that morning in the pursuit of a light jacket. Best $7 ever spent. Ever. It was cold on that Saturday and I would not have been a happy camper.

I digress.

Adriana had a wonderful time and was off with her old troop. I was with Cara's troop. Cara didn't have as good of a time. I think the weekend may have been a little intense for her, plus the rain didn't help. She also had a difficult time keeping her blood sugar under control.

She may have a little too much of her dad in her. His idea of camping is the Holiday Inn.

Cara told Bruce she doesn't want to go back to Girl Scout camp. She did say she will go to a camp for diabetic children. We will see.


You have to have a s'more. Yes, I let her have it. She and I split one. And, I promptly had a meltdown because her glucose level was up and she can't enjoy a simple thing like a s'more.

Adriana with her swaps.

Cara did enjoy the arts and crafts.

One meal she enjoyed.

Cara and I on the hike her troop took. This is the same hike that Adriana and I took this summer on the mother/daughter weekend.

I had a difficult time recovering on Monday. My throat was hurting and sinuses were burning. To think I was a camp counselor in college. Of course, that was a few years ago.

So I lied

This is the last post before the weekend. I promise. Maybe.

Our town had its annual fall festival this weekend. The girls and I participated in the parade with our Girl Scout troops. We didn't have anyone from our family there to see us in the parade. Not that I am bitter or anything. Really, I am not. So what that my mother's back went out and Bruce twisted his leg earlier in the week. So what that trying to keep up with Jonah under those conditions in a crowd with streets nearby would have been a challenge for the person in the best of shape. I don't understand why they made that decision. (insert sarcasm)

On a side note, I left Cara's emergency kit at home and called Bruce about it. He couldn't really get it to me in time, so I suggested he flag down one of our friendly local officers since our backyard runs up to the police department/town hall backyard and parking lot. Halfway through the parade, said officer flagged me down and handed off her kit. Crisis diverted. Gotta love living in a small town.

Later on, we tried some delicious barbecue at a cook-off and the children enjoyed jumping on inflatables and riding a little train.

The children didn't get to spend too long on the inflatables though. I had a home interior party to go to and Clemson was playing, don't you know. Plus, it was pretty hot and they needed a break anyway.

The children and my mother did get to share a funnel cake though. Nothing like carnival food.

Now I'm finished. I promise. Maybe.

Gotta love a funnel cake.

They look so sweet, don't they? Don't let them fool you. I think anarchy broke out right after this picture was taken.

Everyone shares.

Getting ready to ride.

It's the climb.

Can you tell he had a good time? Well, that was until he tried to bounce down the big slide and did a face plant on the slide. I had to tell him that he is too small to bounce on the big slide because he might fly off of it.

I am pretty sure Bruce is consulting with the other Cool coaching staff about the Clemson game. I can't say for certain, but I would be willing to put money on it.

Before the parade.


She loves to wear her Brownie beanie.

One more post

before the girls and I go camping. Can you stand it? I know, I know. I don't post forever and now I am a posting fool. Trying to get caught up before I get too behind again.

The girls' room is finally done and they are now sleeping in their new separate beds. Woohoo! This is a long time coming. Their room finally looks like a little girls' room instead of "oh, honey, we have two girls wherever shall we put them? Oh, I know, let's throw them in this room with whatever can be thrown together."

We still have one piece of furniture to move out of there and rearranging of some clothes, but the room is done.

They are enjoying their new beds and Adriana is loving the desk. I really do think they are resting better since they are not sharing a bed any longer.

Grandparents' Day

As I mentioned in my previous post, last week both grandmothers came for Grandparents' Day at the children's school. They visited the girls at school (Jonah didn't go that day because it was a half day.), went to a special program with them and then attended a faculty fundraiser basketball game.

The children loved having them here and the grandparents were treated with some nice surprises.


Cara in front of the artwork she did for Grandparents' Day.

Jonah thought the noise at the basketball game was too loud.

Jonah didn't go to school because three-year-olds don't go on half days, but we went for the basketball game.

Cool Kid question

Last week, my mother was here to attend Grandparents' Day at school and go to our town's fall festival.

My mother is a Type 2 diabetic. She and I were talking a little bit about diabetes and we somehow move onto to talking about flu season.

Cara was nearby and she asked me, "When will diabetes season be over?"

Once again, I felt sad for her. I had to remind her that it is a lifelong condition, but we have to keep praying for a cure and try to help raise money through the walk we will participating in soon (more information about that to come).

So, we pray and hope that diabetes season will be over soon.

Labor Day

Yeah, I know. I will strive to do better, okay? Anybody still out there? Hello? I'll continue anyway.

The night before Labor Day, we enjoyed family movie night by watching the newer version of "Cheaper by the Dozen". Great movie and it has a good message in it. Can I say that I once was not a Steve Martin fan but now I like his work?

The evening went well, even in spite of the grape sugar-free close enough to Kool-Aid to call it that which was spilled on the carpet. The stains fit in with the others so well.

On Labor Day, we visited a local state park for a little fun and relaxation. At first, we had planned to grill burgers or pack a picnic. Since I am the chief cook-out person around here and I woke up not really feeling like grilling, I suggested we go through the drive-thru of a local hamburger place and get take out. Brilliant plan and we even tried a new place out that served real bonafide hamburgers. You know, the ones that are made from fresh ground beef and not frozen. Yum.

After we ate, the children enjoyed playing on the nice playground equipment. They were kind of funny to watch. For the most part, they played well together, but just when I would notice they were playing well together someone would seem to get upset about something. Siblings are funny like that.

The children ended the day at the park with a round of miniature golf. Now, miniature golf for the Cool Kids is not played the same way as traditional miniature golf, which used to bother the senior member of the Cool family. I think he finally realized if we let them play it their way, then we get done a lot quicker. The Tiger Woods' lessons can wait a little while.

The trip to the park went great overall with one minor hitch. (Did I fail to mention we did not know the drive-thru window was for pick up orders only and that you have to call them in before going through the window? I did, didn't I? They were nice and gracious though with their pity on us. That was not the hitch, though.) While I went inside to pick up our order, Bruce checked Cara's blood sugar. When I came back out, Bruce informed me that was the last test strip and he couldn't find anymore. We have a little pink camouflage bag that we carry with us whenever Cara is with us. The bag has, or should have, everything we need for her diabetes. The bag usually has one container of test strips that is currently being used and one on standby. I do not know what happened to the one on standby, but the other one should have had more in it.

We decided against running back home to get another container and instead monitor the situation by her cues. She is pretty good about telling us when she feels hungry or is shaky, signs her sugar is low. So, we decided to treat per doctor's orders which are to treat if a person shows signs even if you cannot check the levels.

Right when they started to play miniature golf, Cara complained of being hungry which was no surprise because she had not eaten much lunch. We gave her a snack and a drink which seemed to do the trick. I told Bruce later I would like to have known what her level was because her hands were shaky.

Later in the week, I found a bunch of test strips that had evidently spilled into her bag. Lesson learned-always make sure the extra container is in there.

We ended the day with some homemade banana sugar free ice cream. I tried using a new all natural sweetener (not Splenda) for the ice cream. Bruce said it tasted fine, but I thought it was kind of bitter tasting. I am not sure I will be using it again.

I told the children this was our "goodbye" to summer and Cara quickly told me that fall did not begin for a while.

Labor Day weekend

Labor Day weekend we embarked on making many memories. Or, we tried to make memories. Okay, we have some memories. Some good, some not so good.

We are in the midst of transforming the girls' room into, well, a girls' room. They have been sleeping in the same bed in a room that was not really transformed when they started sleeping in there. We have been talking about painting it for quite a while, but we wanted to wait until we had some repairs done to the room before we did. Those repairs have been done, so now is the time to paint.

I started the painting earlier in the week and my idea was to let the girls help with their walls. They each picked out a color with the final say so from daddy and me. Adriana picked out a pink color, while Cara picked out a light lavender color. Those colors are on opposite walls, with white walls separating them. Trying not to let it look like a rainbow room. We will see when it is all done.

The girls helped for a little while. They actually did pretty well with the painting. Jonah had to jump in there, too, of course. Cara and Jonah were quickly distracted, but Adriana stuck with me for a while. I finally convinced her to allow me to finish up the walls. Okay, she got a little upset that I wouldn't let her finish the colors, but she was okay later.

We also went to pick out a bed a piece for them. Like I mentioned, they have been sharing a double bed which has not been the best arrangement. It has worked, but when they flip and flop they disturb each other.

The bed shopping was, shall we say, interesting. It took place over two days. We went to one store where we were pretty sure we were going to buy. When we went back the next day, the price had jumped quite a bit. We had added a few pieces, but not enough to make it jump that much. We left there and went to another store where we did buy.

The girls picked out a loft bed with a full bed underneath. This will work great to help with space. It also has a desk built in that I love. This way Adriana can do her homework away from the chaos and noise that is created by the other two.

The bed should arrive next week. More pictures of the room then.