My Daughter's Feet

I have to laugh sometimes ... my daughter has her own sense of style. Ballet and socks? Not to mention neon leopard purposely "matched" with a solid?

Her little anklet made me think of summer camp. Replace the pointe shoes with tennis shoes and she could be at camp. Then again, replace the pointe shoes with flats and she could be at school. Put them in boots and she's on horseback. The interests of girls can be wide and sweeping, but they are always bringing their personality into their world as it expands. And that makes the world beautiful and interesting.

Naturally, that's another part of Girl Scouting I love. It gives girls opportunities to experience and explore. And ultimately, by building courage, confidence and character, it brings out the unique leader in all ... even leaders in mis-matched leopard socks!

Growing Up A Girl (Scout)

Remembering moments with my daughter makes me think about how fast time is flying through our fingers. This photo seems like yesterday ... but it was taken over a year ago.

Today as I picked her up from the airport after her annual summer visitation in Ohio, she wasn't in cowboy boots. She was in Converse with black leggings and a tuft of a tulle skirt sporting a band tee and feathers in her hair (all the rage now).

It was likely her last trip as an unaccompanied minor. It means that she's be jet setting on her own now. It also means that I'm not ready to watch her grow up much more!

But it will happen. Ready or not, I'm a mother of a young girl growing into a young woman. Thankfully, I'll have a string of opportunities this year to be part of the adventure (some near, some from afar) as she takes those steps - not only as a girl, but as a Girl Scout.

In a world full of questions and environments that are so different than my own when I grew up, I am thankful for the steady path of Girl Scouting: courage, confidence, character, and making the world a better place. It's a legacy and a future wrapped into the adventures she and her Girl Scout friends are creating today - and she doesn't even realize it!

And, admittedly, I feel weak as I face the future. But the sense of community I'm growing in as a mother of a Girl Scout is something that strengthens me. We can grow together here. And that thought makes me smile.

HEALTHY LIVING: Water

I know I need to do more than just think about the Girl Scout Healthy Living initiative ... but I also know I need to take small steps that I feel fairly confident I can sustain. Where can I start? I think I can start with water. (I also secretly telling myself to always eat breakfast, but I'm not sure I can stick with that yet!)

ONE GOOD THING I DO: I often order water instead of soft drinks or tea at restaurants.

ONE GOOD THING I CAN START: Drink a glass of water before I drink my coffee. (Thanks, Roberta, for that one!)

MAKE IT FUN (or at least a little more fun): Flavored water.

Personal note: I love mint! I love mint in my water. I don't love the designer price tags for my favorite bottled mint waters, though. But I found something I like just as much: Goodman's Flavorings! Mint + Orange is my favorite right now (just a drop of each swirled into an average size water bottle) ... I discovered it while traveling when I wasn't too keen on drinking hotel tap water. I thought mint extract might do the trick, but these were half as much (a little over $2), so it was worth a try. VOILA! Truly much better than my other home experiments with extracts. I've used two cases of water in the past month during travels, and I've barely used 1/4 of the flavoring. Economical!

I'm A (Healthy) Girl Scout!

I've been thinking ALL DAY about the Girl Scout Healthy Living Initiative ... Why? I'm not-so-healthy. Does it limit what I do in my life, with my daughter, or affect the example I set for her? Probably. OK, OK, OK ... yes.

What do I do with these thoughts? This is NOT my cup of tea. I'm not a diet hound. I'm not one who enjoys exercising unless it involves creative expression - like dance - but who wants to dance overweight? I'm way too self conscious to pursue that right now. I'm comfortable as a workaholic. I lose sleep constantly. I'm driven by schedules and deadlines. I'm exhausted as a way of life. The time to plan healthy menus and cook/prepare at home seems nonexistent. And I can't even remember to take my vitamins! Is there hope for someone like me?

So now I'm thinking ... maybe a personal challenge will be good. Maybe being public about it will be even better! Maybe (just MAYBE) there are some other Girl Scout adults out there who are like me: out of shape, stressed out, time crunched, and don't see how it can change.