Doodle for Google

Julia got her siblings to enter the Doodle for Google contest this year!  Max had a great entry but his imagination went a little too far and his octopus exudes ink...thus the black mess in the corner.  Looks like a mistake...owell.  Ellie's could be a little darker/brighter.  Anyway, they had a great time doing it and will keep an eye on the extraordinary entries from around the nation!

Operation Happy Sock

Julia and Ellie's Junior Girl Scout troop participated in two take action projects for their Agent of Change journey.  They chose to organize a small book drive to support literacy through the Better World Books program and donate goodies called happy socks (Operation Happy Sock) to the local animal shelter.  During the meeting, the girls stuffed approximately 200 socks with poly-fill and catnip and tied it off with a knot.  These socks will be donated to the shelter for their over-population of cats!

GOTR Snacks

Julia and Ellie are participating in the spring Girls on the Run session through their schools in preparation for the 5K on May 11th in downtown Cincinnati (starting/ending at Paul Brown stadium where the Bengals play football!).  I've been asked to be the "team mom" and supply relatively healthy snacks twice a week before their workouts for 15 girls.  For the first meeting, I prepared individually wrapped bags of air-popped popcorn and clementine oranges.  Next meeting (around Valentine's Day) was blueberry muffins and heart-shaped watermelons .  Last meeting was cut up carrots and peanut butter cracker sandwiches.  The challenge is providing a snack to 15 girls for $4 (GOTR budget)!

 

Here's a pic of our friends who joined Ellie (who had a broken leg and couldn't actually run) for the fall race!

Sarah and the girls on the Ohio river

 

Erin and Ellie...the two Es.

 

Ellie's GOTR team from Walton Verona Elementary/Middle School (3rd-5th graders)

2013 World Tasting Tea

Troop 116 participated in the region's annual World Tasting Tea event in celebration of Girl Scout's World Thinking Day celebration!  We love this opportunity to learn about other countries...and to taste the goodies they prepare and share!  Our country this year was Brazil.  Very c ool since they'll soon host the World Cup and Summer Olympics!  We won "Best Taste" out of all of the troops who participated for our Chocolate Truffle Brigadeiros.  Girls kept coming back for more and more and more.  Good thing we made nearly 400 of them!

Since Carnival is such a big event in Brazil we ordered eye masks from Oriental Trading and had our visiting "tourists" decorate the masks with jewels, markers, feathers, etc. that we provided.  They LOVED it!

Event Passports

The Rice girls!

Our Brazil display

The award-winning Brigadeiros

Singing "Make New Friends" together at closing...ahhhh

Cool to see some old friends from our Florence troop before moving to Delaware.

Valentines Day 2013

Ellie handed out these mustache Valentine's treats to her 4th grade class!

 

Max, with help from his sisters, handed out these superhero pops



Julia handed out a few of these Mad Lib Valentine's to her friends.  We rolled up mad libs we had around the house with a newspaper comic strip, tied it up with yarn from the craft room and attached these cute little sayings we found online already done.

 

Great grandma, "G.G." gave out goodies but the notes were the best part!

Max's 1st grade party...playing a Minute to Win it game here

 

Our little buddy's monster card box...a little beat up

 

Likely Ellie's last year to exchange Valentine's with her class (moving on to middle school next year) and she enjoyed every minute of it.

Sleepover

We just had the basement (nearly) finished and, to celebrate, the girls invited some friends over for a sleepover!  They played several minute to win it games, posed for pics, watched some American Idol, played board games, made pizza pockets, enjoyed fancy cupcakes, and woke up to a waffle bar in the morning!

Care Free Waltz

Part of Your World

Ellie's Spring Piano Recital

Ellie has enjoyed learning piano from Mrs. Virginia Andrews this past school year. She lives in our community here in Delaware which has been very convenient. We look forward to continuing music lessons in Kentucky with Julia's old music teacher who teaches both piano and violin!

Sleepover

The girls had some good friends over for one last sleepover before our move. Erin surprised us with a special ice cream cake! Together they tie dyed shirts, applied fresh avocado masks, made friendship bracelets and bath bombs, made satin eye masks, watched Flicka, and ATE tons.  Whew what a busy night!!

Cherry Blossom Haikus

The Girl Scouts of Troop 792 recently earned their Gift of Trees patch celebrating the 100 year Anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry trees to the United States.  Part of their requirements was to write a haiku about the cherry blossom tree.  Here some members of the troop share their poems.

Ronald McDonald House Visit

Julia and Ellie's G.S. troop recently made a big donation to the local Ronald McDonald House and toured the facility to learn more about it.  The girls had been collecting pop tabs from family/friends for nearly two years for the house to recycle and make money to offset expenses.  Also, we donated on the go meal, toiletry, and activity kits to the families who stay there from the proceeds of our cookie sales.

Caroling with Troop 792!

We didn't get very good pictures but the girls went caroling with those who could attend from their Girl Scout Troop.  Second year in a row that we sang to the over 55 community in our little town.  We enjoyed cookies and warm drinks after singing (and a pizza party at our house beforehand).

Shout!

A song from Ellie's second grade holiday program!

Ellie's Tie Dye Party

Ellie chose to have a tie dye party for her 6th Birthday!  The weather cooperated and we planned out multiple stations for the adorable girls in attendance.  The girls tie-dyed shirts (of course), made spin art (using a salad spinner), did some sand art (individual packets ordered from Oriental Trading), and got their faces painted (thanks to a talented auntie).  They also enjoyed some fun outdoor games and some play time on the swing set.  Each girl went home with a little goody bag (tie dye looking bags from Hobby Lobby each filled with hippie/peace inspired stuff) and a gallon size Ziplock bag containing their tie-dyed shirt which was still drying along with directions on how to care for it once home.  What a blast!!

 

the homemade tie-dye shirt cake!

girls with their faces painted

goody bags

dyeing shirts (outside, of course!!)