Friday, October 31, 2008

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!



Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Oh, and by the way, you're the Daisy Troop Leader...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! It was my first Halloween scare.

I found out that I'm my daughter's Daisy Troop Leader!?

I had no idea. I simply emailed to find out when the meetings would be and I was informed, "as soon as you get trained." Confused, I picked up the phone and called...

"As soon as I get trained for what?" I asked.

"To be the troop leader." I was told.

The woman explained that my daughter's troop was made up of 6 girls and if I didn't become the leader the troop would be disbanded. How could I disappoint my daughter whom has spoken constantly about grooming horses and camping since I signed her up? And what about the other 5 girls?

So was my name thrown in a hat and I was randomly picked? Was I the only one to fill out a volunteer form and therefore chosen to volunteer as leader? Or was I bullied into this?

I felt completely blindsided and overwhelmed. I then phoned my sister. She's a co-leader for her daughters' Brownie Troop. My sister insisted that I could handle the responsibilities of being a troop leader and she would share her project ideas with me. She said that being the leader would be as easy or difficult as I made it.

Still feeling overwhelmed, I found a last-minute babysitter and made a basic leadership training that same night. The training was informative and helped me understand the expectations and time involved. Though the excitement has not yet set in-maybe that will come during the first Daisy Troop meeting. This means so much to my daughter so I'm going to try my best. I know how much I enjoyed being a Brownie and Girl Scout.

In the mean time, I have a lot of reading to do...I was given several booklets at the training session.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Tale of the Drunken Tooth Fairy

My daughter lost her first tooth this past weekend. It was quite exciting. We carefully wrapped her tooth in gauze and placed it in a small box.
That same night, I hosted my famous Halloween party. It was a long, fun night. For convenience and peace of mind, the kids slept in my bed.

Around 3am, I cleaned up some of the party mess and put the leftovers away. It was at this time that the tooth fairy arrived. She looked under the pillow on my daughter's empty bed and found nothing. NOTHING. Not a box. Not a different box. Not a tooth! The tooth fairy was very confused. She searched the bed again. Pulling off all the covers and pillows and stumbling in the process. The tooth fairy now had a good view of the underneath of the bed-still no tooth. She picked herself up and wondered what a little girl would do with her first tooth. A little girl who had been told earlier by her cruel great uncle, that a first tooth warrants a $40 payoff! Surely, the little girl was hoping for forty dollars and put her tooth under her pillow like every other boy and girl??? RIGHT?? The tooth fairy continued hunting the ever elusive tooth. She almost dozed off at one point while rifling through a pile of stuffed animals. The tooth fairy was tired and about to give up. She was going to leave a note for the little girl. When she picked herself up from the pile of stuffed animals, she finally found the box. She quickly opened it, saw the gauze and placed the box in her pocket. Relieved, the tooth fairy left the money under the pile of stuffed animals.

About 7am the next morning, my daughter woke up, ran downstairs to her room and yelled that the tooth fairy left her tooth! She ran back upstairs to show me. I slowly opened my swollen eyes to see the tooth in my daughter's small, cupped hand. My daughter told me that the tooth fairy didn't know she was home because she was sleeping in my bed instead of her own. I made a mental note that the tooth fairy should take the money in the stuffed animal pile and use it again. Apparently, my daughter had taken the tooth out of the box and placed the lone tooth under her pillow. The tooth fairy was looking for a bright ORANGE James Avery box and could not see a pale white tooth on pale pink sheets-nor did she feel it when she desperately ran her hands back and forth over the mattress.
I explained to my daughter that the tooth fairy didn't forget about her, but that she probably couldn't find the tooth since it wasn't in it's box. By the time I actually got out of bed, I had forgotten about the money the tooth fairy left in the pile of stuffed animals. Later in the afternoon, my daughter discovered the money and shrieked with excitement, "the tooth fairy left me money! and she took the box!"
My daughter was happy and the tooth fairy had done her job-to some extent anyway. My daughter got paid for her first lost tooth and the tooth fairy got a box of gauze.
My daughter thought the tooth fairy might come back once she realized the tooth wasn't in the box-so my daughter wanted to put the box under her pillow again. Unfortunately, when my daughter brought the tooth upstairs to show me the tooth fairy forgot it-the tooth was lost. It's yet to be found. Though I have a feeling one night the tooth fairy is going to stumble upon it-literally.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

THANK YOU Clear Creek ISD


My daughter's school was hit hard by Hurricane Ike. The cafeteria is still out of commission due to flooding. The school has set up a make-shift cafeteria in the gym. Other schools in the district also suffered damage. ALL students have been offered free hot breakfasts and lunches for the next two weeks. The school district is even offering free or reduced meals to those families whose economic status has changed or those who have been displaced.

There are many students attending our elementary school that no longer have homes. I can only imagine how much free hot meals mean to those families. It's one less expense they have to worry about.

My family is lucky to have a home and finally electricity. But, I am grateful for the free meals as well. We've had three weeks of unexpected expenses and though our fridge now has power and has been bleached clean-it is still in need of groceries.

Thanks to the CCISD school board and everyone who has helped the schools, the students and their families.