Amelia's Girl Scout Silver Award Project.

Amelia spoke to 5 classrooms at two different elementary schools and two girl scout troops. Overall sharing her information with 138 kids.

Below is the speech she presented and the coloring book she wrote and Illustrated herself. She handed out the coloring books to all the kids to take home. She also played a game called guess how long this take to decompose, she showed an item and the kids guessed. Most of the kids were very surprised how many years most items take to decompose.
Her speech...
     This is about plastic water bottles and how they affect the earth. Originally people thought using plastic water bottles was crazy, since we have our own running water at home that we just pull a handle and comes out. Why buy that bottled up right?

But through convincing and persuading , we now believe that bottled water is safer than tap water. But that might not be the case most brands just use tap water and filter it. A lot of people fall for words like "spring" or "natural" and assume its good for them. 
   
  Lets assume you buy bottled water and let it sit out for a very long time. The water could possible absorb the chemicals coming from the plastic, making it harmful to you. On another note, even if you do recycle, there is a chance that bottle could end up in the ocean, or some landfill in another country. The best plan to stop all those risks is just to use a reusable water bottle. Then, you would never have to use another plastic bottle again.

This stuff applies to pretty much all plastics, so there are different things you can do to eliminate different types of plastics. For example, when you are at a restaurant, avoid using plastic straws.
 
   In general avoid using things like plastic utensils, plastic water bottles, sandwich bags, plastic gloves, shopping bags, straws and styrofoam cups and plates. In conclusion, saying no to plastic water bottles will help the environment. Don't forget to use your reusable water bottle whenever you can!

I did this project for my Girl Scout silver award. To get this award, you have to work 50 hours and make a positive change in the world.

Click here to read my comic book, written and illustrated by me!

Now that you've read my book, share it with your family and friends to spread the word!
 

Amelia made these water bottle swaps for each child to remind them to use reusable water bottles.

Laughing Amelia

My husband Brian posted this video of Amelia for me (now age 10). It made my day!!! This is one of my favorite memories of the girls as babies, the darling giggles.

It makes my heart smile.

Our 14 hour car ride to Williamsburg, VA

This summer we drove the farthest we have ever gone with the girls. Our vacation was in Williamsburg, VA which is 14 hours from St. Louis, MO. We decided to stop overnight both ways to break up the trip. I knew the girls would be watching several movies on this long trip but I wanted to have some fun breaks from the DVD player.  I looked around for some fun ideas to keep the girls busy for the long trip there and back. 

click to enlarge photo
First to combat the dreaded, "are we there yet" question I made a map charting our way there. We had a little monkey pin that the girls got to take turns moving along the route. It helped us all know just where we were and how far we had to go, so that question was never asked.

 On our last car trip we played the licence plate game with a scratch piece of paper making a list. This time I printed out a map for each girls to color in or cross off as we saw the licence plates. I really liked this because it also helps with learning all the states.

I found this idea on pinterest. Make copies of your families heads, slip them into plastic sleeves and let the kids draw the bodies, hats, etc.... or bat wings as Amelia drew onto our dog Groucho. This was a lot of fun, we all got a few good laughs from this activity. I also liked that it doesn't take up much room and because we used dry eraser markers they can be reused over and over. I found the idea here on this blog: All For The Boys

I also a bought a few new coloring books to help keep them busy and the snack box was also a big hit. Overall our trip there and back went very well with the girls. Brian and I now know we can all survive the super long car trip. The question now is... where to go next year?

Surprise notes are the best!

I found this note from Amelia at the bottom of my to do list...

it just made my day!!!

Puzzy

Amelia has always played tag with a group of girls and boys from school at recess. Last year they made up nicknames for the game. Amelia named herself "Puzzy". When I first heard this I groaned and told her I really didn't like the name. But one day at pick up the kids were running around and I heard the name called... I cringed a bit. Later that day I said she needed to find a new nickname for tag. She asked why but I just said because I didn't like the one she had. A few weeks we were running errorns and the girls were talking in the backseat. I heard the name Puzzy again and I told them not to use that word, and then why they me asked.

Ugh... my mind twisted and turned to quickly figure out how to gently explain the problem.

"Well... you know how sometimes there are different names for things. Puzzy sounds a lot like another word and that word is another name for vagina".  There was dead silence from the back seat. "That is why I don't want you to use that word, ok"?  Quietly from the back seat I hear, "ok".

I don't think I will hear that word again.

Softball Season

The 2013 softball season has started, Amelia is in 3rd grade and it's the first year they have gotten pants. I always wondered why the boys got pants and the girls got shorts. I guess they figure girls do not slide? But at this age and younger no one slides. They got the pants and shorts, I'm sure the shorts will get worn more because it will get too hot very soon.

She picked a new number this year. She had been #3 the past few years. I think she picked it becuase that's my favorite number, I was always #3 when I played soccer. When they were picking the numbers this year she asked Pops if it was ok that she changed her number. She thought I would be hurt that she did not want #3 anymore. It's so sweet of her to think of me, but I want her to do her own thing... 

Go #5!!!!!

 This year they start kid pitching to each other and they get 3 outs. No more swings until you hit it. It's neat to watch the kids pitch but it sure does make for a slow moving game. Good thing it's timed and cut off at an hour and a half... otherwise they might be playing a nine inning game for three days!

Hat Day

Hat day at school this past Friday. 

My guess is that Anna had the biggest hat at school

and Amelia had the smallest hat.

A box is just a box... or is it?

click to enlarge image

In my futile attempt to clean out the basement I brought up a stack of old boxes to recycle. My first mistake was not taking them out to the bin that very minute. Because when the girls got home from school their eyes got big when they saw the mound of boxes. "Can we have those", Amelia asked. I could see her mind twirling with ideas of what grand item she could create.

I said maybe if you get all your homework, etc. done. Here is my second mistake... I should have taken them out to the recycle bin right then and maybe they would have forgotten about them. Out of sight, out of mind.

Later that night I went into the kitchen to find this mess! Brian doing the dishes amongst two feverishly working kids... cutting, taping and creating. They were having so much fun and enjoyed their homemade rocket ships.

I'm glad they had fun, I would never like to stifle anyone's creativity! But you know later that night where those boxes went... into the recycle bin!!

Don't worry, we all had an agreement that these projects could not stay and the girls understood.

Visit with Santa

We went to see Santa the other night. This is the first time both of the girls agreed to sit NEXT to Santa and get a photo. But when we got up there Santa slapped his knee and told them to sit on his lap. They both shot me a look. Santa repeated, "Come on have a seat", patting his knee. Amelia slowly sat on the very edge of his knee and looked at me with this really Mom face.

Anna just shook her head no, so I said, "just sit next to him". As you can see in the photo who is happy and who is not. 

While waiting in line the girls were debating if this is the real Santa or just a Santa helper. At first they said helper but then they said the real Santa. I'm just glad they are debating it and still believe... I fear this might be the last year for Amelia (age 8).

Santa still makes me smile! 

The Crying Bet

Brian and Anna - Oct 2012 camping

The girls have been crying a lot lately... over nothing!

She took my toy.... crying
I don't like this shirt... crying
I don't like dinner... crying

I could go on and on... but you get the idea.

Brian and I are so over it and not sure why they cry because we do not give into them when they do.

Then... Brian bet the girls 20 bucks they could not go 5 days without crying. Amelia got her $20 bucks, Anna did not. I really can't believe Amelia did it! But now we know she can and I think she also learned she can go without crying over everything.

We are out 20 bucks but maybe that just bought us some peace of mind... we will see.

Amelia loves her books

Surprisingly I do not have a photo of Amelia reading
but here is her newest endeavor... the violin.
Yes, it's a bit scratchy sounding right now,
but it really does not bother me... yet.

Amelia is devouring books right now, she just asked Brian if she could bring a book to volleyball practice. She reminds me of Disney's Belle... she always a book in hand or books laying all over the house. 

I LOVE that she loves books!

The top of the stairs is her first choice spot to read, second is on the floor in my office next to me as I work on the computer... I think she likes to be close to me and that is a nice feeling. I hope that will never change.

Climb that tree

There is one special tree in Blackburn Park that all the kids LOVE to climb.

So many limbs makes it easy and fun... 

it reminds me of the giving tree and I really think this tree smiles when the kids sit up high in it's branches.

What is better than a kid in a tree?  Two kids in a tree!

Thank you Mr. Tree!

7 more days until school starts

STL City Garden - we love this place!

This is how Amelia and I both feel about it... yipee!! Amelia loves school and she can't wait to go back. Anna not so much, she wants to stay home with me.

Don't get me wrong... I love that I am able to spend the whole summer with my girls but 24/7 for over two months can be a bit hard. Add working from home on top of that and it really can be a challenge. I know I should be sad and I am a little bit sad, Anna starts full day school this year and that is a big change for both of us. But then I also think about the extra 14 hours a week that I will have all to myself for work or whatever and I get a bit giddy!

I have a long list of projects and I plan to be productive during those extra 14 hours... let's hope I do it! 

Fly Amelia Fly!

 Day 2 of summer... 

Amelia makes paper wings and tries to fly, she says she wants real wings for her birthday. 

Where do you buy real wings? She said Santa can make her real wings. I love her imagination!

She got a tiny bit of air here.  ;  )

Fly Amelia Fly!

Amelia's Note

Today Amelia left me this picture taped to my office chair, as I pealed it off I noticed this note on the backside...

Wow, this sure made my day!!! I guess I am doing something right?

P.S. I know it might look like she drew a penis after the heart but it is a finger pointing to the stick figure with curly hair (that's me). 

The big day... ear pierced

The before photo.

Ally went first and barely flinched.

Amelia being a bit silly, making funny faces...

but she really was a bit nervous and teared up a bit after it was done.

Yeah... we did it... they said they feel so grown up now.

Cindy and I were a bit sad, our babies are growing up so fast.

Spring Break Day 1

 The girls have had the same room decor since they were born except for a bed updates. They have been asking for purple walls so we compromised and agreed to paint one of the walls purple. Which actually works well since the other walls are green and their bedding is purple and green. Plus there is a mural of the claddagh symbol that we painted on the wall for the nursery and Brian and I are not really to paint over it just yet.

Today I put the girls to work... they were so excited to help paint. They loved it! I on the other hand I was a bit stressed and had to hold myself back from jumping in and taking over. They actually did do a pretty good job, I did not have to do too much touch up.

Later I pulled almost everything out of their room, wow... were was all this junk hiding! We will need to go through all this junk before any of it goes back into their room. 

Photos of the finished room coming later this week.

Amelia - The Bat

click to enlarge

Amelia brought this home from school...

 I love her drawing style.

The ittly-bitty bat in the upper right

corner on the thumb is so cute!

Please come see me

Last Thursday I got this email from Amelia's teacher:
Subject: Please come see me
HI,

  Well, I got a very interesting little note on the top of Amelia's letter to the teacher. Please stop by my class as soon as you can. I'm having an OMG moment! I would talk to her about it, but I want to talk to you first!!

Stacey W.

I went in to see the teacher very worried, this sure did not sound good! But Amelia has always been a good kid. The teacher handed me this...  double click to view it full size and read the tiny note at the very top of the letter.

Yeah... this was from a second grader to her teacher! Ugh!!!


After I talked to the teacher, both of us shocked, this is so unlike Amelia. I called my husband to tell him of Amelia's note. He thought she probably meant to write "stop giving me this sheet".  When we got home from school I had Amelia read the note to me to see how she would read it and she did say "sheet". 


I casually asked her to spell sheet and she spelled it the way she wrote it on the letter. I told her that was wrong and she tried again "shet". I told her that's closer and told her to correct way to spell sheet. 

Whew!... this is one time I am so thankful she miss spelled a word.

Either way she should not have written that note and there was an apology note on the next letter to the teacher.

Another funny memory to share with Amelia's future spouse!

In My Desk

Amelia wrote this little poem at school. Of course my favorite part is the drawing! I love her the point of view she drew it in? The person lifting up the desk lid and peeking in... just so cute! (said the proud Mama).


That was one thing Amelia was very excited about starting 2nd grade... the desks that lift up!

Double click the drawing to see it full size.