I was afraid I had bitten off more than I could chew, but we did it. We had an amazing weekend on our first mother daughter Brownie adventure and everyone is ready to go back next year. Truth be told we could go back next weekend with all the extra food I brought. The Girl Scout blog I read that said plan six links of sausage per girl was wrong. Second Grade Brownies do not eat 10,000 calories a day like boatmen oaring on the river. I "should have" known better as I've cooked for extended family meals and parties, but the thought of being in the middle of no where not knowing how much everyone eats for 3 days got the best of me.
There were also some other issues that I didn't really think of until the last minute like entertaining everyone around the campfire and on the hike with poems and other stories let alone making comfort kits in case nature called on the trail and I was a little concerned about how they would respond if the occasion presented itself. (Fortunately it didn't or they didn't involve me.)
We left after lunch and got to the ranch in the early afternoon. The girls picked the room with 5 beds so they could all sleep together in the same room and the moms each got their own room. I picked the smallest room closest to the creek and away from the girls. We got settled in and the girls found the piano and other musical instruments and started planning a concert for after dinner. We also had a journal session on friendship, met and fed the horses and took a little walk to the creek before dinner. After dinner the girls gave a little concert and handed our host and some of the moms musical instruments to join in the merry making.
One of the big things on the trip is that the girls were going to learn how to properly light a match and the campfire. They followed directions and no one got burned. Despite lots of paper so each girl could light the fire only a couple of girls got the paper lit each night. We roasted marshmallows and different colored Peeps having heard a rumor that the sugar burned different colors- supposedly the pink ones are a little different. I didn't notice it....
After the campfire, we made popcorn and hot chocolate for our evening manicure session. My daughter painted my fingernails a nice shade of lime green and put blue flower stickers on my thumbs. Another little girl painted a different color of the rainbow on each of her mom's nails. It was shocking to wake up and be surprised by the color of my nails the next morning.
Bedtime was declared and we sent the girls off with instructions to get ready for bed and that lights out would be at 10pm. They were a little rowdier than we liked, so I went in and read them the folk tales I had planned to read on the next nights campfire. We then made the mistake of saying they could read quietly instead of calling lights out after I finished reading. Each girl left the girl's room and went to sleep in their mom's room which was fine. With the sound of the creek outside it felt like my daughter and I were on the San Juan again.
I took on breakfast duty each morning to make sure things got rolling. I didn't really make a set schedule of times for anything, but I wanted us to be able to hike before lunch and spend about 4-6 hours in the canyon. We got to the canyon a little after 10 and started hiking. When we came to the water for the first time people started changing shoes to cross and I thought it was a little odd. We crossed the creek and then they changed their shoes again. I was a little surprised. And then we came to the creek again and had to cross and the whole shoe thing started again and one little girl was crying. I was flabbergasted and fortunately since I was in the lead I could just look ahead and pray about how to handle the situation since there was going to be a lot of hiking in the creek. Fortunately everyone had brought their positive attitudes and took it well when I told them we would be in the creek for a lot of the hike and to just keep their shoes that they wanted to get wet on. (I was later told they needed a Google translator for me, because I had told them to pack 2 pairs of shoes for the trip since one was going to get wet, and they thought I meant bring 2 pairs of shoes on the hike.)
The canyon was gorgeous and we saw different wild flowers and little wildlife such as birds, caterpillars and fish in the creek as we ventured on. We found a nice spot for lunch where the canyon curved and I sat on a boulder in the creek. As I was finishing up I noticed a caterpillar in the water and decided to rescue it by scooping it out with my last piece of celery. One of the little girls was watching me and started to get the dry heaves. She must have thought I was adding some protein to my celery stick?!?!? Anyway I got out the homemade science kit and put the caterpillar in one of the container for the girls to look at with magnifying glasses and caught a little minnow in the other container. The girls created little habitats for the creatures in the containers and even found the caterpillar another caterpillar friend before they were released again.
On the way back the little girl who had initially cried entering the canyon was all smiles and asked if we could walk back in the creek. She, my daughter and another little girl were all over that. My daughter of course wanted to demonstrate floating down the creek and got too cold and had to change into my waterproof jacket for the hike back.
Back at the ranch we showered and relaxed before starting the afternoon activities and it was nice to sit on the porch with just the moms while everyone got cleaned up. A refreshing beverage would have been nice at that point, but it was a Girl Scout trip and they are supposed to be dry.
One of the moms led the afternoon journal session discussing how we are loved and have the freedom to be different, vulnerable, candid and make mistakes with different bible verses. I think the one that spoke to all of us was on being vulnerable and we talked about how many of were unsure at the beginning of the hike and almost all the hands went up when I asked if any of them were afraid or doubtful and if they prayed in the canyon.
2 Corinthians 12:9
And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Before dinner the girls painted t-shirts and we walked to the creek with their journals to make "sand paper" with tape and creek sand. After dinner we assembled waffle cone smores inside to take out and roast over the campfire. The girls lit the campfire and the smores were a big hit. The starry sky was gorgeous and I even saw a couple of shooting stars.
The evening craft was a beaded bookmark and the girls were then sent to their room. That didn't last long and each of them went to their mom's room. My daughter was still awake when I walked up and we snuck out to the hammock with my extra coats and cuddled while looking up to the stars and had one of those great conversations that you don't always have time for in the day to day hustle and bustle.
Sunday morning we had breakfast and got ready to go. The girls fed the horses apples and the ranch owner returned to serenade us with a couple of songs before we headed back to the city.
I think everyone made the most of the experience. It was so special to have this time set apart for the moms and daughters and although the girls were supposed to sleep in their own room to demonstrate that they were ready to go on a trip without their parents, it's precious to see that they are still little enough to want their moms and dolls and all the other little lovies and cuddlies they brought with them, but big enough to enjoy the canyon and be together with their sister Girl Scouts.
