Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 1

Jaden is a Brownie Girl Scout. Brownies are grade 2 and 3 girls. The Brownie series, is a great addition to a girl's learning. It allows girls to grow and develop new skills and spend time with girls their age.  You can follow this blog as Jaden learns through the Brownie program.  I am hoping this will provide you with ideas on how to help your girls earn their badges. 

Above is the book that I am referring to in this post.  In Part 1 of the book, the girls learn about the way water gets to their homes, and how it leaves.  It is an effort to teach them conservation as well.  Jaden and I went through the chapter page by page.  Then, she drew a picture of how the water gets to the house, and how the it gets to the sewer.  She brainstormed on how she can save water at home as well. 

And, this is what I LOVE about homeschooling- I learn something new everyday as well! 

At the end of the chapter, we watched these informative videos on the San Francisco Sewage System:

Sewer Part 1

Sewer Part 2

In the back of the WOW book, there are the last things the girls must do to earn the badge.  For this one, the girls should think of and write down their 2 favorite things about water and make a water promise.  Once that is complete, you can hand your girls their part 1 water badge!

I hope this post helps you and your Brownie on your Girl Scout journey!

Girl Scouts

Did you know that Girl Scouts has a home school program? Well, if not, here is some big news: They do!! It is called the Juliette program. The pluses for this program are:

1. The girls can go at their own pace

2. You do not have to fit an extra activity into your weekly calendar

3. You can purchase the GS items as you have the money to, or need to.

4. The Juliette girls are still part of district, and can attend any of the girl scout events!

The cost is hardly anything- $12 per person! However, as a parent teaching your girl scout on your own, you will need to pay $12 for yourself as a leader. That is a total of $24. Not bad!

As the leader, you are required to follow a few steps:

1. Register and become a member as a troop leader

2. Sign up for event e-mails, so that you will be notified by your district as events are available

3. Do a background check via the link the district leader provides you- This will allow you to be with your daughter at events as her leader

4. Attend online training to become informed and be the best leader you can be

Now, that's it!  Time to move on to getting started in the program.

Every district has a store where you can purchase all of the items you need.  If you can not, or do not want to go to the Girl Scout store, you can purchase most of the items online. 

The Juliette program is flexible, since your girls can start with whichever books and earn whichever badges they choose.  You, also, do not need to purchase the uniforms right away.  This is perfect for us because money is limited at this time. 

Go at the pace you and your girls wish to go, and enjoy the program! 

My Baby is 5!!

Morgan turned 5 on Sunday!  It is surreal to me that she can be so big!!  Where does the time go?! 
I am glad that she is officially 5, since I have had a hard time convincing folks that she is smarter than her age.  She has been doing 1st and 2nd grade work at home, so at least it won't seem so far fetched now!  The adults that do not homeschool don't understand when I say she is not in preschool... she can't even be in kindergarten at a public school at age 4, so how could she be in 1st grade at 4?!
At church, she is with the kindergartners, so that she can be with kids her own age.  Now, she is finally 5 like the rest of them =)
We celebrated her big day at home with Justin Beiber cupcakes and cake.  She was excited to get a beauty set of things: hair dryer, flat iron, brush, hair spray, and curling iron.  All pretend, of course, but they are real to her =) 

My Unsocialized HomeSchoolers

(Morgan falls asleep reading her book)

It always amazes me to hear people's comments when they hear that my girls are home schooled.  It is a 50-50 reaction.  Some people agree and some disagree with homeschooling. 

Those opposed to homeschooling, usually site the social aspect of staying at home.  My children will become freaks of nature- not able to communicate with people outside of their family- is usually what they say. 

I have had people so adamant that I am wrong tell me stories of children they know who were home schooled and turned into quiet children.  They are so sure that if the children don't go to a school building, they will not develop skills to socialize.  Maybe they will turn into hermits!  Like the lepers of Jesus' time, they will live separate from society, never to see or talk to anyone! 

I tell you, they must not know my children!  If you meet either of my girls, you would never look at them and think those things.  They are faced with more activities than many children their age.  We have a calendar full of them! 

I am making this post for the people who are bent on thinking home schoolers are unsocialized.  Follow my blog, and watch all of the fun we have!  In addition, you will learn some things about what you can do with your own children.  Children are meant to be cherished!  They are only little for so long!