Friday, August 30, 2013

The Assassin Is Sad...


My Girl Scout Troop at camp 2 years ago.


My Girl Scout Troop at camp last year.

Sigh.  It's going to be all over on Sunday. This weekend is my Girl Scout Troop's 10th Annual Labor Day Camping Trip at our local Girl Scout Camp. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. We started with them as Daisies in kindergarten and they're all in high school now.  These girls were featured in 'SCUSE ME WHILE I KILL THIS GUY - only I didn't turn them into assassins.  They'd have made great pirates though!

We are disbanding the troop after this weekend. It's kind of a mutual thing. When we started out - we had 4 leaders and 8 little girls. Now we're at 10 big girls and 1 leader. They all have extracurricular activities that would make a professional scheduler go insane. I'm old.  Okay, I'm not old - but I am oldER. And I'm cranking out more books than I ever did before.  A couple of parents took me aside recently when I suggested disbanding because setting a date for regular meetings had become impossible. They said it wouldn't break their hearts because they are already overloaded taking kids everywhere.

It's sad, but it's time. We've done more than most troops ever do from countless weekends of camping, horseback riding, archer, zip line, ropes course and canoeing to selling cookies, marching in parades, providing at table on a country for Thinking Day - we've had a good ride.

I'll miss these young women. They turned out so well, I'd like to think I played some very tiny part in it all. But they were great kids to begin with, so I can't take much credit. 

Good luck ladies with all you do in the future!  I'll be cheering you on!

The Assassin

9 comments:

Marnee Bailey said...

This makes me sad for you. All these parenting milestones. They're enough to make you a little nutso.

Someone once told me that parenting is nostalgia for the present. As in, every time they do something new (which they do ALL THE TIME) you think, "Look at you go! You're getting so big!" And you also think, "Oh man, you're getting so big so fast. :(" Equal parts "YAY" and "awh."

The days are long, but the years are really really short.

Way to go, Assassin. Your daughter and her friends now have some amazing memories. And so do you.

Terri Osburn said...

I know without a doubt you played a giant role in how these young ladies turned out, and that's something to be proud of. It's one thing to raise good kids. Another to bring 10 girls to young adulthood with this much success.

Take the credit. You deserve it. And enjoy your camping weekend.

My kiddo goes to high school next Tuesday. I don't know where the time went.

Leslie Langtry said...

You guys are making me cry! I'm going to try to hold it together...assassins don't cry!!!

Kid's grow up too fast, I totally agree!

Hellie Sinclair said...

Awwwwww. I hate it when great things come to an end...though I suppose this means that you're opening yourself up for greater things.

Like that ASSASSIN ACADEMY you've always wanted...and in this one, your trainees would be old enough to mix you drinks as you gave direction. *LOL*

Maureen said...

I had several good years with Girl Scouts and I have a niece who is a troop leader. Great organization! Looks like you did yourself and the girls proud! I hope they stay in touch!

Leslie Langtry said...

LOL Hellie! I just have too many books to write and I need to focus on that right now. The Bombays are in my brain and won't shut up!

Thanks Maureen! My daughter's troop is over, but my niece's 5yr. old is just starting up. I said I can take them camping - I'll keep my certifications up. And I have an encyclopedic knowledge of Girl Scout Camp songs...

Maureen said...

I bet you do! I remember one about a horse riding, riding, riding... Loved that one! Wish I could actually remember it...

and John Jacob Fi...something Finch...

Maureen said...

Amazing how the mind will suddenly let things go...

...don't matter where I ride, snowcap mountains are my guide...

Leslie Langtry said...

I totally agree with you!