A Georgia Girl in Germany

Two days after the Pinewood Derby, Zachary and the rest of the boys in his Webelos II den were recognized for earning their Arrow of Light. This is the highest award for Cub Scouts and symbolizes the culmination of nearly five years of Cub Scouting. The Arrow of Light ceremony for the Stuttgart area scouts was combined with the Crossover ceremony, where the scouts officially become Boy Scouts and begin the next journey in scouting.

These first two photos are of Zachary’s last moments as a Cub Scout. He was glad to finally take off his red vest with all his activity patches for the last time. He preferred to not wear it with his uniform (it’s an optional uniform item) since he thought it was boasting to show off all his patches. I tried to convince him he should be proud of his achievements and that the vest shows that he’s enjoyed the many opportunities that scouting has allowed him. In either case, he took it, his Webelos neckerchief and Cub Scout epaulets off his uniform before literally crossing over the bridge to join the Boy Scouts on the other side.




After crossing over, he received his first Boy Scout neckerchief and corresponding epaulets, then received a certificate of achievement for earning his "Arrow of Light" and bridging to Boy Scouts. He also received an arrow, which he plans to mount and hang in his room (all we need now is hooks to add to his board).


After all the boys had crossed over, they took their first oath as Boy Scouts. He was looking forward to his inaugural Boy Scout campout, and actually hiked into the campground vice being dropped off at the site last night. I returned from a short trip to Washington, D.C., today and am looking forward to hearing about this campout experience when I pick him up in the morning. He's also looking forward to earning merit badges and working toward the Eagle rank (he’s already told me what he’s thinking of doing for his Eagle project -- now that’s planning ahead...if only he would do the same with his homework!).

Labels: Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Zachary

This was Zachary’s last year to participate in the Pinewood Derby since this is his final year as a Cub Scout. He began working on his car over New Years when Matt came out to visit, and was excited about his shark design. He had assembled the fins and we had begun painting it, when a neighbor commented on its size...hoping it wasn’t too large for regulation. So, a week before the derby, we asked for a clarification on size limits. Yup, the side fins made it too large.

Since we weren’t sure how easy it would be to get it within regulation, we made a trek to the local wood shop the Sunday before the derby and began work on a second car. Fortunately, Zachary had an extra kit from a previous year. He was excited about his second design, but still thought his shark car would compete better in the special categories (non-speed related). During the week, he worked to sand down the side fins on his shark car, while also completing his traditional car. Friday night, he had two cars to enter, and both were within regulation size. However, he was only allowed to enter one car. So, after testing both of them on the track before impounding them during race pre-registration, he chose design over speed and entered his shark. But since he wanted to see his other one race as well, he entered it in the open category under my name.

Before the Webelos competed their cars Saturday morning, they held their Raingutter Regatta. This event involves more participation from the scouts since they have to provide the wind-power for their boats as they race in raingutters. Zachary had a simple blue and gold design (blue and gold are the scouting colors), and had good lung-power to move his boat along. The trick to the regatta is blowing at a consistent speed at just the right spot on the sail. We didn’t practice in the bathtub before the race, but he won two races before being edged out in double-elimination. He wasn’t disheartened, and was pleased with his performance.

But, the big event was still to come.

During the previous four years of scouting, he’s had mixed results in the derby. He placed second in his den as a Tiger, then was awarded "Most Original" for a three-finned mutant shark car as a Wolf. His Bear and Webelos I years were less stellar, but he had good-looking cars (Red-White-and-Blue Patriotic and Harry Potter-themed). He really wanted to earn recognition this year, and was on pins and needles waiting to learn of the design winners...but had to wait until after the race.

His shark car definitely wasn’t built for speed, even with polished axles and graphite. He was a little disappointed that his car didn’t win a single race, but he recognized that the tail fin was probably creating too much wind resistance. But when the race concluded, and everyone gathered around to recognize the various boys and their cars, his shark design paid off. He was awarded "Best Body Design," and was ecstatic with a grin that reached from ear to ear. What a way to finish out his derby experience! Hopefully he’ll be able to put all his knowledge to good use to help Benjamin when he enters his first Pinewood Derby three years from now.

Labels: Cub Scouts, Zachary

Figured I would share a photo of MacKenzie during Girl Scout Sunday earlier this month. There were quite a few girls who participated, including a wonderful reception group welcoming worshippers as they entered the chapel. MacKenzie was told that she could help with the offering, but was relieved when she looked to the back of the sanctuary and noticed four older scouts already lined up to manage the plates. Maybe next year when she’s a Junior Girl Scout she’ll feel up to more participation. But, she was very quick to gather hymnals and programs left in the pews after the service and return them to their proper place in the back of the sanctuary. And, just as with Boy Scout Sunday, she and Zachary made a beeline to the snacks for fellowship after the service.


Benjamin didn’t have a scheduled nap that afternoon, but he sure did crash shortly before supper time! I don’t think he’s ever crashed out on the couch like this before, but I suppose it meant he really needed the nap. Afterward, he stopped by Zachary’s room to apply some Speed Stick to his forearms. We could definitely smell him coming after that!

Labels: Benjamin, Girl Scouts, MacKenzie

Once again, Old Man Winter seems to be winning out over Mother Nature’s declaration of Spring. Yes, we awoke to more snow this morning, although this time was only an inch or so. After a lazy morning, MacKenzie and Benjamin were excited about heading outside to play in what may be the last snow of the season (at least I hope so). Surprisingly, Zachary decided to stay inside to read a book.

We spent almost an hour and a half just wandering around the neighborhood, sliding down hills, throwing snowballs (mostly at me--doesn't Benjamin look like he could be a future baseball player!?!!), and stomping on clumps of snow. After a while, they decided to head back home to build snowmen. MacKenzie even used her sled to bring back a large chunk of snow to use as the base for hers. Benjamin found a twig during our meandering that looked (to him) like the perfect snowman mouth, and he held on to it to use when his snowman was complete. Since I couldn’t quite figure out how to use it as any semblance of a mouth, he agreed that it could be used as hair. While we were building his snowman, he was adamant that we were not going to put a hat on it so it would come to life like Frosty. He wanted his snowman to stay put right where we built him...and not talk or run away! Too cute!!

MacKenzie was slightly disappointed in her snowman since she thought it was too fat! I was surprised at that since she was searching out the largest clumps of snow to use as the three body parts, and even had to have me help carry one of them since it was too large for her to carry on her own. This month’s snowman was easier to create than January’s since this snow was more wet and easier to pack. Definitely allowed for a taller snowman! Fortunately, the neighbor boys didn’t knock over her frosty creation before we went inside for the evening. She was worried about that!

Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie

Last week, we had absolutely beautiful weather: sunny skies, high temps near and at 60-degrees. Then last weekend, just in time for our local Spring Bazaar, the winds of change hit...literally. It was windy and cold, and almost miserable to be outside. By Monday afternoon, it was snowing! Shortly after lunch on Monday, I took MacKenzie and Benjamin to the clinic for their sports physicals (both are looking forward to the upcoming soccer season), and during that time, the heaviest snowfall hit -- it looked like a blizzard outside. Fortunately, most of that hit while we were inside the clinic waiting for our appointments. The remnants of that weather event (as the staff meteorologist called it) didn’t stick around, and had essentially melted by Tuesday morning. This photo was what we saw on Monday before their appointments.
Wednesday was the first day of Spring, and I think Mother Nature and Old Man Winter were in serious dispute over that fact. The weather literally changed every 15 minutes! I ran to one of the other installations over lunch for an errand. It was sunny when I got there, but when I left 20 minutes later it was snowing big, puffy snowflakes. The snow stopped during my return drive, but started back up as I came through the gate. I stopped by the house for a quick lunch before heading back to work, only to discover a quarter-inch coat of snow on everything and near-blizzard conditions (this photo shows a mere 15-minute accumulation on my van). Thankfully, I’m intimately familiar with the path to work, because I had to keep my head buried in my jacket, only glancing at about three-feet-worth of sidewalk directly in front of me. By the time I completed my five-minute trek, I was completely covered in snow...and couldn't shake it all off before getting to my office on the third floor! About that time, the staff leadership declared mission-essential personnel only and sent people home (which I didn't discover until later). When I next stepped outside -- 40 minutes later -- it was clear and sunny, and most of the snow had melted. But, an hour-and-a-half later, the precipitation had changed to sleet disguised as snow (white, but bouncing), only to give way to sunny and blue skies an hour later. So much for the first day of spring!!

Which brings me to Friday--today. We were told to expect up to half-an-inch of snow overnight. When we awoke, however, there was significantly more...and the radio was announcing a two-hour delay for school and work. So, we took our time getting ready (MacKenzie and Benjamin slept in a little more than usual). Zachary looked out the window before getting dressed, and suddenly cried out, “Wow! I just saw a snowflake ‘this’ big,” as he held up his hands to indicate the size of a large grapefruit. About five minutes later, I saw the same phenomenon…as I noticed an even larger clump of snow fall from the roof! When we all headed out the door for the delayed start to our days, Benjamin was armed with a ruler to check the depth of snow along our path. While he found several clumps of snow that easily measured 11 and 12 inches, it’s safe to say we had a good six inches of snow accumulate overnight. Talk about one last Winter Wonderland before Spring truly (hopefully) arrives.

Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie, Zachary

The day after MacKenzie’s Thinking Day was Zachary’s Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. This was his last banquet as a Cub Scout since he’s bridging up to Boy Scouts later this month. The banquet coincides with the anniversary of Cub Scouting and is where each level of scouts moves up to the next level.

Each scout was asked to make a cake. Most of them followed the event theme: “Knights” with their creations. Zachary, instead, opted to make probably the only healthy cake there: angel food cake topped with sliced strawberries. The cakes were judged on a variety of criteria, then afterward each scout brought his cake back to his table to share with those around him. However, when Zachary went to retrieve his, it was halfway gone! It made him feel good that people were looking forward to his healthy creation so much that they snitched ahead of time.


After time to devour the desserts, the agenda moved forward to progress the boys through the ranks. Since the Webelo II’s (Zachary’s age-level) won’t progress until they cross over into Boy Scouts, Zachary was asked to help the other scouts progress by painting on their faces. He was proud of the fact that this is probably the only time that he’ll be on that end of such a ceremony, so he reveled in performing his duty.

Labels: Cub Scouts, Zachary

Every year, Girl Scouts have a “Thinking Day” when each troop, from Daisies to Seniors, choose a country to research and present what they've learned. MacKenzie’s troop chose Mexico. The girls learned facts about Mexico, made taco-shaped “swaps” to exchange and came prepared to learn about other countries around the world.

The event started with the parade of flags, and MacKenzie and Emma paraded the Mexican flag in front of the group.

Part of their responsibilities was to help visitors to their booth learn about Mexico. When the visiting girls filled in their Thinking Day passport with the appropriate information on Mexico, they earned a stamp, a swap, and a few Mexican Jumping Beans. I think the beans were the hit of the day, with girls returning on several occasions asking for more.

Labels: Girl Scouts, MacKenzie

Benjamin’s been going through a spell of not wanting to stay in bed when it’s time to go to sleep. He’ll repeatedly get out of bed asking for a drink of water, claiming to have to use the potty (when he actually doesn’t), wanting to give me another hug, or insisting there’s something scary under the train table in his room. My ears are getting pretty adept at hearing him silently sneak down the hallway with his next stall tactic, so I can usually call out “Get back in bed” without actually laying eyes on him.

On occasion, I’ve even caught him laying on the floor with his head on one of his small pillows as he cautiously peaks around the corner. Most times, he’ll patter his way back to his room and crawl into bed on his own with a terse reminder from me.

However, last night, nearly two hours after he originally went to bed (and after his drink of water and potty delay tactics), I heard a deep sigh from the hallway. Rather than simply calling out to him, I decided to investigate. I’m glad I turned on the light instead of merely walking down the hallway in the dark. Here’s what I discovered...

I doubt he was very comfortable, but he was definitely stubborn enough to not remain in his bed at bedtime! When I carried him back to his room, he merely picked up his head, wearily looked around, and melted onto my shoulder. He hardly moved as I laid him in bed. Out like a light…and in bed for good that time!

Labels: Benjamin

After our trek into downtown Brussels City, we decided to take the kids to a play park so they could burn off some energy (and our delicious and very filling Italian lunch). I have never seen anything like this before -- there were acres upon acres of nothing but forts, slides, swings and numerous other pieces of equipment for children of all ages. Benjamin surprised me the most with how adventuresome he was. He climbed across rope bridges and through rope tunnels and conquered the tallest slides, even climbing to the top on his own.

I think Zachary liked this spinning contraption best. The adults took turns giving the kids a push -- think vertical merry-go-round with ropes to keep the kids enclosed.


The tire swings were fairly benign, but check out that fortress in the background behind Zachary. That was actually one of the smaller ones on the peripheral of the park.

Benjamin didn’t let anything slow him down. If he saw an opportunity to climb, he took it. He wasn’t fazed when he lost his grip on the rope while pulling himself up this plank. Instead, he redoubled his efforts and made it to the top. No one had to show him how to do anything...he had it all figured out!


There was a water-play section of the park where the kids could pump the water, then watch it cascade down through various stages, including stopping at intermittent dikes. Zachary enjoyed manning the dike and releasing the water when there was enough to create a strong current.

Benjamin and MacKenzie enjoyed the sand section. It was a very overgrown sandbox! It was like a working mine with the yellow carts to move sand from one area to another. MacKenzie and Shay worked with pulleys to bring sand to an upper level and release it back down below through a small tube.


Benjamin was really drawn to the slides though. I was impressed with how easily he climbed to the top of each slide...and that he preferred sliding head-first down even the tallest of slides! He could have stayed there all evening if I would have let him.



None of them were really ready to leave when dusk started settling in, so their waning energy levels worked in my favor.

Talk about an ultimate place to play! I really wish we could find more parks and playgrounds like this, although I'm sure lawyers back in the states would have a field day with some of the equipment. But the kids enjoyed themselves, and I kept a careful eye on them. What fun!!

Labels: Belgium, Benjamin, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary

After spending the afternoon with Ann, we drove a couple miles to visit friends from San Antonio who now live in the area. MacKenzie’s best friend from Kindergarten lives just outside Brussels, and the girls had hoped to get together one last time before Shay and her family moved back to the states. This was the perfect opportunity!

The next day, Shay’s family took us on a short driving tour of the city before finding a park and exploring on foot. Here’s a photo of Cathédrale St. Michel (St. Michael Cathedral). We didn’t get to visit inside since Sunday services were ongoing, but we enjoyed seeing it from the outside nonetheless.

Below is the Royal Palace. It was built in the 18th century, then rebuilt under Leopold II when it became the official Royal Residence and the site of ceremonies and receptions. The flag flying above the palace indicates the king was onsite.


We saw several stoplights in the shape of hearts throughout downtown, which I thought was pretty neat. The waffle van parked on the other side of the light was interesting as well (think of musical ice cream trucks enticing young kids to a summertime treat!), and just goes to show how easy it is to find waffles in the city!


When we parked and began making our way downtown, we walked through a small market in Place Agora and the kids climbed over a statue of Mark Twain. Of course, MacKenzie had to sit where she could pet his dog.

From there, we headed to lunch at a delicious Italian restaurant, where we enjoyed calzones, pizza and spaghetti. What’s neat about living in Europe is that anywhere we find an Italian restaurant, it’s run by Italians so the food is authentic...and awesome! This was no exception!!


After lunch, we headed just around the corner and into the Grand Platz. It was absolutely breathtaking. MacKenzie posed with Shay and Shelby with the Town Hall in the background. The Grand Platz was bombarded in 1695 by Louis XIV and was completely destroyed (except for the Town Hall). The citizens rebuilt the Grand Platz in less than five years to its current state of grandeur. The Gothic Town Hall itself was built in the 15th century. The right wing is younger and deliberately shorter, and is topped by a 90-meter belfry with a spire topped by the Archangel Saint Michael, the Patron Saint of Brussels.


The photo above shows the 17th century Houses of Corporations in the Grand Platz. If you look closely, you can see a Muslim lady wearing a black burka. I didn’t notice her until after I took this photo. Someone tried walking toward her to take a photo, but she covered her eyes (the only part of her, other than her hands, that was visible) then quickly turned away.

Just off the Grand Platz is this statue of Jesus. Supposedly, it’s good luck to touch it, so Zachary picked up Benjamin so he could touch it just like the rest of us did. The photo below shows another view of the Grand Platz with the Maison du Roi (Museum of the City of Brussels) in the background.


A short walk down the street from the Grand Platz is the Manneken-Pis ("Little Man Piss"). This statue is Brussels oldest inhabitant, and symbolizes the town’s mocking and boisterous spirit. One legend is that in the 14th century Brussels was under siege by a foreign power. The city held its ground for quite some time, until the attackers thought of a plan to place explosive charges at the city walls. A little boy named Juliaanske from Brussels happened to be spying on them as they were preparing, and he urinated on the burning fuse and thus saved the city. MacKenzie wasn’t too thrilled about having her photo made in front of a peeing boy.


On our return walk, we all kept our eyes open for chocolate, and we definitely found a lot. Zachary and MacKenzie watched in awe through the Godiva window as the saleslady dipped strawberries in chocolate.

We saw several towers of flowing chocolate. Zachary really wanted to dip his finger in the chocolate as it streamed down. I’m sure they all would have been more inclined to do so if there wasn’t a window separating them.


Our final stop was at Donetta’s favorite waffle shop. The waffles were very fresh and warm. Shay and I had ours topped in warm chocolate, which was the ultimate combination of Brussels' two famous treats: waffles and chocolate! Surprisingly, the other kids all opted for ice cream. It was a great opportunity to sit on the curb and enjoy our treats. I thought it was pretty funny that Benjamin was determined to eat his strawberry ice cream even though it was cold outside -- so cold that he needed to wear mittens to keep his hands warm!

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If these last two posts aren’t enough to whet your appetite for chocolate, check out this link for a story profiling someone who makes Belgian chocolates. The story is the second from the bottom at http://www.afneurope.net//Article.asp?id=351836.

Labels: Belgium, Benjamin, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary