Sleep Over at the Museum

The girls went to a Girl Scout Sleepover at the Museum of Nature & History in Fair Park.  The Museum is the result of the 2006 mergers of the Dallas Museum of Natural History (established in 1936), The Science Place (1946) and the Dallas Children's Museum (1995).  They earned this as part of making their Girl Scout Cookie Quota.  (Parents also pitched in some..)

The museum just happens to be having a Dinosaur exhibit, so what a great time to also get some requirements knocked out for the Dinosaur Try It!

If you are interested in doing this try it, please note there are TWO.  The link for the requirements here for the Chicago & Northwest Indiana version, and here for the Colorado version.  There is also a Dinosaur Explore it Patch, requirements here.

The girls had a chance to check out dinosaur footprint sizes, make a fossil, dig for "fossils", and visit life-sized dinosaurs.  Then they slept at the museum!

Fire Department Visit and Safety Sense Try It

This past week the troop worked on their Safety Sense Try It at the Fire Department!

Our local fire department (Flower Mound #3 !) Graciously offered to give the girls a tour.  We saw where they eat (they buy their own food), where they sleep (4 to a room) and even a cool close up peek at the equipment.

Then we got down to serious business.  In the meeting room, our fearless leaders had the girls come up with 2 escape routes for both of our meeting places. 

They also split up into pairs and practiced the Heimlich maneuver.  Each girl went home with a fire station visit badge and a little homework.  First, have your mom turn on the fire alarm so you can hear what it sounds like.  Also, practice opening a window so you know how to unlock it.  And finally, go over your home safety plan for a fire, including your outside meeting place.

Stitch it Together and Quit It! Try Its

Last meeting I got a rare glimpse of how hard our faithful leaders work for us.  It was wonderful!

For information on the quilting try it-- there is an extrememly helpful website:
http://math.arizona.edu/~rbt/GS/GS_Quilt_Home.htm .


I got to host a sewing / badge earning meeting at my house, with the help of many, MANY moms and leaders.  We took on not only one- but TWO badges.  We ahve 8 girls, and had at least 8 helpers, and the meeting still ran long. Here's what we did:

1. First we started with stitching a book. (Stitch it together req.) To prep for this, I had scrapbooking paper cut into books, along with paper filler.  These were punched through a binding machine.  Set up at a table I had 8 of these (1 for each girl) and a piece of yarn with a yarn needle. 

Once there book was sewn, I had them use it to draw two quilt patterns that I showed them, and told them they would make a diary in it of their quilt project. (This covers two req if the Quilt it! Try It.)

2. (Stitch it together.)Also on the table for each girl was a small embroidery hoop, hooped with a piece of fabric.  Each girl was given a needle and thread (They had to thread the needle, tie a knot.)  They chose buttons to sew on.  Each girl was shown how to sew a flat button, and how to sew a shank button.

3. Each girl was shown how to do a simple cross stitch, and a chain stitch.  They did these on the same piece of fabric as their button "collage"- in the hoop.  The hoops definitely made things easier. (Stitch it together req.)

4.  Next, using precut pieces of fabric- we had the girls head to three sewing machines, each armed with a mom helper.  (We also had a mom helper with the ironing board.)   The girls took turns sewing four square pattern quilt squares. (quilt it! req is to make a potholder and quilt it.)  One of my machines is a childs machine (naturally slower) and one had a speed adjustment.  (It was set to stitch very slow.  The girls who were confident and careful, I let them go a tiny bit faster.  In between sewing squares, they took their stitching to the ironing station.

5. After layering with precut batting, the girls stitched three sides of their potholder together.  These were turned and pressed.  We then stopped for snack.

6. To finish, the girls had to stitch the final side of the potholder (sew what? req) , then they quilted the potholder.  Each girl went home with a finished project, plus their button collage, diary (to bring back the next meeting filled), and embroidery.

I promise to post photos soon.  (I'm still in recovery!)