Roller Coaster!

It's been a wild couple of weeks here at the Warren...

We planned to host two Japanese Scouts: a Boy Scout, who has hosted DS#2 on his visits to Japan; and a Girl Scout, who had met DD#2 at camp in Japan. So DD#2 decided we needed to paint. And buy curtains. And slipcovers for the couch. And new garbage cans. And clean off the dining room table.

I wasn't planning to do it all in about three weeks. But we did, all except clearing the dining room table. That just didn't quite happen.

During this time, DS#2 was volunteering at Boy Scout camp.

A leak developed in the water line between the meter and the house. Which meant that my favorite tree, a crab apple that had glorious pink blossoms in the spring, had to be cut down because its roots caused the problem.

Three of the five cars needed repairs.

And the Japanese were still coming...

Just before they arrived, DD#1 received a letter from UC San Diego. Because of a D in Calculus, her GPA dropped below a 3.0 and UCSD rescinded her acceptance. Of course, we had already paid a deposit on her dorm fees and her tuition.

I'm not sure who was more disappointed: DD#1 or DD#2 who had been looking forward to having her own room.

The Japanese came. DD#1 wrote a letter appealing UCSD's decision. DS#2 took his J-Scout to a party with his friends; DD#2 had a party with her friends here. The next day the boys went paint-balling and the girls went shopping in San Francisco and then we went to a barbecue.

The boys, including Hubs, went camping on Monday. The girls, including me, went camping on Tuesday. The boys went backpacking; the girls made tie-dyed t-shirts and lanyards and cooked. Our J-Scouts made a chicken curry with rice. Our US-Scouts made foil-wrapped dinners.

Both groups sang and ate s'mores because the marshmallows in Japan are different than the ones here (they're flavored, for one thing), so s'mores aren't part of their traditional menu.

The boys went to Colombia, a historic gold mining town, and panned for gold. The girls went to the Exploratorium and walked to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Both groups toured Cal and went to their Scout stores to buy gifts that they can't get in Japan.

DD#1 tried to call the Admissions office at UCSD, but couldn't get through. She did drive the girls to the Exploratorium because I had chemo that day. It was her birthday. Celebrating a birthday with Scouts is a common occurrence in our household. She then went camping with friends.

In the middle of this, DS#1 came home unexpectedly. He needed to do laundry and the car he is using needed a new starter (that was the third car).

On Saturday, we took our J-Scouts to Santa Cruz Beach & Boardwalk. This proved to be a good choice because they got to ride roller coasters, ride the cheesy haunted house and cave rides, bury each other in the sand, jump the waves in the ocean, play miniature golf and lazer tag, and eat all kinds of American junk food. We could have stayed longer, but the J-Boy Scouts were leaving for Yosemite early Sunday morning.

On Sunday, DD#2 took our J-Girl Scout to the movies. DD#2 chose Transformers, figuring that it was mostly a silly action movie that would not require understanding the dialogue. They went out to lunch, came home, our J-Girl Scout packed, and then DD#2 and DS#2 took her bowling.

The next morning, we took our J-Girl Scout to the airport. Some of the girls had problems with overweight bags and we ended up buying a large carry-on bag to help the girls consolidate their smaller bags to reach the two carry-on limit. We had a teary goodbye, but I brought tissue.

Since we were in the area, DD#2 and I called my mom and offered to take her grocery shopping since she no longer drives. She, in turn, took us out to lunch.

And then we went home where I promptly forgot that I had a mandatory meeting at Church. Oops. But I'm sure they'll be understanding, when I tell them why I forgot. :)

DD#1 came home Tuesday. There was another letter from UCSD that I didn't open, even though I was dying to. She called me at work. In light of her appeal, UCSD rescinded their withdrawal--she's back in. I'm glad I didn't cancel her dorm reservation! DS#1 was surprised; he didn't think using the "my mother has cancer" would work. I read her letter and it was very good, with only a moderate amount of exaggeration.

I reminded her she still needs to take Calculus.

Tuesday I returned to work and began to catch up. I had warned my co-workers that I would need a vacation from my vacation. And when I told them what I had done during the week, they agreed!

Now I'm down to three children and the house seems way too quiet. I miss my new Japanese son and daughter!

Another Week in Paradise

Saturday afternoon I returned from a week at Girl Scout camp where I volunteered to be a counselor to a group of 11-13 y.o. girls. I really enjoy this age--especially when I'm not related to them! They're in the process of discovering who they are, so they are "trying on" different personalities and interests. As "not-the-mom," I enjoy it. I'm not invested in their grades or how well they're doing in soccer or swimming or dance. I can appreciate them for who they are and who they are becoming.

Of course, there's drama. Of course, they are irresponsible and I often feel that I must repeat each instruction individually to each girl. On the other hand, most of these girls have been away from home before and most of them have been to this particular camp. So they are familiar with the lack of amenities and the idea that they have camp wide chores to do--like "hopping." ("Hoppers" set the tables, get the food and drinks for the table, get seconds when needed, bus the tables after the meal, wipe off the table, and sweep the dining hall floor. And they also chose which Grace the camp will sing.) They also have to clean the shared bathroom and at least once during the week, clean up their tents.

They were surprised when I announced tent clean-up and sleeping bag airing, especially when I said, "I know that your duffel bags have exploded everywhere. I want you to find all your underwear and all your socks now." One camper asked me, "How did you know?"

Because I'm a mom of four and an experienced counselor.

This year I was really fortunate to work with five amazing women. We complemented each other well and we all had a rather wicked sense of humor. This was especially amazing since three of us, including me, caught the "camp crud" that was going around and were laid low for several days. (I still have a pretty nasty cough.) I was looking forward to kayaking in the slough, but decided to conserve my strength for the drive back to camp.

But I did get my "dirt" fix. And my beach fix. And my campfire and s'more fix. I didn't get to sing much because of the crud, but I enjoyed the music and the skits and the dancing and the general craziness that goes on at camp. My biggest triumph: I made one very solemn girl smile. It took me all week to do it and it was a small smile, but I'm counting it!

DD#2 opted not to come to camp with me but work at our local GS Day Camp instead. She's a "junior counselor" this year, assigned to work with an adult counselor with whom both DD#1 and I have worked. Tomorrow is the Family Dinner & Campfire--I can't wait to get the report on how she did! It was kind of nice going to camp on my own, although I did have some worries about how the family would manage to get everyone where they needed to be while I was gone. They managed. DS#2 has even been cleaning the living room/family room/craft area slowly but surely. He wants to have a party--great motivation!

Shake, Rattle, and Roll--Again

So there DD#2 and I were at our Girl Scout meeting when the room began to shake. The feeling was subtle at first, beginning from the floor and moving up to the table. The shaking continued on for what seemed like a long time--relatively speaking. And then I asked the girls how strong they thought the quake was. I reminded them that every number increases the strength by a factor of ten. (These girls are in high school and they're all pretty good in math.)

The consensus was that the quake was between a 4 and a 4.5. I was quite surprised to discover that the preliminary indication is that the quake was a 5.4! I'm usually not that far off.

Hubs asked if I had the girls stand in the doorway. None of us felt that was necessary at the time. But the quake was a conversation stopper. Which is difficult to do with a group of 14- and 15-year old-girls.

A Silver Moment

The second highest award in Girl Scouting is the Silver Award. For those familiar with the Boy Scout program, this is the equivalent of Life Scout. There are prerequisites, including leadership, career exploration, interest patches (badges), and reflection. And then there is the Project, which must take at least 40 hours, including planning and doing.

Unlike Boy Scouts, the girl must do all the prerequisites and the project in the three years from seventh through ninth grade.

DD#2 thought that she would like to do a "Welcome Back to Girl Scouting" event for the troops in our neighborhood to get the school year started. Our neighborhood had penciled in a "Songfest" event--a chance to get together and sing at just the right time. Next thing she knew, DD#2 was in charge.

"But I hate leading songs!" she protested to me.

"So ask someone else to lead the songs," I answered calmly. "You just have to plan it and make sure everything is covered. You don't have to actually do it all."

Now DD#2 has been going to Scout campfires (Boy Scout, Girl Scout, and Cub Scout) since she was a year old. She's watched me lead them, her brothers, her sister, other Scout leaders, camp counselors, other troops. She's led songs at Day Camp and at Camporee. So why did she suddenly insist that she didn't know how to put this event--which was essentially a campfire at the beach--together?

Because she's never been in charge before. Events sure look different when their success or failure hinge on you.

The most difficult part for me was not taking over.

"Has she done this yet?" asked the neighborhood coordinator.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask her," became my standard reply. My other job was to be a sounding board, to ask her questions like, "What usually happens? What are your favorite songs? What are your options?"

And to keep Hubs from driving her crazy. She is, after all, his baby, too. Worse, since he doesn't often get to see her in a leadership role, he forgets that she is pretty competent. She knows her stuff, even if she doesn't always realize she does.

The flyers were done, the registration happened, the s'more supplies were purchased, the fire laid.

"How do I start?" was her last agonized whisper to me.

"Well, you should probably welcome everyone and introduce yourself and your song leaders," I said. "Then go from there."

The neighborhood coordinator referred to DD#2's look as "deer-in-the-headlights." As the program got underway and the group (there were about 75-80 people) settled in and started singing, DD#2 became more sure of herself and lost that look. We had enough wood and enough s'more supplies. We did not set the grass on fire (Hubs' biggest concern, although there was little chance of that happening). It did not rain.

Now there is the final paperwork and the patches to be ordered. The feedback we're receiving is very positive--everyone had fun, which means our neighborhood will probably hold a similar event next year.

I'm very interested to hear DD#2's evaluation of the event. She did an excellent job, but she has my tendency to focus on what went wrong rather than what went right. And she may not enjoy leading songs, but she's good at it--and I wonder if her opinion will change after she completes a year of public speaking (which includes competitions).

Japan

Japan is an interesting mix of ancient and modern. Everyone has a cell phone. Everyone's cell phone can take pictures and video and access the Internet. In fact, according to our tour guide, many Japanese teens have two cell phones: one number for mom and dad and the other for friends.

However, Japanese housewives still prefer to hang their laundry out to dry. Nearly every house, condo, townhouse, and apartment has a balcony. And laundry or futons or tatami mats hanging in the "fresh" air (how fresh can the air be next to a freeway in Tokyo?).

The best part of the trip was staying with Japanese Girl Scout families in the Osaka area. We were there for nine days, including two days of camping. Two of us leaders stayed with a Japanese leader I've had the pleasure of meeting when the Japaneses Girl Scouts came to the U.S. Her English is very good--unless I talk too fast (which I have a tendency to do when I get on a roll). We had some interesting discussions, especially over beer at the end of the day. Many of the problems we have here in the U.S. are also in Japan. They have homeless who sleep in public parks during the day and live in shelters made of blue tarp under bridges and overpasses. Students are apathetic about their studies, preferring to spend their time shopping and texting each other. They are ignorant of history, due in part to the American Occupation of Japan, when Japanese history was suppressed as being "too militant." We didn't discuss WWII much, but her perspective was a surprise to me--Japan liberated Southeast Asia from the colonial (European) powers. I wish we had more time to discuss this.

At the Edo Museum in Tokyo (I needed a whole lot more time there!), there was a whole section about WWII and the postwar Occupation. Again, I was fascinated by the opportunity to see a familiar event through the lens of the "other side." The exhibit also included the Articles of Surrender, signed by General Douglas MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito. Someday scholars will study WWII dispassionately--but we're not there yet.

The weather was hot and humid. Very hot and humid. My feet and ankles were swollen for most of the trip. I learned to carry a bottle of water and a small wash cloth with me. Except for ice cream, the Japanese do not eat on the sidewalks. Nor did we see them chugging from water bottles. That rule we violated, but the girls were very good about not eating in public.

I made it to the top of Mt. Fuji. The Japanese have a saying, "A wise man climbs Fuji once. A foolish man climbs it twice." Yep. It's an endurance test: both ascending and descending. My legs were sore for a week--which made using a squat toilet a challenge--and I ended up losing the toenails from both big toes. I ended up wearing my sandals most of the time, including the trip home. I can check Mt. Fuji from my Life List of Things I Want to Do.

Hubs and DS#2 climbed Mt. Fuji a week later--during a typhoon. Hubs didn't make it to the top, but DS#2 did (for the second time. But at 17, you're allowed to be foolish!).

The food was incredible. The peaches were extraordinary: huge & juicy. But the Japanese peel them and slice them. They also peel their grapes, which we found to be just like the red and the Flame grapes we get here in California. The local specialty is "takoyaki"- octopus, green onion, and cheese baked in batter--served with mayonnaise, a special sauce, and seaweed bits that move and curl. I like octopus and squid, but some of the girls heard the word "tako" and thought "taco." Oops. Every good household in Osaka has a takoyaki maker, which looks kind of like a waffle iron, only with small circular impressions so the batter bakes into a ball.

And since we were visitors, we were excuses for parties and dinners and barbecues. Many of the women involved were themselves part of the Exchange twenty and thirty years ago. I met DS#2's Japanese "mom" and discovered that she had met a friend of mine and the aunt of one of our girls during her exchange trip. (My Girl Scout friends here are some how less surprised by this than I was!) DD#2 and I met DD#1's Japanese family and reunited with the young woman who stayed with us in 2001. She's a mom now, with a daughter and a son. I had hoped we would see her, so I had brought a board book about San Francisco--"so they will be ready when it's their turn to come!"

We were invited back, with or without the Scouts. :) There is so much I still want to see: the National Museum in Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka Castle, Hiroshima, Miyajima. The best weather is in the autumn, when the leaves turn color. My host family has a home in the mountains and would love to take us hiking there. (And they promise me it's considerably cooler!) Their daughter saw my pictures of the Embarcadero Center lit up for Christmas and the fact the weather is so mild--she wants to come here then! (Of course, we'd love to have her.)

We had a grand send-off at Kansai International Airport. Many of the families came to see us off. After we checked in our luggage, we formed a huge Friendship Circle in the lobby, sang a couple of songs, cried a few tears, exchanged the last few gifts and pictures, took a couple of more group photos, promised to keep in touch, and encouraged them to come visit us in two years.

I can't wait!

Weekend Update

So last Friday I took four girls from my troop and one of my assistant leaders to Camporee in the charming town of Woodside. This particular Camporee is a competitive one, testing the girls' knowledge of basic outdoor skills.

Our first challenge was packing everything in one car while still allowing me to drive and the passengers to wear their seat belts.

The second challenge was to get the tent up before dark.

The site was beautiful. We could see part of the Bay and wooded hills surrounded us. We were up on a slight knoll which meant we were totally exposed to the brisk spring wind that came up around 10:00 p.m.

It was a cold night.

The next morning was also cold. But at least it wasn't raining. We met for opening flag, flown at half-mast in honor of the victims at Virginia Tech. And then, because the next day was Earth Day, one of the AICs (Adults In Charge) spoke about recycling and how we should all do our part to reduce our carbon footprint.

My response was to mutter, sotto voce, "I pledge not to take my private jet to any conferences on Global Warming."

Apparently my voce wasn't quite sotto enough as the gentleman next to me snickered.

The events started. The girls first event was the pancake flip flop. They had to light charcoal, using a trench candle and a chimney, mix the batter, cook the pancakes over the charcoal, flip the cooked pancake over a string 6' in the air, catch it, and add it to the plate. They could not touch the pancake with their hands.

All the Assistant Leader and I could do was cheer.

This was not their best event. Turned out not to be their worst, either, but we didn't know that until Sunday. Note to self: remind DD#2 that coals give off heat without flame.

Orienteering was their Waterloo. Turns out DD#2 can't read a map with a compass. Youngest team member thought they were going the wrong way, but didn't say anything. What should have taken 30 minutes took 60 and we had just sent out someone to look for them when they returned.

They griped about the other events, but were fairly satisfied with how they did. They were in the top four for Girl Scout Facts and were in the "Jeopardy Round." I was rather impressed with what they knew--I didn't think they'd been paying attention at meetings when I'd blather on about Girl Scout history.

The real challenge, though, came Saturday night. The rain started about 3:00 p.m. and became heavier and heavier. And it was still cold. We were in one of the few sites that was completely in the open--there was no way to rig any kind of tarp over the tables. Thank goodness, dinner was simple, so they cooked under umbrellas and tried to keep from tracking mud into the tent.

And then Assistant Leader had a bronchial attack.

Her daughter called me in. I tried the tricks I knew from growing up with asthmatics. I stayed calm. I shooed the girls out of the tent. When it became apparent that this attack was not going away, I sent two girls to get the official First Aider who took Assistant Leader to the hospital. Turns out she was really sick and she ended up going home.

We ate dinner in the tent and I decided that we were going to deal with the dishes in the morning when, hopefully, it would not be raining. We left the dishes and pots out in a zippered "porch" area, along with our shoes (we were still trying to keep the mud to a minimum).

Sometime around 0-dark-thirty, I was asleep and warm for the first time in about 24-hours (my fingers and toes had finally thawed), the girls woke me up to point out that the tent wall that had been 6' away was now considerably closer. The wind had battered the front of the tent so badly that the stakes had been pulled out. Our shoes were in a damp pile hidden in a mass of netting that had been the "porch." The Assistant Leader's daughter came outside with me and she held the flashlight as I re-staked the tent and straightened the poles. Fortunately, nothing had broken or been bent.

However, now awake, we stayed that way, listening to the wind and wondering if the tent was going to collapse on top of us.

Before we had gone to bed the first time, I had told the girls that, upon awakening, they were to "pee and pack" their personal gear. We would load their clothes and sleeping bags into the van to keep it dry and then deal with the rest of the wet gear.

They giggled. I think we have a new shorthand phrase in our troop because, come the morning, they went to the bathroom, then came back and packed their stuff immediately.

Other troops were not quite so fortunate. One troop had a tent collapse completely AND the tent for their female leader had been flooded. They ended up sleeping in their van.

At the Awards ceremony, the girls were quite surprised to find out they took First in Girl Scout Facts. But that was not their only ribbon: they were Fifth in the dreaded Pancake Flip Flop, First Aid (which they had guessed their way through), and Knot Tying. They were Fourth in Tent Pitching (a timed event which includes stringing a tarp between two trees and using the proper knots to secure the corners of the tarp to the stakes).

Then they said the words I love to hear: "Next year..."