ODE TO A GIRL SCOUT LEADER

Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic

I was glad to have a daughter
Because my first child was a son
I thought of all the ruffles
All the frilly bows and fun
I thought of how we’d sit and talk
At night when day was done
Wasn’t I the foolish one?

She was only 1/2 past 7
When they called me to the fore
I said, “Oh no, I’m not equipped”
They said, “oh yes, what’s more
We will train you in the basics
And outfit you for the corps.”
And they shoved me out the door.

Glory, Glory, I’m a leader
How’d I get to be a leader
All I did was have a daughter
Is this the price I pay?

They taught me to be thrifty
To be thoughtful, to be true
They taught me to string beads
Like all the noble Indians do
I had to learn to dig a trench
And how to use it too
And you should taste our stew.

I had to learn to sing songs that
I didn’t understand
I learned to dance the polka
And to make a rhythm band
To think of what to do and to
Forget what I had planned
And they say that Scouting’s grand

Glory, Glory, I’m a leader
Me, they had to make a leader
I can’t even build a fire
Let alone put up a tent.

We went walking in the woodland
Just my Girl Scout troop and me
The handbook says that nature
Has a wealth of sights to see
It’s true that we were sights
When we were found eventually
And I do this all for free!

I’m not meant to be a leader
I don’t know which bird is which
My wiener forks all burn up
We come home from hikes and itch
The sit-upons all fell apart
I showed them the wrong stitch
But no one wants to switch!

Glory, Glory, I’m a leader
Someone’s got to be a leader
Tell me why I should be happy
When no one envies me.

But even though I grumble
And I mumble and I shout
And some days sit and wonder
What would be the best way out
I guess when all is said and done
There isn’t any doubt
I’m glad to be a Scout.

So if you see me packing
For those weekend over nights
With a lot of happy Scouts
Gathering tents and pots and lights
We’ll be back home when it’s over
Dirty, tired and covered with bites
But we’ve seen nature’s sights.

Glory, Glory, I’m a leader
Hallelujah, I’m a leader
They can carve it on my tombstone
“Here’s a gal who did her best.”

DD and I have been talking and have made a decision that we’ll be homeschooling come January.  She is happy thus far at school but I see her struggling and I want her to feel good about her progress.  She’s basically about 3 – 6 months behind developmentally.  Holding her back would be too far back and pushing her forward is making it very hard on her.  I’m going to take her out and work with her at her pace.  Hopefully she’ll catch up soon, but at least she’ll be making progress and feeling good about it the progress she’s making instead of feeling like she’s not doing well enough.  I’ve spent the past weekend ordering materials and getting my ducks in a row.  Yesterday we told her teacher.  It was so hard.  Teacher cried which made me cry too.   We have a long history (on excellent terms) and it’s hard to say good-bye.  We’ve been invited back in January for Chinese New Year and plan to come.  She’s also going to stick with it until the Winter Break because there are so many special events coming that i hate for her to miss.  Plus I need time to get it all together.

This is my favorite time of year.  We had our first night of Advent last night.  I love the time to be together as a family and light the candles.  What was really special to me this year is that DS has never fully participated.  He likes lighting the candles and will sit there while we sing but he doesn’t sing, read or pray.  This year he did of his own accord.  It was so special to hear him sing with us.  He has a wonderful voice.

Here’s a link to my Advent page that shares our celebration.