Girl Scouts Rock the Mall

Last weekend I went to the Girls Scouts Rock the Mall event in DC to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the organization.  The girls were excited, but it was very crowded and crazy hot (apparently some attendees had to be taken to the medic tent for heat-related afflictions and eventually the firefighters turned on a hose to cool the kids off).  We could get close enough to see the Jumbotron, but couldn't hear anything so we pretty much sat around sweating before heading home (two hours earlier than I had intended).

The girls traded "swaps" with other scouts.  Swaps are little trinkets the girls make that are somehow related to scouting or to their home area and that usually indicate the troop location and number.  Our girls only had ten swaps each but once they had traded them they continued to trade the ones they had received hoping to get ones that were cooler or cuter or from further away (we met one troop that had traveled all the way from New Mexico).

We had intended to go in a museum to cool off on the way to the metro but the lines wrapped around the building so we settled for an outdoor fountain.  The lines for everything were crazy long.  I brought an empty water bottle figuring Liz and I could share it and refill it at the water-filling stations but the line for the one we found was unbelievably long (and was just a lady holding a hose) so we got by on the two juices boxes I had and I had a dehydration headache until I went to bed that night.

Our final Girl Scout activity is Monday (unless you count performing in the school talent show today) and then Liz will be finished as a Brownie.  She is interested in doing scouting again next year and since her leader from the last couple years is not continuing on I agreed to be co-leader for the troop with another mom.  A couple days ago I also agreed to be the Vice President of Programs and After School Activities for the PTA.  I'm really hoping I'm not too busy next year.

After the agony of the Girl Scout event on the Mall, we headed with the family to a party in PA.  One of Drew's ski patrol buddies hosted an all-day get-together at his home.  While there, Liz and Drew enjoyed climbing on the portable rock wall.  Very fun (especially when Liz beat Drew to the top).