Sometimes You Have to Think Out of the Box

First, thank you to everyone who commented and sent me amazing emails of what to do - I love to get the support and advice!! Not to mention, I love it even more when someone says, "I get it"!! :-)

So, remember my really close friend who spent the day with me helping me "de-clutter"??? Well, she solved my Brownies/Gymnastics dilemma!!!

Now, after my meeting on Wednesday, when Allie asked me if her school was going to have Brownies, I just said we don't know yet, there will be one more meeting in September. She was fine with that and I thought that was the end of the conversation.

Well, on Thursday after school, all she could talk about was Brownies and how so many of her friends signed up for it and their Moms told them that they saw Allie's name on the list and it was just a huge love fest and everyone was so excited to do Brownies together. I told her that if she wants to do it, she can absolutely do it - and left it at that. I didn't want to have her go through this whole decision process if she didn't have to yet.

So, I'm talking to my girlfriend expressing my frustration and she says I can do both. I say, huh? And then she points it out to me - Allie has gymnastics EVERY Tuesday & Thursday from 6 - 7:30. Brownies - if on Tuesdays - will only be EVERY OTHER Tuesday from 6:30 - 7:30. Brownies is only 9- 10 months out of the year and Gymnastics is 12 months. So, my girlfriend pointed out to me that if Allie misses every other Tuesday that isn't the worst thing in the world - she can do both activities!!!

And the same day she came home talking all about Brownies, that night after gymnastics she was on Cloud 9 because she tackled a new skill that has been working on and they told her that she was the only one in her group that could do a double flip on the bar. And for the next two days, anytime she has been home all she does is Gymnastics. So, do you feel my pain? How could I really have made her choose?

Thanks to my girlfriend who gave me this wonderful way to resolve my dilemma. There is no choosing that needs to be done!! Now, I feel so much better!!

How much longer until I bring you the next crisis?? :-)

Oh - and for those of you who suggested I start my own troop, I seriously debated it for a long time, but I really didn't want to. The reason is simply because with Allie being an only child for now she already gets lots and lots and lots of Mommy time. I volunteer in her class, I am homeroom Mom, I teach at her religious school and I am definitely the mom that hosts lots and lots of playdates and sleepovers! I really thought that Girl Scouts was something Allie could do without Mommy - I will always be there to help when/if the troop leader needs, but I think a little activity without Mommy running it is always a good thing. I think some of the most amazing strides a child makes is when they have the opportunity to be independent and try things when Mommy isn't there and that is a little bit of what I wanted to give Allie through Brownies. Hopefully my readers "get" where I am coming from. . .