Be Prepared!



Every good Scout knows that it's smart to be prepared. As a mom and Scout Leader, I feel I have an extra responsibility to do just that. I always carry a backpack of "just in case" stuff when I go hiking. Jonas does too.

I've been asked several times what the heck I have in there and since I'm re-packing for a hike with our Beaver Scouts tomorrow night, here it is. You don't have to carry all of this but it gives me piece of mind to know that we have the basics coverd just in case something goes wrong: first aid, communications, water, shelter, fire, food, hygene and a change of clothes.
  

My Survival Kit

  



SMALL FRONT POCKET: CPR face mask and shield, nitrile gloves

FRONT POCKET: LED lightstick, LED headlamp, lanyard with FOX 40 whistle, squeeze LED, small multi-tool, fire steel, Star Wars LED

MIDDLE POCKET:  First Aid Kit, OTC meds, gadget/tool kit

THIN MIDDLE POCKET: bag of snacks and hot drinks (coffee, hot choco, peppermint tea, cliff bars, sesame honey bars, peanut MMs)

BIG POCKET: esbit stove and 12 tabs, stainless steel water bottle nested in tin can, GI poncho, 2 person emergency blanket, 25 ft rope, 2 hand warmers, knife, match safe (with strike anywhere matches, 2 cotton balls and 2 birthday candles), small candle, old medicine vial with 5 AAAs, toilet paper, glasses case, fleece jacket (with socks, mitts and banadana in pockets), lined rain pants, blaze orange hat

WHAT'S MISSING?
 *bug spray and suncreen will be added as the weather warms, as will a bucket-style hat and thinner top (instead of the wool jacket)
*there are 2 carabiners are attached to the outside of the pack for attaching a second water bottle and stuff sack/dump pouch for my son's and little Scout's treasures found along the way.
 

Jonas's Survival Kit

 

Part of the Cub Scout's programme is making a survival kit. this one's a little more comprehensive than what's in the manual but what can you expect from a kid who looks up to Survivorman Les Stroud!

CLOTHES: dry bag with change of clothes including a blaze orange fleece hat, bandana, fleece top, pants, socks, wool gloves and work gloves

FIRST AID: bandaids, polysporin, gauze pads, maxi pad

TOOLS: small folding knife and multi-tool

FIRE: Gerber BG fire steel with vaseline cotton balls, mini bic, strike anywhere matches, birthday candle, lip balm and tampons
 
COOKING: ss cup, small hobo stove, tea light and aluminum foil, snacks (rolos are his favourite), hot chocolate
 
ENTERTAINMENT: Small deck of playing cards
 
WATER: SS water bottle
 
SHELTER: emergency bivvy, sportsman's thermal blanket with paracord tie-outs, paracord, contractor's bag, poncho, hand warmers
 
LIGHT: LED glow stick, chem light, crank flashlight, LED headlamp, keychain LED
 
SIGNALLING: whistle on lanyard, AMK mirror, bear bell on pack, whistle attached to fire steel, LED glowstick whistle and flo orange stuff
 
MISC: sunglasses and he also has a compass, which he's learning to use
   

His is similar to mine but with equipment and snacks that he knows how to use and prepare.
He does carry a knife and means to make fire but is strictly supervised in those activities.
He does NOT carry things like medications. 



 

Fabulous Friday

Happy Easter everyone!

The Long and Winding Road

We had another rough morning today. Jonas was extra upset this morning (actually, it started at bedtime last night) because today everyone is his class gets a reward completing the oral reports they've been working on all month. He is nowhere near finishing his so no reward for him. He also thinks he's going to be the only who's left out.

So why didn't he finish his oral report? Simply put, because he doesn't think he can. On Monday night at tutoring he got exactly zero done on it. When his teacher asked him what was wrong he put his head on his desk, started crying and said "I can't do it." The same thing happened again last night. Organizing his thoughts and getting them out of his mouth or onto paper coherantly is hard for him. When he sees the work the other kids are producing he can't help but compare himself and it makes him feel defeated. In his words, "It's torture."

He doesn't understand that everyone learns at their own pace. He doesn't see the progress he's made.  He only sees the gap between him and his classmates. He knows that they see it to. When I took him to school yesterday, he didn't even want me to look at the classroom display of work. "Mine's just terrible, mom" he said. It broke my heart.

Being married to a high school drop out, it worries me tremendously that Jonas might be on that same path. Steve's concerned about it too. He, more than anyone, can relate to how Jonas is feeling right now. Grade Three seems like it should be way young to think about things like that but we're not so sure.

Our hopes are high that our meeting with the school team next week will help us identify some new strategies to remove roadblocks and rebuild his confidence. Wish us luck!

Cheers!

Wordless Wednesday: Evolution of a Couple of Kub Kar Racers



Our Cub Scout Pack is getting ready for our area Kub Kar Rally on April 15th. This is the first time Jonas and I have participated in Kub Kars, and the first time we've done anything like this. So far it's been a lot of fun.

Cheers!

This is what we started with - a solid block of pine ready to be shaped by our imaginations.



Jonas drawing his first set of blue prints.
He started off intending to make his look like a hot dog
and then got a better - more "Jonas" - idea!

Steve helped Jonas make his cuts and then he was on his own
to sand his small pieces, glue them on and paint it.

My blue prints and the first cuts

Jonas's is way more ambitious than mine!



First cuts and sanding done.
Waiting for the glue to dry.



First coat of paint drying.
Next steps: More sanding and repainting
Then it'll be time to put on the axles and wheels and get racing!



  



Continuing School Struggle Saga

ARRGH!

It's been a rough month. Just when we thought we had gotten Jonas back on track at school it all fell apart again. I should have trusted my gut back at the beginning of March when I thought there was more going on than him simply feeling unprepared for a day of school. While we've had a pretty good understanding with the school about it all, and he seemed to be getting the accomodation he needs, something's changed in the couple of months.  He's now having physical distress about even going to school and has missed several days because of it.

Over the past few months he's become hyper aware of his challenges with speech, handwriting, recalling information, organizing his thoughts and making friends. He knows he's different from the other kids and he's becoming quite sensative about it. The other kids know it too, and some of them aren't as sensative about it as most. His grades have fallen and he's started putting a tremendous amount of pressure on himself to be like those other kids. Re-enter crashing self-esteem.

To make matters worse, he's had a couple conflicts with some of the adults at the school who just don't seem to get it. His ADHD is very real. It's just as frustrating for him as it is for us, maybe moreso. We all know he's a bright boy, but sometimes our expectations aren't realistic for him.

We have a meeting with his teachers next week to make sure we'll all still on the same page. We need to come up with some new strategies to help better support him. Wish us luck!

Cheers!

Jonas and our newest litter of kittens.
If only dealing with people was as easy for him as it is animals.

A Rough Morning With a Happy Ending

Jonas had a very rough morning today. He's been sick, which always makes him more emotional. When it came time to get ready for school today, he got very upset, started crying and said he felt sick to his stomach. He had been fine for the entire hour leading up to that moment so I figured that there must be something else going on. He's missed a couple of days of school over the past week, so my first inclination was that he just wanted to stay home. As his sobbing increased I started to think that it was more than that.

I snuggled up with him in our big comfy chair and asked him if there was a reason he didn't want to go to school. He got even more emotional and said, in one barely intelligable, run-on sentance, that
"We'vebeendoingspecialstuffeveryFridaywithatotallydifferentteacherandIforgottomorrowisaPDdayandIdon'tknowwhatI'msupposedtobedoingtodayorwhatteacherorwhereI'msupposedtogoorifIneedtobringanythingforit!"

Thankfully I knew what he was talking about. They've had electives on the past two Fridays, where they sign up for a fun activity that interests them. Tomorrow is a P.A. day so his assumption was that today was elective day and he was panicked because he wasn't prepared. I gave him a huge hug and told him not to worry. We could go to school early and talk to his teacher and find out what's going on. If he needed anything, I would go get it and bring it back to the school for him. He still wasn't convinced but got dressed and went with me to the school, still crying, but without having to be dragged.

Enter Mrs. G. Super Teacher and fellow ADHD parent. She was worried too because that reaction is so out of character. He gets emotional but nothing on the scale of what we saw this morning. Once she heard the story, she said that she thought he was legitimately upset about not knowing what was happening today. He does much better when he's got a predictable routine and gets nervous when he doesn't know what to expect. Apparently he forgot his bring from home stuff on the first day he needed them, and he's determinded not to let that happen again.

The electives program is over so he doesn't need to try to remember it anymore, but she's going to pay a little extra attention to make sure that he knows what's coming in terms of his schedule. We both gave him a bog hug and reminded him that we're all here to help him. All he has to do is let us know when something is bothering him. He got a huge smile on his face, grabbed his agenda and headed off to class, red-eyed but clearly relieved.

On a side note, Mrs. G says he's been having a great week. He's doing VERY well in his reading and math. He's at a solid level 29 in reading and only needs to be at 30 by the end of the year! He's also been being very helpful and caring of his classmates. She says she's commended him several times this week for both academics and social, and also because he's been showing more signs of forethought lately. He's starting to think about consequences a little bit before they're upon him. Even though it's last minute, he's starting to proactively take responsibility for avoiding them. It may seem like a small thing to some but, trust me, it's a pretty huge and cool development!

Cheers!

Wordless Wednesday: Good Bye, Gus!

Gus has been a great car.

We bought him 4 years ago for $500 and he has given us his all.

This morning, he's off to the big scrap yard in the sky.

My new (to me) Jeep.
I've always wanted one and this one just fell in our laps.
He doesn't have a name yet.