Four Little Kittens and Their Mama: Our Foster Litter is Two Weeks Old!

Dill

Welp, I couldn't actually get a hole in my head, so I did the next most unreasonable thing: I picked up the phone even when my caller ID clearly stated that the call was from our local animal shelter's foster program.

And then I did the NEXT most unreasonable thing, which is agree to take four two-week-old kittens along with their mother.

Welcome, Ginger, Clove, Dill, Fennel, and Sage!

Clove and Fennel

Ginger and family, with Dill in the foreground

All we know about them is that they were removed from unsanitary conditions in a hoarding situation. We're not even sure if Ginger is the kittens' biological mother; apparently, there were three mother cats and a lot of kittens all found in the same area, so the shelter workers estimated ages, grouped the kittens accordingly, and offered each set to a mother. Ginger accepted this set of four who were thought to be about two weeks old, so now she's their mama, they're her babies, and they're all here with us!

Dill

Clove

I've assured Ginger numerous times since then, though, that if she's missing any babies, they're with the other mama cats in other homes and having just as nice a time as she and these kittens are with us. I don't want her to worry.

Sage getting weighed, with Ginger growling at Jones on the other side of the door

Ginger and family

Kittens with their mama are a lot easier than kittens without, and for the first few days, they were a LOT lot easier. The mama takes care of all of their input and output, and it's only in the last couple of days that we've really had to think a ton about litter boxes and kitten food. They're definitely starting to get a lot messier now, but I don't think they'll ever be as messy (I hope!) as that litter of six four-week-old kittens last summer. How we managed without just burning the house down behind us, I do not know.

Fennel

That litter did inspire some new innovations for this time, however. I started them right off with lots of small, shallow litter boxes to explore, and lots of these puppy pee pads laid down everywhere. They're really not too messy yet, but it is SO infinitely easier to toss a pee pad than it is to wipe pee off the floor.

Dill

Clove, Dill, Fennel, and Sage

And now that the kids' bathroom has its new shower and new flooring--all tile! No cracked linoleum!--it's a great place to tuck away the entire family. In the mornings when I come in to clean and sanitize, I shut Ginger and the kittens into the shower and she scrabbles at the shower door, outraged, while I pick things up, sweep and steam mop, and restock, lecturing her the entire time that if she just kept the room tidier, it wouldn't take me so long to clean. I'm pretty sure that every time she's in the litter box, she picks up a couple of paws-full of litter and flings it across the room.

Dill

Ginger and family

The family has to stay quarantined away from our family pets for two weeks before we can even think about letting them out into the rest of the house, and even then I'm not quite sure how we'll manage that--I don't trust four-week-old kittens to be out of sight of their litter box, and I can already tell that Ginger won't get along with our adult cats. So let me know if you've got tips! They're also under ringworm watch at the moment, as they were definitely exposed to it in the hoarder's house. Fortunately, none of them are showing symptoms, but it does mean that we also have to change into foster family-only clothes when we visit them and change immediately when we leave, so it'll be VERY nice when that additional annoyance is done. 

Dill

Ginger

It's such a treat to have kittens in the house again, though! These are by far the tiniest babies we've ever had, and when you look at them in relation to someone holding them, they're so unbelievably small that it looks like the perspective is off somehow. I am loving every second of giving them a safe place to grow and spend a few more precious weeks with their mama. 

Clove and Sage

Fennel

I sure wish Ginger would stop flinging her damp litter around the room, though!

Every Council's Own Girl Scout Fun Patch Program That Your Girl Scouts Can Earn from Anywhere: Culture, Diversity, and Equity

Welcome back to my very weird series in which I am listing, week by week, topic by topic, every single Council's Own Girl Scout fun patch program that your Girl Scouts can earn from everywhere!

My Girl Scout troop enjoys earning Council's Own fun patches, as well as official badges and retired badges. I usually look for a fun patch that they can earn in addition to a badge whenever we're planning a big project or a trip, etc. This list is essentially just my own research written down for easy reference.

This week's category: Culture, Diversity, and Equity! This includes fun patch programs that allow Girl Scouts to learn about other communities or cultures, and those that encourage them to take action to support and encourage diversity and equity and become empathic global citizens.

For this list, I only included fun patch programs that fit the following criteria:

1. Girl Scouts can earn this fun patch wherever they are. I did not include any fun patch programs that have site-specific criteria, unless I felt that those criteria would be easy to substitute and still maintain the point of the fun patch program. I also didn't include fun patch programs that require time-specific criteria that have already passed, such as patches programs designed for the 2020 COVID lockdowns. I noted in the description of each patch when substitutions would be required.
2. Girl Scouts can obtain the council's requirements to earn this fun patch. I found several instances in which the council still sells a specific fun patch, but has deleted all the requirements from its website. If I couldn't find an easy link to those requirements from another site, I did not include the patch.
3. Girl Scouts can obtain the physical fun patch. There were also several instances in which councils still host the requirements for a fun patch program, but no longer sell the patch (or, as in the case of a few GSAK patches, they have fewer than ten remaining). If it is unlikely for a Girl Scout to be able to obtain the fun patch, I did not include it. The link to purchase each fun patch is in the caption for its graphic.

CULTURE, DIVERSITY, AND EQUITY

All About Guide Dogs GSNC

All About Guide Dogs, Girl Scouts of Naussau County. Learn about the process of guide dog training and proper etiquette around guide dogs. This would pair well with the Girl Scout Senior Voice for Animals badge. 

GSH Aloha

Aloha, Girl Scouts of Hawaii. Explore the history, culture, and geography of Hawaii. Order the printed guide book and patches directly from the GSOH council shop. My two kids earned this fun patch together as part of a larger Hawaii unit study, and it encouraged them to delve into more cultural components of their study than they might have experienced without it.

American Indian Heritage GSMWLP

American Indian Heritage, Girl Scouts Lakes and Pines. Celebrate Native American cultures by exploring the history and geography of North American native peoples.

American Sign Language GSMW

American Sign Language, Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming. Learn the basics of ASL and about deaf culture. 

Black History Month GSNCCP

Black History Month, Girl Scouts of North Carolina Coastal Pines. Complete a variety of activities themed on Black History Month. The guide book includes plenty of content to fill all of your February troop meetings!

Celebrating Black History GSKSMO

Celebrating Black History, Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri. Learn about Black history and find Black role models by completing the program activities. This would be a good fun patch program for Girl Scouts to complete partly individually and partly as a group.

Chicas GSCNC

Chicas, Girl Scouts Nation's Capital. Explore Hispanic heritage and culture. 

Coat of Many Colors GSCSA

Coat of Many Colors, Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians. Explore issues in poverty and food insecurity through a close reading of the Dolly Parton song. 

Cosplay GSWAP

Cosplay, Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania. Explore the world of cosplay and try your hand at making your own costumes. A trip to a Comic Con would be a fun field trip opportunity!

Discovering Hispanic Heritage GSNCCP

Discovering Hispanic Heritage, Girl Scouts of North Carolina Coastal Pines. Learn about Hispanic heritage and culture by trying out a variety of suggested activities. My Girl Scout troop earned this fun patch as part of our preparation for our Mexico trip last year, and the kids loved it!

D.I.V.E.R.S.I.T.Y. GSMISTS

D.I.V.E.R.S.I.T.Y., Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore. Complete activities that demonstrate the importance of respecting diversity in our society. 

Festival of Trees GSNCA

Festival of Trees, Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama. Includes multicultural, service, and educational activities centered on Christmas. My Girl Scout troop loves to have a Christmas-themed meeting, and actually, this last year, they went ham and planned an entire Christmas-themed camping weekend! I modified the Outdoor Art badge to be Christmas-themed for them, but I LOVE the idea of a fun patch they can earn this year. It looks like this patch program has patches that change yearly, so the troop can make a tradition of earning it.

Global Girls Club GSWPA

Global Girls Club, Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania. Focuses on becoming a global citizen. This fun patch pairs well with World Thinking Day activities and international travel planning.

Guide Dog GSSD

Guide Dog, Girl Scouts of San Diego. Learn about guide dogs and how to behave when they're present. This fun patch program pairs well with the Brownie Pets badge and the Senior Voice for Animals badge.

Heritage Hunt GSSWT

Heritage Hunt, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. Learn about the heritage and culture of a people.

HERstory GSHG

HERstory, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia. Have important conversations about diversity, inclusion, equity, and equality. This is a comprehensive program that would fit into any Girl Scout year.

Hispanic Heritage Month GSK

Hispanic Heritage Month, Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana. Celebrate Hispanic culture and history.

History of Mardi Gras GSLE

History of Mardi Gras, Girl Scouts of Louisiana East. Learn about the history and culture of Mardi Gras, both in Louisiana and around the world.

Juliette Low Heritage GSMWLP

Juliette Low Heritage, Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines. Discover more about Juliette Low and the early history of Girl Scouting. This fun patch program pairs well with the Girl Scout Way badges.

Lunar New Year GSK

Lunar New Year, Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana. Celebrate and learn about Lunar New Year.

Make Every Dance Step Count GSNCCP

Make Every Dance Step Count, Girl Scouts of North Carolina Coastal Pines. Learn about various culture, time periods, and physical skills through the lens of dance. This fun patch pairs well with the Brownie Dancer badge.

Mardi Gras GSSA

Mardi Gras, Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama. Learn about the history and culture of Mardi Gras. You will have to substitute a few site-specific activities, but Mardi Gras is so generally popular that it shouldn't be difficult. This is the perfect fun patch to fill a meeting during Mardi Gras!

Multicultural Awareness GSWCF

Multicultural Awareness, Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. Encourages kids to learn more about other cultures. I think this would be a good fun patch to pair with preparing for a World Thinking Day celebration, since many Service Units (mine included!) treat the event as a Geography Fair.  

Native American Heritage Month GSK

Native American Heritage Month, Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana. Celebrate the culture and history of Native Americans.

Peace GSSWTX

Peace, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. Complete activities on the subject of peace.

Peace it Together GSOH

Peace it Together, Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland. Complete the anti-bullying program to earn the patch set. This could pair well with a few of the older Girl Scout Journeys, or even as a program that an older Girl Scout troop hosts for their Service Unit as a Journey TAP.

Racial Justice GSCM

Racial Justice, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. Complete this program packet on racial justice and cultural diversity. 

Sisterhood GSAK

Sisterhood, Girl Scouts of Alaska. Learn about strong female role models and forge stronger connections with fellow Girl Scouts. This is a good fun patch program to complete during Women's History Month.

Stand Against Racism GSCTX

Stand Against Racism, Girl Scouts of Central Texas. Earn this badge by learning more about Black history topics and exploring racism and what it means to be anti-racist. This fun patch pairs well with the Democracy badges and Senior Truth Seeker badge.

They are My Friends GSCTX

They are My Friends, Girl Scouts of Central Texas. Have a conversation about diversity, equity, and bias in your community and around the world. This fun patch pairs well with the Cadette Finding Common Ground badge, the Senior Truth Seeker badge, and any of the wellness-themed Journeys like GIRLtopia, MEdia, etc.

GSNC UMOJA

Uniting Members of Joint Ancestry, Girl Scouts of Naussau County. Explores African and African-American culture. My Girl Scout earned this independently, and especially loved learning about African-American choreographers and actors.

We Together GSCM

We Together, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. Celebrate the similarities and differences between people.

What If I Couldn't GSGATL

What If I Couldn't, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. Brownies learn about physical disabilities and grow their empathy. Guest speakers who could personify different abilities and allow the Brownies to interact with all different types of people would greatly add to this fun patch program.text

Here's a look at my complete fun patch series:

• Arts and Crafts
• Culture, Diversity, and Equity
• Games and Sports
• Geography/History
• Outdoors
• Practical Life Skills
• Reading and Writing
• Science
• Service Learning
• Social-Emotional Skills
• Technology, Engineering, and Math

Follow my Craft Knife Facebook page for more Girl Scout resources as I exhaustively compile them!