Cub Bridge

So Jacob is officially a Cub now. I guess that's how it goes. Unfortunately I haven't spent too much time with him on the scout thing. But Steven has been to every meeting with him, and the campouts and field trips. They have had some super bonding time over this.

This weekend is the family campout, which we opted out of. I don't know why camping out in 50 degree weather with mesquitos and a baby and 3 hyper kids didn't sound like an absolute blast. Or maybe it was the thought of those campground toilets I dread so much, or the hikes you have to take to go anywhere or the thought of hearing all the annoying rowdy boys until 4 in the morning. Seriously, don't their parents get sick of hearing them too??

But we had to go for the evening tonight to the bridge ceremony. It was a cute, short and sweet meeting. Just the kind I like, especially when my 5 year old won't stop throwing sticks into the fire, or running around the fire, or yelling when they are holding up the "shut your hole" sign. Steven helped Jake across the bridge, and while I didn't get a picture of that, I did get the video. You will see it's NOT posted, though I'm quite sure it will break your hearts to miss out on seeing it.

We stayed for some great boiled hot dogs. Did I just say boiled? At a camp out? Why yes, I did say that. We had a roaring fire going, but we stuck our weinies in a pot on a campstove and let them boil away. That's ok, because it kept Christopher away from the fire that he enjoyed pestering me with. Instead the entire "pack"--not as in a scout pack, but as in a pack of dogs--of boys ran and chased each other with the coolest sticks ever. They found some long skinny pointy ones, and some short gun-style ones, and some big fat stocky club style ones. They chased each other and just had a grand time trying to see who could club the hardest or get an eye first. Great games, right?

It rained for hours this morning, making the area...muddy! What a great feeling to walk the trail and feel the mud squish around your shoes. All I could think was, "I am carrying this baby. Pul-ease don't let me fall. Pul-ease don't let me fall. PUL-EASE!!" And I threatened all the kids. I told them if they weren't careful, they would slip and fall and then they would have to go around naked, until we got home and got clean clothes. I guess they believed me for once, because actually no one got muddy! Aside from shoes, everyone was clean and sweaty. Great smell.

To finish out the night, we had many pleas from Ashley to stay. She didn't care that we didn't have a tent, or any clothes, food, pillows, blankets, flashlights, or soap. She just wanted us to sit in our chairs all night under the stars and let her run and play and try to beat up some boys with her sticks. What a wonderful childhood fantasy! As Steven tucked her in tonight, she asked when we could go back there.

So now we are thinking we need a big fun campout. We are looking for recruits to help us recreate this experience for our kids. Only without the scouts, boiled weinies and cold. Let me know if you wanna come. It'll be a blast, and we can have a stick hunt and stick races all night long!!