We have a Cub Scout in the family! We knew David would start Cub Scouts this summer, so my aunt Janell hooked him up with all the necessities on his 8th birthday. (He was so excited!) Then he could be all decked out in his uniform for his first den meeting. Isn't he one adorable Cubbie??
(Thank you, Aunt Janell! Also, thank you to Hillary for letting me borrow her sewing machine ...which I still have. And thank you to Grammy for sewing on the patches. When I told my aunt that I planned to get his patches on soon, her first thought was, "How??? Alisa doesn't sew diddlysquat. She won't even sew on a button!" Thank goodness for friends and grandmothers.)
David LOVES Cub Scouts. I completely planned to roll my eyes about Cub Scouts. But I am already a full-fledged convert! I love the requirements and electives: like brush your teeth twice a day, learn to tie a bow, learn to catch a ball, wrap a present, memorize emergency contact phone numbers, etc. It's like all these practical life things--stuff we haven't gotten around to teaching or he has resisted learning or stuff that had never occurred to me. David does not figure out regular practical life stuff on his own. He has to be taught and taught with concerted effort. This is very overwhelming to me as a parent. Where to start? How to start? I think this Wolf Handbook might be the greatest thing that ever happened to me as a parent. (Brushing your teeth suddenly becomes more exciting when it's in your Cub Scout book.) I think I'm going to do everything possible to keep this Cub Scout excitement flame alive.
Cub Scout Day Camp was definitely a fan to the flames! David LOVED it. It was like two days of little boy paradise. They had a cowboy theme this year. Greg volunteered the first day, so he was able to take a few pictures.
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| David plays the banjo he made. So cute! |
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| They built a cabin! |
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| David really liked this. Very cool! |
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I love this picture.
I recognized it right away--it's David as Sirius Black!
(David and I just read and watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.) |
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| This was literally the highlight of David's life. (Before this it was hanging out at the Bass Pro shop with Uncle Brent. David was born into the wrong family.) |
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| But if shooting a BB gun every once in a while gets my kid to memorize his phone number and tie his shoes, I'm all for it! |
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| Fortunately David's dad has spent a little time at the firing range, so he could give David a few basic pointers. |
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| David also loved this huge water fight. |
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| What fun! |
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| Isn't this classic Scouts? Leather working! |
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| Taking a lunch break. |
It wasn't all perfect. There were some rough spots and even a few tears. But, overall, David had a wonderful experience.
I have marched around grumbling about Scouts for years. (I might maybe perhaps possibly even said that no child of mine would participate...) I am eating my words and I am happy to do so.
Hooray for Cub Scouts!!
