My Little Cub Scout

Tonight was Ben's second (he missed the first) Cub Scout meeting.  Mark and I decided I would go with him this time.  I have to admit, I was thinking that this was kind of a father-son thing, but I was curious to see what happens at the meetings.  Once I got home and realized the other option was staying home with Lauren who was constantly whining AND had pooped in her underpants twice already, I was all too happy to go.  Surely, I would not have to clean up poop at a Cub Scout meeting, I'm thinking.

First of all, just to give you some insight, we are a mess as a family.  We are usually completely unorganized, unprepared, and always late to any event.  If it's football practice, a wedding, church on Sunday, birthday party, funeral-doesn't matter what it is-we are getting ready at the last minute, buying a gift & card on the way, and pulling into the parking lot with tires squealing-10 minutes after the event has started.  A quick disclaimer:  I was not raised this way, don't blame my parents.

Tonight was no exception.  My dad had gotten Ben off the bus today and taken him to his house.  When I went to pick Ben up, Dad and I spent some time talking about what I was learning in the Bible study I'm doing on Revelation.  During this time, Lauren was filling her underpants in a corner downstairs, apparently.  My mom walks in the door and is greeted by Lauren saying, "I pooped in my pants." My mom proceeds to help me clean her up, while my poor dad stands in the kitchen, looking on with a hue of green on his face.  Dad had prepared a nice roast for dinner, complete with crescent rolls, but unfortunately had lost his appetite.  Needless to say, I leave in a hurry.

At 6:45 (meeting starts at 7:00) it's go time.  Ben has decided to beat our tree in the front yard with a stick instead of getting his Bear handbook, flashlight, and pencil that I told him he needed.  Mark is looking all over the house for his Boy Scout shirt, hat, and scarf from the 1980's to dress Ben in.  I am sharpening a pencil, untaping the flashlight from my bicycle (that's for another blog entry), when Ben says, "I left my bookbag at Mamaw & Papaw Miller's house-my Bear handbook is in there!  This is the White family at it's finest.  So we jump in the car, speed to my parent's house, grab the bag, and head to the school.  We walk in just in time to hear the Scout Master point to each boy and say their name.  Awesome.

As they start the meeting, I begin to dig in to my Bible study homework.  I fill out a couple questions, do some reading, but I can't focus at all.  Ben is marching up to the front of the room with the Boy Scout flag, reciting the Boy Scout pledge, learning the special handshake, etc.  It's adorable!  I just sit there smiling and taking it all in, feeling so guilty for making Cub Scouts into a father-son thing.  It's a boy thing, and I am so blessed to be able to share in these times with my son.

After learning how to make trail mix, the Scout Master announces we're going on a nature hike.  We set off with our flashlights into the woods.  By this time, it's dark and there is some non-threatening lightening and thunder overhead.  We walk for a little while and we are told to shut off our flashlights and listen to the sounds of the animals and insects.  The boys are silent, staring at their surroundings.  As we continue on, walking through spiderwebs, the sound of a bat's flapping wings can be heard right by our heads.  Ben decides to come walk next to me and says, "Mommy, this is scary!  Are you sure he knows his way back?"  After what must have seemed like a lifetime to him, we walk out of the woods and head back towards the school.

When we get in the car to leave, he reiterates his dislike of the nature hike at night.  "Who takes a bunch of kids into the woods at night?" he says  That's what I love about my Benny; he can make me laugh without even trying.  He says the funniest things sometimes, he reminds me so much of his daddy :).  I also love the age he's at now.  He can seem so "big" at times, but he'll still hold my hand when he's scared and trust that I won't let anything bad happen to him.  I know there are difficult stages to come, so I try to relish what's in front of me today.

Except for a pair of underpants full of poop, I do not relish that.