Two Happy Campers

Jacob and David went on a Cub Scouts camping trip last weekend. Hiking in the woods, sleeping in a tent, making s'mores over a campfire, the whole nine yards. Jacob really had a great time. Here they are, getting ready to head out into the backwoods:


David might just look like a regular dad, but guess what? He's also the den leader!

That part is all my fault. On the day of the Cub Scouts organizational meeting, Jacob and David were at the pediatrician's office, and I was charged with going to the meeting and gathering the necessary information. David says that he told me ahead of time that he did not want to be a den leader, but I don't think I heard him. At the meeting, the pack master or grand poobah or whomever he was started begging for someone to volunteer to be a den leader. Well, I always start to come unglued about 15 seconds into an awkward silence, and besides that, Caroline was crying to get out of her stroller and Elizabeth was emptying out the jug of lemonade that was intended for the Cub Scouts, so the next thing I knew I was raising my hand and volunteering David, just to get the whole thing over with.

I was really thinking it could be a team effort: I could be the "behind-the-scenes" field trip organizer, bean counter, and supplies shopper, while David could be the charismatic front man. Sounds like a dream team, doesn't it? Unfortunately, I've lost so many brain cells since having three children that being a den leader seems really hard. Grand Poobah came to our house one day with notebooks full of information that must be processed and communicated to the den. There are patches that must be sewn onto uniforms (sleeves? lapels? I need charts and graphs, folks!) Then there is the whole scouting "lingo" that must be learned. I can't talk the talk, walk the walk, tie the knots or handshake the handshake. But I DID volunteer, so I feel an obligation to figure all this out so that the boys can have a meaningful Cub Scouts experience. On the other hand, I guess if the other parents were all that worried about their kid having a meaningful Cub Scouts experience, they would have volunteered themselves.

Anyway, here's Jacob in front of his tent:

And getting ready to dig in to some well-deserved pancakes:

Studying a critter of some kind:

And one more of the whole gang before Jacob and David left on their big adventure: