Cub Scout Camping

I signed B up for cub scouts this year. DH was against it. He did cub scouts with J and he likes boy scouts better. I said he could do it and I would be the one to take him scouting stuff. I still didn't really want to but A&J got to do it and I couldn't deprive him just because he's the youngest and I was done with it already.

It has been a good year. I signed up with a den where I only knew one mom. B and I both knew more people in the other den, but his den leader responded quickly and enthusiastically and we've gotten to make new people and B has had a lot of fun.

Of course, the part I dreaded came this weekend. Cub Scout Campout. I tried to tell DH that even though I was taking B to meetings, camping was his thing. He said no. He's going Y Guides camping next weekend and he wasn't camping two weekends in a row. When push came to shove, I had to take him. All the boys in his den were going. We skipped the fall campout. I couldn't make him miss this one just because I didn't want to go camping.

I haven't camped since I was 21 years old. Almost half my life ago! Scary thought. Luckily, the other parents were there is most of the stuff. They had the fishing gear, they cooked the food over the fire. I was responsible for s'mores. That part of camping I can handle.

B had a soccer game early Saturday. After the game (which they won, undefeated, league champions, go PST-Vasquez!) we packed up the car and headed to the lake.

he looks so excited to be camping, no?


retiring a flag


lots of fishing, but no fish


huge water snake


giant beavers


sleeping boy still in his uniform

In addition to all the above we did some hiking. B & I went on a long hike by ourselves in the afternoon and the whole group went on a long wandering, no we're not lost, hike at night. Overall, it was a very good day of camping.

The sleeping was what I dreaded the most.

B was exhausted and starting to lose it around 10:30. I could tell and when he suggested that we just "lie down for a little bit", I said absolutely. Of course, no one else went to bed and several kids were set up with toys and a bright LED light right outside our tent. B got a very long back scratch to get him to go to sleep. I was awake. Somewhere close to midnight, some parents realized that they had forgotten to put some kids to bed. They were still playing with the very loud wind up trains outside our tent.  I was still awake. At almost 1am, the last of the dads headed to bed and turned off the second LED lantern that was close to our tent. I was still awake. I fell sleep fairly quickly, but B woke up at 3:00 to pee. I was awake again. I could hear trains, highway traffic, an owl hooting. I gave up trying to sleep and read for another hour. I finally fell asleep after 4:15. At 4:45 I woke up to a boy crying "Mom!" At first I thought it was a dream but then I heard the den leader talking to the boy. His mother had gone to the bathroom and the boy woke up alone and scared. They settled back down. I dozed fitfully until 6:30am when the boys started waking up, and then pretended to sleep until 7am.

B woke up and asked when we were shooting b-b guns. Um, never. That's next weekend with dad. One of the fathers was taking a group of boys fishing. We got up and tried to catch up with them, but ended up taking a short hike. After our hike, he headed out to fish with the other kids. I packed up the car and was ready to leave by 8am. B was not a ready. He fished and played until 10am and I finally dragged him out of there.

I'm glad I took him camping. He enjoyed it and he didn't feel left out. But I think I'm good with sleeping in a tent for another 21 years.