Gearing up the Gear

This weekend we're headed out camping again, this time to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. Though we've already been camping a few times this year and I just keep the gear packed and ready to go, I am in the process of REpacking all of it from one gigantic plastic bin that was getting too heavy for one person to lift into two smaller, more manageable ones. It remains to be seen if this is even possible, and if it will help or hinder packing stuff in the car.

Because somehow I believe that car camping means you have to FILL the car. Usually I am shoving things into small crevasses and under the kids feet, and even my feet, to accomodate all the stuff we bring. Now rest assured, I CAN rough it and have done so many times in the past, but I've learned that living in the woods for even a couple days with small children means having to think of anything and everything that might be needed, go wrong, or keep them from whining and fighting the whole time. And you don't want and frantic trip to find a WalMart to ruin your camping experience. As an added problem, when you go camping at the beach as we are this weekend, you not only have to pack the camping gear, but the beach gear too! Beach umbrella, sand toys, beach blankets, etc. Talk about space issues, we'll be lucky to fit the dog in the truck by the time we're ready to go, much less the kids!

Speaking of space, I'm bummed that we don't have a bike rack for our vehicle yet. The beach is a pretty flat place, and I'm sure the trails would be perfect for a family bike hike. We've started to really love biking, but our family skill and strength levels are still pretty low, espeically for my OS who is still somewhat new to life without training wheels. The level trails sound perfect for us, but strapping three bikes to the roof of our car with bungee cords for 90 miles just doesn't seem very feasible. Well, I guess that just means we'll have to make another trip there next year. Maybe Santa, who brought us the bikes this past Christmas, will bring me a bike rack in December. Along, of course, with the GPS unit for geocaching and a dutch oven that are already on my Christmas list! Ummm, are you listening Santa???

Repacking and sorting of gear aside, I'm excited because we now have a happy family of four daypacks to bring with us on our weekend excursions. On our last few hikes I've noticed that the little mini backpack we got for OS many years ago is getting kind of small for him, and his little brother has expressed interest in carrying it himself. So after some searching I found a really nice junior daypack at the new REI here in Richmond. I had also picked up DH a daypack a little while ago, so now he doesn't always have to carry my pretty purple one when we go out. Now we each have our own perfectly sized packs, and all lined up they look like they could be in a "The 3 Bears" type story. "There once was a great big Papa pack, a medium sized Mama pack, a smallish Kid pack, and an itsy-bitsy Baby pack that lived in the woods in a quaint little cottage..."

REI was great fun to wander around, even if it is a little pricey for me right now. I got some really cute little "Adventure Journals" for free that I handed out to all my Cubs at graduation too. Its a little book where they can record a few thoughts about trips they take and things they see. Nice program. I think it would be even better if the kids could get something special for filling it up and turning it in, like a pin or patch or stuffed toy. Maybe I'll bring that up to the company... Still, its a nice thought to help get the kids excited about their adventures, and to remember them down the road.

Ah well, more sorting and repacking awaits so we can hit the interstate tomorrow! Happy camping!

A Successful End to a Successful First Scouting Year

This past weekend culminated in the official graduation of our Tiger Cubs into the Wolf Cub Scout program. It was a proud moment for all the Cub families, and especially proud for me to have helped them get this far.

But first on Saturday, the day before the graduation, we met a group of our fellow Pack families at Dutch Gap Boat Landing in Chester for the annual James River Clean Up Day. For something I meerly was able to 'advertise' via email, we had an impressive group of 36 people registered to participate in the event, and the vast majority of them actually showed up! I was quite pleased with how our Pack was ready and willing to take part in the cause, and VERY pleased that about half the participants were from our own Tiger families. For the parents of our boys to be so committed and involved really speaks for the future of the boy's continuing on with the Pack. It was quite hot, even at 9am when we got started, but the boys were so pleased to be scrambling around the river banks with their friends that I dont' think they even noticed the heat! It was a great day and a great turn out, and thankfully we wound up finishing much earlier than the 1pm scheduled time. A local Boy Scout troop even grilled us some much-needed lunch before we all head home for the day. Or to the pool, in our case!

After that eventful morning and afternoon, I hung out at home to finish up a bunch of details about the upcoming Graduation on Sunday. I had been working on the special howling wolf neckerchief slides for a week or two and they were all painted and ready, but I couldn't help but give them a few extra sprays of clear coat to try and help protect the finish. I was very pleased with the way they all turned out, and judging from the thanks and compliments I've recieved, i think the boys and parents were pleased as well! The slides were a surprise gift and were a BIG hit! I also made some additions to what I would say during the crossover, rewrote an opening ceremony I found online to suit the occasion, and came up with some stuff to say about the Year of Celebration patches that all the boys would be getting that day. Yes, it was a lot of work, but graduation only comes once a year and I think it should really mean something to the boys, so I went out of my way to make it special.

On Sunday, in 164 degree heat (I have been known to exaggerate a little sometimes, but not this time!), we held the graduation and crossover ceremony. Our Tigers, who have almost no real flag ceremony experience, did a great job with the opening after only one hasty practice run. I had to put the biggest boys in charge of holding the flags, because BOY those things are heavy! They did a great job, all of them, and I was very proud at their willingness and accomplishment!

The graduation moved along nicely, probably thanks in part to the heat. We presented our Tigers with their awards (including some that had earned the Leave No Trace patch with the previous day's environmental service) and gave the boys the picture frames they had decorated at the last meeting, filled now with a photo of their Den. Then we had all the parents stand on one side of a makeshift bridge with the new yellow neckerchiefs and howling wolf slides while the boys stood on the other and removed their orange Tiger neckerchiefs. Then each crossed over and their parent helped them don their new neck wear. At the end I had the new Wolves, parents and the whole Pack welcome the boys into the Wolf Den with a big howl. Cheesy maybe, but it sure made everyone smile!

After the rest of the Dens crossed over and the special 'thank yous" were given to some of our valuable committee chair people, we were all sweating buckets and ready for the pool. Well, ready for cake and ice cream, THEN the pool. Having the graduation on the pool grounds to be immediately followed by a pool party was the perfect idea for a great ending. I don't think I've ever had cold water feel so good, and I don't think either of my kids got out of the water for longer than it took to jump back in again.

Looking back to last September I can hardly believe that I hesitated to take on the role of Leader. Yes, we had a rocky start while we were all still figureing things out, and yes, it has been a very large commitment for my time, but it is one of the most rewarding and exciting things I have ever done. I am so proud to be a part of shping these boys' lives and would not miss this experience for the world. I'm so happy to have had such a great ending to an overall successful first year, and am truly looking forward to even better ones to come.

The Last Tiger Den Meeting

Last night was our last Den meeting as Tigers. This weekend our boys will graduate into Wolves. Its amazing to look back on some of the pictures of our boys from just last fall and see how much they've all grown. I feel like I've grown a lot along with them, and have finally found my footing in this mystical world of Scouting. I've gotten to know the boys and the parents pretty well by now, and am so proud to have all of them on this journey with me. We're all learning a lot together and having a really fun time doing so!

A few weeks ago I was trying to think of something to give the boys at graduation for them to remember their year as Tigers by. At first I was having trouble coming up with an idea that wouldn't break the bank, but then lightning struck and I decided to have them decorate a picture frame and fill it with a photo of them and their Den friends. At the last Pack meeting, when they were all dressed up in their best uniforms, I took pictures of each Den together. They all look so adorable! I then got plain wooden frames from the craft store for $1 each and used my Cub Scout candy molds to make plaster casts of the Cub Scout logo. I also used a different candy mold to make tiger paw prints. I glued one of each of those onto the wooden frames and they were ready to decorate.

At the meeting, we first met inside to talk about some things we'll be doing over the summer, like working on requirements for the BSA Centennial patch and the Geology pin stuff that I have planned out. Its going to be a action-packed summer for the new Wolf Dens! We then marched outside to the picnic tables to work on our craft. No matter what we're doing, I think the kids always enjoy it more when its done outside. I broke out the majority of my paints and craft supplies for the decorating table. The boys really went to town with the frames, they all became little works of art in no time!

After they were finished with the frames we played Clothespin Tag. By the time I got the rules explained and clothespins distributed to the boys, the parents had already nearly finished cleaning up all the craft stuff. It never ceases to amaze me what incredible parents we have in our Dens. They are always so willing to jump in and lend a hand, often before I even think to ask! I'm so very thankful that I don't have to be one of those Den leaders that constantly grumbles about the parents not being involved! They even helped carry all the supplies and frames to my car (I took the frames home to assemble them with the photos, which the kids haven't seen yet).

It was a great last meeting. The kids had a good time and I'm really looking forward to presenting their pictures to them on Sunday. I think they'll be a hit, and more special than just some token I bought and handed to them. I'm also incredibly excited about our summer program. Hubby says I am trying to relive my childhood through these kids, and that may be a little true, but I'm also just so happy to be able to share my knowledge and passions with a new generation. I hope they are as excited to be with me as I am to be with them.