A Year of Cub Scouts - Bear

In first grade, Little Lewie joined Cub Scouts as a Tiger.  The following year, he became a Wolf, and now he's completing his third year as a Bear.  It's hard for me to believe that in just two short months, Lewie will be crossing over to a Webelo (an acronym for We'll Be Loyal Scouts).

His years in school are certainly going by fast, but for some reason, his years in Cub Scouts seem to go by even quicker.  His year as a Bear flew by, but we managed to accomplish some exciting things--from his first camping trip, to using a pocket knife for the first time, to planning a "carnival," to learning about safety, history, and wildlife.  Unfortunately, I don't remember to take pictures during all our den or pack meetings.  (It's hard to squeeze it in when you're running the show.)  Still, here's some of our few camera worthy moments....

First Camping Trip
Lewie's First Camping Trip was a two-nighter at Matthies Memorial Park in our town.  Since our family is not very good at camping, the location was perfect!  We pitched our tent for one night and still had to drive home twice (five minutes away) to retrieve things we forgot!  My husband refused to poop in the outhouse, so he drove home again for a third or fourth time.

The kids did a nature walk, they fished, they played tag, they made s'mores, they sang campfire songs, and they watched Return of the Jedi on a big inflatable screen.  The most memorable part for me, besides sleeping in our tent, was little Lewie falling asleep on the movie.  This kid rarely falls asleep on movies at home, but a full day outside hiking and fishing was the perfect sleep sedative.

Scouting for Food
For three years now, every Oct./Nov. we collect cans and non-perishable food items from our neighbors for our local food pantry.   When we did this with Lewie as a Tiger (seven years-old), he thought we were collecting food for the pilgrims.  Now, at age nine, Lewie understands we do this to help people in our community who are struggling.  Each year, we donate more of our time, and this year, I'm proud to say that we not only collected the food, but we sifted through 100+ bags to check food labels and helped stock the pantry.

Pinewood Derby
This year's Pinewood Derby was fun!  Lewie did not have the fastest car, but he won the most colorful award.  When he was a Tiger, he held back tears for not winning.  This year, after he lost, he happily cheered on his friends, and in fact, two of his good friends came in first and third place.  My husband, as Assistant Cubmaster, had the joy of handing out all the participation awards and certificates.

The three winners:  Erik (First), Jack (Second), Hunter (Third)

This was a GREAT year for Cub Scouts.  Thankfully, even once Lewie becomes a Webelo, we'll still have two more years left...  I hope to cherish every moment.

Overnight at Mystic Aquarium

Last Friday, Little Lewie, Daddy, and I had a chance to sleep overnight at Mystic Aquarium with another 150 Cub Scouts and their families.  This was our first "official" scout camping trip--no bears or raccoons to worry about--only sharks, stingrays, and predators of the reef.  We arrived with our "camping gear," fully prepared to get little sleep, but in reality, we slept more comfortably than anticipated.

At seven o'clock, the festivities started--the cub scouts were divided into their packs to go through a rotation, which involved dissecting squid, a tour of the "Wild America Building," amphibian trivia, a scavenger hunt, and a visit to the touch tank room.  Out of all the activities, Lewie enjoyed the Wild America tour the best.  Once it came time for the amphibian trivia and the last two activities, Lewie was too tired to fully participate.  In full disclosure, my eyelids became heavy too; after a full week of work, I am exhausted when Friday comes.  Most other parents looked the same way!

Lewie and Daddy preparing for the squid dissection.

Lewie's reaction to the squid.

Lewie's friend's reaction...

So proud of Daddy's dissecting skills.

At ten o'clock, we were allowed to prepare our "camping site" and change into our PJs.  Eleven o'clock would be "lights out."  We rolled out our sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows (no air mattresses were allowed); got into our PJs; brushed our teeth; and took our places.  Little Lewie asked me if we could say our prayers before bed.  We said them quietly to each other, and then I fell fast asleep before bedtime was even declared.

Our comfy little campsite beyond the touch tank.

Lewie and his Cub Scout buddy before bed.

The next thing I knew, I woke up around 3 a.m. to the sounds of splashing coming from the touch tank near us--those little rascal fish were ACTIVE.  The aquarium was pitch dark with only one tank lit up, and it was eerily quiet.  I could hear the sound of forced air coming from the vents, but other than that, and the occasional fish splashing at the water's surface, there was no talking, snoring, or even heavy breathing sounds.  It was QUIET.

I fell back to sleep and permanently woke up at 5 a.m.--just like home.  Our day wouldn't begin until 6:30 a.m., so I laid in my place meditating and made a few trips back and forth to the bathroom to begin getting dressed.  Most people were still fast asleep.

We ended our Mystic experience by taking a morning stroll around the outside of the aquarium.  A tour guide told us about the sea lions, whales, and penguins while we snapped photos.  We were given a special Overnight at Mystic Aquarium badge, and then we headed to our car with one thought only--BREAKFAST.  We pulled into the Mystic Diner and Restaurant, only a half a block away, and had a yummy breakfast feast before making the 90 minute trip home.

Rise and Shine!

At home, what did we do?  You guessed it; we took another two hour snooze and woke up sometime around noon.  It was a night (and morning) to remember!