Parading and Proud

Friday was Veteran's Day, and I couldn't have been more excited that JR remembered (from last year) that both of his grandfathers are veterans.

They also had a little Veteran's Day lesson at school (and from what I can gather) JR told the class all about proper flag etiquette.  (Thank you, Cub Scouts!)

Of course, those flag respecting Cub Scouts hit the streets for the annual Veteran's Day parade again this year.

I dressed Kyle and Reed in camo thinking it was Veteran's Day-y, but when they decided they needed to wear the flag bandannas too, I couldn't help thinking they looked just like Rambo!

Kyle was refusing to have his picture made, until it was time for a Scout group shot.  And wouldn't you know it...he totally snuck in! (Sorry for the X-rated portion of the picture, Kyle's Miss Muffin Bear seems to be mooning you.)

Poppin Good Times

This is what my garage looks like.

That's $7,000 worth of cub scout popcorn.

Our scouts only sold $1,500 worth last year.

So I made Jason the popcorn "kernal" this year.

$7,000! Obviously we had a pack full of mini Jasons hitting the streets.

Not a Kid Project

You know my rule.

(Passed down from generations of school teachers in the family.)

If the teacher sends a project home, she wants the parents to do it.

The same rule holds true when I assign the "kids" projects for Scouts.

We had our Cub-a-napolis 500 last night, and let me just say, the parents did a great job on "their" cars!

I haven't spoken the project rule out loud to JR, but he knows it.

He didn't even pretend to help build his car.

He gave The Engineer instructions on how he wanted it to be shaped (like a race car), and The Artist instructions on how he wanted it decorated (in camouflage with 'Big Game Hunter' written on it) . 

I think we did pretty good.

Our client was quite pleased.



And BTW, this was one of my cheapest projects yet. 

All it cost me was a 97 cent plastic tablecloth and a roll of bright orange duct tape!

Scouting Up Big Time

As you're well aware, JR loves Cub Scouts.

(And you also know how much I love *wink, wink* leading his pack.)

But it really was exciting to stop off at the Cockrell Scout Center in Houston.

Why in the world would that be exciting?

Well, our scout center is a 4-hour drive away in Albuquerque.

(In contrast to the 4-minute drive we made from our old house in Houston.)

And just to prove what a difference there is:

JR's pack is part of the Great Southwest Council.

The Great Southwest Council is so small it has to service areas in four states.

 (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah)

The Cockrell Center in Houston services the Sam Houston Area Council.

Which includes 16 counties.

So, yeah.

We "small towners" were pretty impressed.

Pretty Cool

I may not have a working computer, but I do have a picture of JR with two Olympic athletes, Tracy and Lanny Barnes, who are ranked number 1 and 2 on the US Biathlon Team.

They competed in both the 2006 and 2010 Olympics, and came out to talk to the boys at Cub Scout camp today.  

The girls brought their rifles they use in competition, and there was a collective gasp of 'awesome!' and 'cool!' heard round the room as 150 boys' eyes lit up at the sight of the guns.

Pretty cool!

You'd Think It'd Be a Good Idea

We had our Cub Scout ice cream social last night.

You'd think May 18th would be a nice time of year to celebrate with ice cream.

You'd think.

But here's what it looked like outside as we left for our ice cream party.

Of course, the boys had no problem eating ice cream while it snowed outside.

JR with his best buddy Steven.  Truly two peas in a pod.

It continued to snow last night, so here's what greeted us this morning on May 19th.

May 19th!

This is what 6 more days of school looks like in Durango.

And if JR's Cub Scout campout gets cancelled this weekend due to snow, the wailing and gnashing of teeth you'll hear will be coming from our house.

My Favorite Scout Night

The Crossover Ceremonys are always my favorite night at Cub Scouting.

The boys are so excited to earn their patches, and move up to the next scouting level.

(And I get a teeny-tiny break before I have to start planning activities again.)

Last night JR's den earned their Wolf patch, which means they are now Bears.

And, of course, he couldn't have been more excited.

Check out my colorful fingers.  You can see I was hard at work.

The orange represents their time as a Tiger, blue as a Wolf, and the red is for bravery for their journey as a Bear.

The new Bears 

Their new colors are the light blue scarves and some changed into them immediately!

Bears!

And and I couldn't leave this little "bear" out.

Though you can't tell from his expression, he was more than happy to let me practice on him.

This is his Cub Scout face.

A Whole Pack of Scouts in my Kitchen

As I mentioned yesterday, tonight is our scout Blue and Gold Banquet.

I'm in charge of the centerpieces.

(Actually, let's just be honest. I'm in charge of everything. 

Today will be a very busy and stressful day.)

After searching the Internet for ideas, I combined about five different things to come up with these.

I'm super proud of them since they double as a centerpiece and a place card.

Here's JR's

I wasn't able to make a trip to Farmington for a Hobby Lobby run, so I had to create these entirely from Walmart supplies!

Our Walmart isn't always well stocked, so after I cleaned them out of bud vases, I had to use the other small fishbowl looking vases.

I was able to decoupage the Cub Scout Promise to the bud vases, but it wouldn't work on the fishbowls.  So those have the promise on the sticks.

I didn't plan for it to be that way, but I actually think the differences will look nice in the room.

But most importantly, JR thinks they're great. (As in, he fell in the floor laughing saying "Such-and-Such looks ridiculous!"  I think that's the highest compliment a 7 year-old boy can give.)

So, I'm hoping the other kids (and parents) will like them too.

Pining for Speed

JR's picture was in the paper this morning! (And I got a little shout out too.)

I certainly don't love this picture of JR, but it definitely shows how excited he was.

Here's a better picture of him with his car (that's really a truck).

And if you're wondering how he did in the Pinewood Derby...

Well, let's just say Jason and JR are much better chefs than race car builders since I'm pretty sure JR was dead last!

Reason 463 I Don't Like to Cook

I'm a much better planner than I used to be.

Having 3 boys tends to require some pre-planning to even leave the house. (Although I still never seem to have snacks, juice, Neosporin, or the occasional change of clothes at the ready.)

But I'm a terrible planner when it comes to cooking.
I always get right in the middle of it, and then I don't have something I need.

So reason #463 I don't like to cook: too much prep work.

(AKA: I'm never prepared!)

I bought some red velvet cupcake mix thinking I might make some for Valentine's Day.  I didn't buy cupcake liners because I was sure I had a million in the pantry.

I didn't make the cupcakes for Valentines, but I did need cupcakes for Cub Scouts last night.
(They decorated cupcakes to celebrate Scouting being 101 years old.)

 I started making cupcakes about 2:00 PM yesterday (during nap time, of course).  And guess what I didn't have?

Yep. Cupcake liners.

And since I had 2 children sleeping, and the grocery store is more than just a little jaunt from my house, here's how the cupcakes turned out....

Naked cupcakes!

I'm guessing this is why God gave me boys.

Little girls would have wanted to match their frosting and sprinkles to the cupcake liner.

I don't think the Cub Scouts slowed down long enough too even notice the liners were missing!

It's S.S.

And I'm not talking Superbowl Sunday...

Today is Scout Sunday.

The Sunday that falls before February 8 (Scouting Anniversary Day) is Scout Sunday.  This year Scouting will be 101 years old, and JR was thrilled to wear his uniform to church this morning to celebrate. 

Happy 101 BSA!

Go Ahead and Laugh

So I have pushed the boundaries of Cub Scout activities, (hand print Santas as a "useful gift") until I can push no more. 

I have studied "Achievement 5" in the Wolf Handbook looking for a way to "Jan-it-up" until I might have made myself a little nauseous.

There's just no way around it.

Achievement 5, Tools for Building and Fixing, you got me.

Guess what the first requirement is?

 Tool naming.

They have 7 certain ones listed, and you should have seen me digging around Jason's tool box trying to find them! 

I literally had the book in one hand looking at the pictures.

(Yes, you may laugh at that visual.)

I was almost giddy when I thought I found an "awl" (apparently you use it to "punch holes"), only to discover I was actually holding a soldering iron.

This is killing me. 

The only tool I ever use is a hot glue gun...and it's not even on the list!

And no matter how many times I read Achievement 5, I know there's no way I'm going to be able to fake my way through teaching a pack of 7-year olds how to properly use a pair of slip-joint pliers.

But I have a plan.

This plan has served me well for almost 10 years and I think it's going to come in handy tonight:

You see, I'm not the best cook. 

And Jason?

Well, Jason's a great cook. 

So if I go in the kitchen and start banging lots of pots and pans around, he'll usually come and help me.  And, of course, 'help' means he just does it himself.

So if I get up there tonight and flail around, make some loud noises, and drop a couple of tools, I'm hoping some of the dads will come to my rescue. 

That, or I'm informing Jason he's teaching when he shows up.

Oh, and here I am getting ready for tonight. 

Take a good long look cause I'm not exactly sure what all I'm even holding.

Stop, Drop, and Roll

We had The American Red Cross and a local fireman/paramedic at Cub Scouts tonight for the boys to earn their Emergency Preparedness badge. 

The fireman was trying to teach the boys not to be scared if they were to come in the house looking for them.

Our Scouts thought he looked like "Darth Vader", and was the coolest person they'd ever seen.

But the fireman wanted to make sure Kyle and Reed wouldn't be scared.

How cute is this?

And if you're wondering:

A. How am I in the picture?

and

B. Why is Reed barefooted?

Well, one of the Scout dads is a professional photographer, so I handed him my camera for the night.  And Reed left the house wearing his red cowboy boots without socks.  All Texans know no socks and boots don't mix. Unfortunately, Reed only lived in Texas about a year, so he didn't learn that lesson.  On the other hand, he does know that you can't walk in snow in tennis shoes.

Surprisingly, Kyle was even willing to go see him!

And you might recognize that little face hidden under there.

So Not a Cake Wreck!

Jason and JR spent most of Sunday afternoon working on their cake for the Father/Son Cub Scout Cake Bake. 

I was actually really impressed with Jason.  Jason's a great cook, but I do all the baking/decorating in the house, so I wasn't expecting him to be able to make a cake. I even called my dad to say, "Well, you know it would be amazing if JR was making it with you. But Jason? Eh. He's not like we are."

Jason, I take back what I said.  You did great!

Reed was seriously upset that he wasn't allowed to help.  So, in typical Reed fashion, he tried his best to be in everybody's business anyway and "boss" from the sidelines.

I almost freaked out when Jason started icing the cupcakes to look like tree leaves.  It was almost as exciting as learning he could make balloon animals!

Finished cake awaiting judging

I couldn't believe it. JR actually won 2nd place!

 (I'm in the picture with him since I was helping hand out awards.  I know you're shocked.  Me...right in the middle of everything.)

The competition was fierce. You can check out most of the other cakes over at our Pack 504 blog.

Jason and JR with their winning masterpiece.

The Moms Are Gonna Love Me!

So I totally ripped off this easy craft from Family Fun, but I'm thinking the Cub Scout moms are going to love these hand print Santas.

(And yes, I had to use the flash which means JR is utterly incapable of opening his eyes.)

I don't have any pictures of us actually making the craft since seven-year-old boys and their fathers shouldn't be left unsupervised while using paint and glue. 

But remember, there was more than just paint fights going on. The kids also framed the Santas, then wrapped them and tied a ribbon around the package.

(I honestly hadn't even thought of the boys using the Christmas ribbon to slap each other Indiana Jones whip style. Lesson learned.)

So how do I have a picture of the Santa if he was wrapped?

Well, we (and, of course, I mean JR) unwrapped it as soon as we got home.

Don't Snow on My Parade

I took JR out of school for a few hours yesterday to participate in the Veterans Day Parade. The parade was great, but I've never seen such crazy weather.

We left the house with snow falling from the sky. I grabbed our heavy coats.

We got to the parade line up, and the sun was out. No coats needed.

Headed to main street to stake out our spot, and it turned cloudy.  Got out the car jackets. (Jackets that are always in the car...just in case.)

Kyle and Reed took their mittens on and off about 15 times in the span of a 30 minute parade.  Hot then cold, hot then cold.

And as we headed for lunch, the snow was falling fast and furious again.

But thankfully it was a snow-free parade!

We plopped ourselves down right in front of the historic Strater.  Only the best spot for the Ingersolls.

The Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Brownies all walked together. They were definitely one of the biggest groups.

 My little scout

Thank you Veterans! And thank you to all our servicemen and women!

I'm About to Pop

Here's what Jason, JR, and I have been doing lately. 

After what felt like a cross country drive yesterday afternoon to pick up all this Cub Scout popcorn, we spent the morning organizing it.  I am married to an engineer (by degree anyway), so the idea of just stacking it up and letting everybody come find their own stuff wasn't even considered.  Hope Jason doesn't want to use his car anytime soon!

New Career Path

If JR's future career plans of hanging out in Asia with hot girls doesn't pan out, I think we've found something else. He was surprisingly excited about the "newspaper boy" game at the Cub Scout bike rodeo last night. So excited, in fact, that he wanted to practice throwing newspapers after we got home!

Routine

I know my title seems harmless and nondescript, but it's actually making me giggle. I used to teach a girl name Routine, which always struck me as funny. That happened to also be the year I taught Chrishieka, Princess, and DeJourna (pronounced "Del-jour-nay". And no, I didn't spell her name wrong, it didn't have an 'l' in it. Luckily I was so distracted looking for the new "E can also make an L sound" grammar rule that it kept my focus off "Routine". )

Anyway, we've settled into our new school-time routine (*giggle*) quite nicely. JR's favorite activity by far is still Cub Scouts. But we're giving two new things a try. JR is taking piano lessons and also a hiphop/break dancing class. Of course I couldn't be more thrilled that he wants to learn to dance, but I'm not so jazzed (pun intended) about piano. He's been begging to take since last year, so I have finally given in. I remember the piano lessons of my youth with about as much fondness as math tests, so we'll see how it goes.

Kyle and Reed have started up gymnastics after a break this summer, and though it's hard for me to snap a picture with the two of them constantly running, jumping, hanging and rolling, they did stay in this position long enough for documentation.

Pop Test

You know how I love math, so here's a question for you.

If the muddiness of JR's shoes is in direct correlation with how much fun he had on his campout, what would be his level of enjoyment?

If you answered "seriously loved it", then you're right! I'm not sure he could have had more fun.

(If you want to see pictures from the actual campout, check out my Scout Blog.)