Popcorn Season

It's that time of year again... time to go stand in front of stores and solicit money for the BSA... After all the bad things that happened to our troop this year, I called our council direct to find out the exact law/policy of individual scout accounts and what is/is not appropriate purchases for a 501-3(c) non profit.  The bottom line is our committee votes according to the scout law.  That's it.  This year my boys have to sell popcorn for 17 hours to cover their dues and summer camp.  I don't know yet how Ian is going to manage that with football practice being 9 hours a day, six days a week.

Boys at Camp

Saying "goodbye" to Ian and Shane on their third/second year of Boy Scout camp was so much easier than Ian's first year.  Mark is with them until tomorrow and then he returns to be my cook and maid.  Until then, this is what Mark is doing at camp:

That is Ian and Mark jumping off the high pier.  Mark is the oldest Boy Scout there.  No, seriously.  The other leaders just sit around and wait for their turn at the range.  Mark cannot be pulled from the fun activities.  He earned himself the nickname Animal while playing water dodge ball.  In this game, if you get hit by the ball, you have to tread water until the game is over.  Mark stayed dry the whole time.  This is what Whole30 does to people!!!

Classy

Shane earned his second class rank in Boy Scouts!  He worked really hard to double rank and also earned his first class!

He is also interested in stepping up his school work so he can be a successful adult.  I'm very proud of my unsocialized homeschooler.

Ape Caves

Mark took Evie along to the Ape Caves with the Boy Scouts!  This was her first camp out since there is no local girl's group that is the cub/boy scout equivalent.  The boys were kind to Evie and let her join in their reindeer games, especially since she is a tough girl and can pull her own weight when it comes to working.

Daffodil Parade

Wow, what a long day we had yesterday!  I somehow ended up being the driver of seven Boy Scouts and Fiona and Evie for the Daffodil Parades yesterday.

Here are some important facts from my part of the day (because, you know, the kids will get all the community service credit in the newspaper and all they had to do was show up):

• I got up at 5:00 AM and had Shane, Evie, and Fiona out the door by 6:00 AM.  The last time we did this was in 2009 when we got the cats spayed.
• I drove my 12 passenger van to Tacoma, Puyallup, and Sumner.  I navigated tricky roads and went around road blocks.  I got stuck in parade float parking and had to ask the classic convertibles that carry princess to move out of my way.  I parked illegally.  I used Google Maps on my phone to figure out where I was and where I was supposed to meet the end of the parade.  
• I listened to the conversations of boys. Topics covered included The Illuminati, trail mix, knock-knock jokes, who-can-be-quietest-the-longest (and can Blake be quiet at all?), male anatomy ("There are girls and women in this car, boys!"), singing of "99 Bottles of Pop on the Wall," and more Illuminati.  They thought they could break me with the singing, but they failed to remember I have seven kids and blocking out annoying sounds is my specialty. They annoyed themselves long before I even twitched.
• I made a mental list of Good Boy Scouts and Bad Boy Scouts.
• The boys -who are all public schooled and are used to be separated by age (and still by gender for this age group) got a real life lesson in how to behave around younger girls and how their bad behavior can trickle down.  The boys were walking along the benches and I told them to be respectful of where other people might sit just as Fiona decided to join the boys in the bench walking.  The patrol leader, who was still nervous after the tongue-lashing he received for making anatomy jokes around my girls, immediately saw Fiona trying to copy them and lectured his troop mates on setting a good example for younger people.
• I spent the day with a friend I work really well with.  She is a self-described OCD control freak.  I'm happy to follow along with whatever her plans are and to not try to change them or give her my opinion on anything.  In fact, I never had an opinion on anything, which was even better, because if I would have had an opinion and not stood up for myself, I would have annoyed her for not standing up for myself.  I happily followed her down closed roads and back roads and completely trusted her to get us to where we needed to be.  She is very good at planning out details and getting things rolling.  She organized the whole parade experience for these kids.  Things outside her control, like keeping preteen boys from devolving into chaos when they are supposed to be working, tend to break her.  This is when my super power of managing with rowdy chaos around me kicks in. Having and homeschooling seven kids really helps develop this super power.
• We had 4000 daffodils to take off the float and put in vases after the three parades.  Exactly six daffodils were (supposed to be) in each vase (I knew my friend wouldn't count flowers over my shoulder, so I just estimated).  One boy wondered how many vases we would have to fill and couldn't reach his phone calculator to find out.  I said, "You should be able to figure that out in your head. How many times does six go into 40? Six? No, we will need more than 600 vases, because there are still 400 flowers left.  Six hundred and sixty-six." Big Eyes "The Illuminati!"
• When we delivered the flowers to the assisted living facility, I was able to witness the stripping of a boy's cocky attitude as he humbly approached his wheelchair-bound grandmother and gave her flowers.  That might have been the highlight of my day.
• I dropped the boys off 14 hours after I picked them up.  I put the van in park, turned around to the boys, and said, "GET OUT!"  One of the Good Boy Scouts, who doesn't know me and is an only child, looked shocked and apologized for being annoying.  I smiled and said, "Just kidding. I have seven kids. You guys were not annoying. Go find your rides and I'll see you later."
• I was originally going to have to bring all my kids to this event.  But I decided to keep Ian at home with Daniel so I wouldn't have to deal with carsickness.  And when Mark's trip to California got cancelled, I was able to leave Heidi and Lula with him.  I am so glad I didn't have Lula and Heidi.  They would have made the day so difficult. I left before they woke up and got home after they went to bed.  I was gone for 15 1/2 hours.
• Ian's friends wanted to know why he didn't want to participate.  His reasons were 1) He didn't want to get up that early and 2) waste a perfectly good video game day 3) marching in a parade with flowers.

Last, but not least, and actually first, because it happened first thing when we got to the first meeting place.....

...Fiona lost a tooth in the van.  Like, it is completely lost.  It fell on her lap and then got lost in the pile of jackets and blankets on the floor.  What a day!

A Shining Star

Last night, Ian was awarded his Star Rank in Boy Scouts along with five merit badges!  He has been working so hard and is the first in his age group to reach Star.  In just five quarters, Ian has earned 15 merit badges and four ranks.  We are seeing the fruits of the scouting program in Ian as he grows and matures into a wonderful young man.

Haley Cove

Another weekend, another Boy Scout adventure...

This time Mark had his own kayak

Ian and Shane

Camp Site

Swamping Canoe Practice

Shane doing all the work by himself

Ian

This was the first time in 15 years Mark has been out in his kayak.

Off With the Old...

...and on with the green and gold!

Camp Fife

My boys are back!

Shane's Tent, First Day

It goes without saying they had a wonderful time.  Mark took all the boys who are working on the hiking merit badge on a really tough hike.

It was almost 11 miles roundtrip and gained 4000 feet of elevation.  For those who don't speak hiking language, it was really steep.

The boys took a break to swim in a snow melt lake.   I think the boys have realized that any hike with Mark is going to end in some body of water, no matter what the temperature!

The clear patch in the middle is Camp Fife

Summit of Mount Baldy 7000 ft elevation

But there was more to camp than just this one hike.  Shane earned two merit badges: geology and archery.  He also swam and worked on Trail to First Class requirements.

 The camp food left them hungry all the time...

 ...so Mark resorted to foraging for crickets...

(just kidding-they were another scout's edible crickets-but Mark really ate it!)

Ian earned FOUR merit badges.  That is a LOT.  He earned First Aid and Swimming, both of which are Eagle required, and Pioneering and Archery.  He also worked on Hiking and Cooking!

Ian and Gary, the Weather Rock

Gary was built by Ian and adopted by the troop as their "pet."  Gary now has a permanent home here at Twin Firs and I will never have to use National Weather Service again.  I'm mad at NWS for telling me it is going to be hot for the next week, so Gary is a welcome addition to our home.  Plus stuff made from rocks, sticks, and lashing is cool.

Shane's Tent, Last Day

 Our troop received The Director's Award for Best Overall Troop in Spirit and Service!

I can't really say much more on the camping subject because I wasn't there, but Mark and the boys had such a wonderful time and got to know their fellow scouts even better than they knew them before.  Shane made friends with a boy that was in his Cub Scout den last year.  Ian "buried the hatchet" with his long-standing rival and bonded over talk of Zelda video games.  Mark was dad and leader to any boy who needed one (and plenty did).  I'm just happy they are home again.

Off to Camp!

Ian and Shane headed off to Boy Scout camp yesterday.  They will be gone for a whole week!  Ian was gone for a week last year, but this is Shane's first time being away from home for so long.

Backpack? Check. Hiking boots? Check. Purple Purse? WHAT?

Before every camping trip, the Boy Scout troop conducts a pack inspection.  However, this year the pack inspection was overlooked.  Ian and Shane still had their packs packed from their last trip the weekend before, so anytime we asked them, "Is your pack ready?" they said, "Yes."   I'm glad that little voice inside my head said, "Do not trust those boys of yours," because when I conducted the Mom Pack Inspection, many things were missing...or belonged to someone else in the family.  Plus, the supplies needed for a one night camp out are not the same for a seven day summer camp.

Of course I miss them, but I have to say I really missed them last night when I faced a sink full of dirty dishes after a long 90 degree day of Heidi Handling.  And the silence! Ian and Shane are involved in several scuffles a day and they both crack jokes and make me laugh until my sides hurt.  Ian doesn't hug me anymore, but Shane does and I miss that too!  Saturday can't come soon enough!

Tubal Cain Mine and Buckhorn Lake

Ian is working on his hiking merit badge with his boy scout troop.  Yesterday he had a 14 mile hike along the Tubal Cain Mine trail up to Buckhorn Lake.

The picture above shows the big side hill above the Tubal Cain mines on the way to Buckhorn Lake and Marmot pass.

Of course Mark had to swim in Buckhorn Lake.  This lake is fed by snowmelt and is 35 degrees F!

Ian did a good job.  He wasn't the fastest boy on the mountain, but he wasn't the slowest either.  He is really learning how to master the art of trekking under Mark's guidance.  One of Ian's requirements for the hiking merit badge is to come up with a fitness plan to condition himself for ten mile hikes.  He happens to be working on his fitness merit badge at the same time, so he and Mark have been running a mile or two a few times a week.  Mark could see that the running has really helped Ian get into better shape and develop better endurance.  No PE class at the middle school could have done this for him.

Mark would fall behind when he would stop to photograph the flowers.  When the younger boys scratched their heads about his curious behavior, Mark was ready with the wisdom of the sages... He was, once upon a time, the boy scout who ran up ahead of the group just because he could.  But now that he is a little older, he wants to stop and smell the flowers!

Boy Scouts are supposed to always follow Leave No Trace.  One of the principles is to leave what you find.  The saying is, "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints."  So Mark brought home a virtual bouquet for his sweetheart!  (that would be me)

The picture below is really cool because it shows an avalanche chute.  Every winter, the snows come tumbling down and knock out everything in it's path.  Every summer, the greens return.

The more adventurous scouts continued hiking past Buckhorn Lake...

 ...to a B-17 crash site.  This added 900ft and over a mile to the hike (Ian called it "one helluva hill"), but it was totally worth it.

 
In January of 1952, a B-17 crashed while on a rescue mission during a blizzard.  Three of the eight people on board were killed.  Debris from the crash has been slowly disappearing over the years as hikers take souvenirs. This started an interesting discussion about whether taking small bits of the plane is "packing out trash" or disturbing a memorial site; both choices fall under Leave No Trace guidelines.  Mark observed some of the boys struggling to make the "right" choice.

Juxtaposition of a crashed war plane with the peace and serenity of the alpine wilderness.

Ian has four more 10 mile hikes and a 20 mile hike to complete before he earns his badge.  Mark is very excited to start hiking with the kids again and has been busy planning out his summer "bucket list" since their return.

Crossover (Shane)

Last night, Shane crossed over into Boy Scouts and received his Arrow of Light award.  Arrow of Light is the highest award a boy can earn while a Cub Scout.

Before the Ceremony

Shane was also a Webelos Super Achiever because he earned all 20 of the activity badges.  But you can't see them...they are little pins on his shoulder.  All those other giant patches all over his red vest are for participating in other activities like the Pinewood Derby and selling popcorn.  I ran out of places to put these patches and had to dangle them from safety pins in between other patches.  The most meaningful patches for me were his patch from his first summer camp, the baseball game, and the medals he earned by placing in Pinewood Derbies (1st and 3rd) and Raingutter Regattas (1st, 2nd, and 3rd).

Mark's assistant leader bringing the boys in.

Mark's favorite memories are also placing in the races, catching fish, and of course, the polar bear swims.  Shane's favorite memories are the same as Mark's, plus tubing at Camp Sheppard, ("Oh yeah, that was great!" says Mark).  Another classic story would be Mark's first camping trip as a leader when he came home with ticks.

We were fortunate that the new covered picnic shelter at the Civic Center was completed in time for Crossover!  The rain poured down all day and didn't stop!

Mark did a wonderful job leading the ceremony...too bad I missed it.  Heidi didn't like the cold, the rain, the crowd, or the drums.  Another leader offered to hold her so I could present Shane with his award.  She did not like that and kept checking to make sure I was holding her for the rest of the evening.  I shouldn't have even bothered going, but I love Shane and I'm so proud of him.

Arrow of Light: The stripes on the arrow represent Shane's awards and past participation

I'm proud of Mark too.  He had the most difficult den I have ever heard of.  The thing about being a den leader that no one really understands, is being a den leader is like another full time job.  Once a week for five years, Mark (or I back in the Tiger/Wolf years) had to come up with a meeting plan that would keep these boys active and interested in scouts for an hour and a half AND get them through their rank requirements.  The work is not without its rewards.  As Mark painted each boy's face, he felt like he knew each boy personally, which he did.  He was just as proud as each boy as he was of Shane.

It rained, it poured.

After the boys received their Arrow of Light, they crossed the rope bridge constructed by the boy scouts.

Waiting his turn

After the crossing, the Boy Scouts surrounded their new member and dress him with his new scarf, slide, and epaulets. 

This mom is happy that her First Class Scout was involved with his brother's crossing.

As this point, the rain was absolutely dumping on us, but it didn't "dampen" anyone's spirits (thanks for the pun, Mark).  Mark was fondly remembering all the rainy day camping trips and thought it was appropriate to be huddling under a pop up shelter.  I was remembering how it poured down when we entered scouts and how it was pouring as we left... and how it just seemed to pour the whole time we were involved with this pack.

Mark's den (raindrops keep fallin' on my lens...)

The pack that we knew is now the troop we still know, so crossing over isn't going to be a new start, just a new meeting day where the boys will have to learn to manage themselves. Both Shane and Ian have learned so many life lessons from scouting, as I've said before.  After five solid years of scouting with the same group of people, one would think that our family would have become close with at least one other family, but I'm starting to think that isn't going to happen.  One of the most important lessons we are learning together is friends come and go, but family is family forever.