Cub Scouts and Camping

Friday afternoon saw us setting out for a weekend of camping. After the massive deluge and occasional rumble of thunder was over, which meant it would be cold this weekend.

Camping is really not on my list of favorite things. When I was pregnant with younger son, I mentioned emphatically to my husband that I would no longer be sleeping on the ground, and if he wanted to continue camping as a family, it would be in a camper. So we bought a pop-up camper. We really enjoyed that camper, but after the second time it was damaged in a windstorm while parked at our house, we decided to part with it. We moved to this house shortly before that, and all the males at my house have been content for two years to camp out in the yard. Which meant that I got to sleep in my bed.

However. Since I have two sons who are now Cub Scouts, I knew I couldn't hold out against the camping forever. I've gone to campouts for the day and gone home, which was working for me. Not so much for my boys. So, the Hawkeye bought me a camping cot (oh, that is the way to go), and I agreed to go camping at our district family campout.

It was 38 degrees when we all woke up Sunday morning. I still haven't really gotten warm. It was muddy and windy. And damp. And drizzling as we packed up to go home.

However. I really had fun! The boys were experiencing the full-court-press of outdoor activity-laden excitement. They ran, they yelled, they played in a fort, a castle, and an indian village, they poked in the campfire, they shot off air-powered pop bottle rockets, they played parachute games and noodle hockey. They played football and pirates. And I loved watching them, participating with them, and visiting with the other parents (the Hawkeye says he is proud. I was the only mom there).

It's a funny thing about scouting. It's really family-oriented, unlike sports. Most of the people are nice, considerate and helpful, and trying to teach their sons to be the same way (again, unlike many of the sports teams we have seen).

So, am I a camper now? Not a backpacker, for sure. That cot is pretty heavy. However, we did go buy me a new sleeping bag when we got home yesterday. It has a memory foam liner. I think that's maybe princess-style camping.