The Great Catch Up: Scouts & Princesses

Two of my many lives. 

The Webelos scout leader life that I lead still has me cracking up. It's just not something I ever imagined myself doing. Not something I ever thought I was particularly well suited for. But I enjoy the chance to be with Will in this way, and was especially glad I could go with him to day camp this summer and witness the full glory of the scouting world first hand. The whole day felt like one big Disney movie from yesteryear. Part Parent Trap, part Apple Dumpling Gang. The Wild West at it's best. You'll see what I mean. 

Camp Jeremiah Johnson is designed to run day camps for cub scouts. That's what they do all summer long. They employ serious teenage scouters to run the day camps, and I was honestly impressed with their leadership abilities. At that age, I could barely hold down the fort at TCBY let alone lead a group of 10-year-old boys around all day long in an orderly manner. 

You just can't make those shirts look good, but Jen and I will keep trying! They're cute on the boys:

Yes, that's my son on the right posing deliberately:

Opening ceremonies. Awww . . .

They organized the boys into groups based on explorers, and I thought our boys' group leader looked like he could be the poster child for the scouting program. Or at least a Disney movie with a scouting theme:

We knocked out a bunch of badges that day. Here they are cracking open geodes:

 Rock climbing:

 (Will gets a "ducktail" just like my dad when it's time for a haircut.)

Canoeing:

Summer snow. I assume from the cottonwood trees:

Lunch time:

Bludgeoning each other with long sticks. A guy thing to be sure:

BB guns:

Archery:

Battle scars:

Closing ceremonies:
Our boys got asked to do the flag ceremony:

That's right. We bad:

(Oh man, it's late. Who says that anymore? Can I really keep up this Great Catch Up?)

I wish I could remember the name of the Quintessential Scouter. Let's call him Sam. Or Davey:
The Old West:

Not sure why, but getting this pelt with his own money was the highlight of Will's day. I just went to tuck him in and he was sleeping with it on top of his pillow: 

Scouting Mamas:

The second most exciting scouting event of the summer was an evening campfire program up the canyon by our home. The boys had to show how to build, light, and correctly extinguish a fire, as well as cook over the fire. Jen and I invited Brandon along for "moral support":

Pigs in a blanket:

I made up a little booklet with songs to sing like "The Ants Come Marching" and "Do Your Ears Hang Low" and other classics. I loved watching them get into those songs:

Banana boats over the fire for dessert:

Putting out the fire seemed to be an even bigger hit than starting it:

The only way I can get them to pose for a "nice" picture is by promising they can do a "goofy" one after:

Enough dirt, sweat, fire, guns, pelts, etc. Let's move on to the Princess Festival at Thanksgiving Point!

Yes, it was hot and crowded with lots of people who take princess stuff WAY too seriously, but it was still fun. Not sure I would go again next year, simply because of the crowds and the heat. (Not my favorite.) Real Disney princesses might be worth it, but Thanksgiving Point princesses? I'll let you know when June rolls around again. Basically, the adorable Children's Garden (where we had Elizabeth's birthday party) was swarming with every princess you can imagine, and there were opportunities to interact with each one and even get their autograph in a little book that comes with your ticket. There were several plays and activities going on simultaneously, and the usual overpriced food that you're forced to buy for your starving children if you aren't organized enough to have packed a picnic lunch. (You can see the verdict is still out on this one for me, but the girls loved it and the pictures sure are cute.)

The first autograph of the day, after a silly play about a princess who was way too obsessed with getting married to someone she had barely met. (Elizabeth and I had a little talk about that when it was over.)

The 12 Dancing Princesses singing in the acoustically ideal Bear Cave:

Yes, for a modest price, the girls got their hair plastered and glitterfied:

 Little Mermaid:

 Peter Pan and Wendy:

 Captain Hook:

Not sure why, but Rachael didn't want to sit on the Beast's lap. Hmmmm:

The Princess and the Pea:

 Tinkerbell:

 During the truly cute Cinderella play (really), I couldn't resist snapping a shot of this baby Snow White:

 Queen of Hearts:

We went looking for Alice in the maze . . .

 . . . and ran into the Mad Hatter's tea party:

Finally, we found her, heading out for her lunch break with a water bottle in hand:

Cooling off by the ark:

Are you still there? Sticking to this Great Catch Up is almost harder than sticking to my diet. But I must push on. There are memories to be preserved! Mothers to pacify! And readers to put to sleep! Goodnight!