It's a camping weekend for the scouts in the family, but not the leaders. The leaders, aka Mom and Dad, were mentally challenged to help the scouts, Christian and Amanda, pack their gear for their first camping trips. In otherwords, that means MOM was mentally challenged, not DAD - Dad merely sauntered in to rescue the newbies from frustration and to minimize the clash of the Titans - the bulls, Mom and Christian. This is the first camping trips for both WITHOUT parents! Packing the Girl Scout supplies wasn't that difficult as it has been done before when Katy went to summer camp; however, packing for the Boy Scout was a new experience. Packing for Christian required us to consult with the Boy Scout handbook and required a shopping trip to Wally World for supplies, of course. Thank goodness we already have all of the camping gear (backpack, sleeping bag, mess kit, etc), otherwise we could have paid to stay in a hotel for several nights. After collecting all of the supplies, labeling items, assembling a first aid kit, Dad sauntered in to help us stuff the supplies into the backpack. Mom and Christian received valuable tips for placing all the items, in the correct locations, in the backpack.
After dinner last night Christian and I departed for the designated drop-off location - church. It is the farthest we travel from home during a normal week, a mere 6 miles from home. The girls chose to stay home and dad is out of town, so Christian and I made the QUIET, short trip to church for drop-off. Our ride to church was quiet - normally this is a welcome respite for both Christian and I; however, it was eerily quiet for this ride. With a few questions and some mumbled responses I gathered that Christian was tired and a little apprehensive, nervous, or anxious. It was difficult to define the emotion at the moment, but I had the feeling he wasn't certain what he should feel either. Being away from home isn't foreign to him as he spent several weeks in Louisiana last summer, but being away from home with people who aren't completely familiar is different.
We arrived at church well in advance of the departure time. Thank goodness for mom as Christian is like dad - we have to be there on time! Side note: Mom likes to be on time too and two minutes before is still on time. We'll we were on time alright; however, many scouts were not. The Troop departed 30 minutes after the scheduled time. However, the extra time allowed Christian to mingle and to remember who he is - the constant helper. It wasn't long before he was helping other scouts unload cars, load supplies on the trailer, etc. At that point Mom became an observer and I had an opportunity to chat with the other parents who were shipping their scouts off for their first camping trip. We all chuckled as one scout said, "I forgot my book and my notebook." Ultimately, this is the first of many experiences to come and a learning lesson for all of us - parents and scouts. An opportunity to forge independence and self sufficiency for boys who are changing into young men. "Time to load up," the Scoutmaster rattled through the patrols dividing scouts amongst the vehicles. Christian moved toward his designated vehicle and remembered oh, Mom is still here. As always, he retreated to give me a hug and kiss before disappearing into the vechicle that would transport him to his exciting adventure.
I sat in my van and called Mike to let him know he had departed. I was filled with an array of emotions - sadness, happiness, fear, uncertainty and more. But the feelings quickly passed as I prayed for a succeful, safe outing. Fortunately, it is a brief outing - he'll be back in two nights and I can't wait to hear his stories and experiences.
No comments:
Post a Comment