Cub Scouts

A few weeks ago, Mark and I were released from our calling in Nursery and called to serve as Cub Scout den leaders.  This means a few things ...

1. We get to go to Gospel Doctrine ... for the first time in about 4 years!  We were called to be Family History consultants shortly after we got married (and taught the family history class), then we were ward missionaries after we moved to American Fork (so we taught Gospel Principles once a month and had to attend that class), then we were in Nursery for a year.
2. We get to GO to Gospel Doctrine!  Carmen's been old enough for Nursery since November, and so we get to drop her off and leave her behind!  Apparently she's done great without us these past few weeks. :)  (She's also had a lot of fun at the gym day care when I drop her off ... I actually stay almost the full 90 minutes and the day care ladies don't seem exasperated when I pick her up!)
3. Um, can you tell I'm excited to feel like I'm actually going to church again?  Hahaha.




Anyway, tonight was the Cub Scouts' Blue and Gold Banquet.  I'm still not exactly sure how everything goes together (last week was our first week, and the activity was having the boys make invitations for their families) but I'm very excited to work with the 8- and 9-year-old boys.

I think there are 5 or 6 boys who will be coming to Cub Scouts with us.  I already knew one of them.  His name is Sam, and he lives down the street from me.  When the weather's nice, he plays outside with Jefferson, who is Carter's older brother.  I love these kids.  They're friendly and funny and creative.  They're part of the reason why I'm excited to watch my kids grow up, and the main reason I'm not completely terrified of the thought of maybe having a son some day.  Mark has this secret fear/thought that he's going to end up with 7 daughters.  Actually, I wouldn't mind that ... and when we have our 5th one, I'm going to call him Tevye. ;)


Anyway.  Sam.  So we were at the banquet tonight, and Carmen spent much of the evening chasing the boys around.  (Sounds a lot like me!  Let me clarify: I wasn't boy-crazy, I just tended to have a lot of guy friends growing up.  We'd go swimming and ride bikes and jump on the trampoline and stuff.  SO much more interesting than Barbies!)  Around a quarter to 8, I knew it was getting close to time for Carmen to come home, take a bath, and go to bed.  If you keep a kid up too long, they'll get really cranky but have a hard time falling asleep because they're too tired.  Carmen was sitting on Sam's lap, enjoying the presentations, and was very upset when I told her we had to go home.

"Sam!  SAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!" she cried.

She does the same thing every time Sam is playing outside and it's time for dinner.  It's so cute.  I love how much she loves the older kids, and how much they love her too.  Sam (and Jefferson, and Carter, and all of the other kids I associate with. EVER.) is so good to her!!!  I told Sam's mom she could make money marketing him as an older brother for rent.  ;)

Oh, and Jefferson's mom had our job in Cub Scouts right before we did.  She stopped by our house today to drop off a few things she used.  I love having neighbors like that.  It helps me feel more confident that I'll be able to do this. :)  I'm so excited to work with the Cub Scouts!  SO EXCITED!!!