Mom and Me

This weekend Will and I got to go on a Cub Scout Mom and Me weekend. It was just one night at the Boy Scout camp, but we had quite the adventure. We were out the door by 6:30AM Saturday morning and made McDonald's our first stop. Just after I ordered our breakfast at the drive-thru, I smelled something odd. Assuming it was the van in front of me, I rolled up our windows and the smell grew worse. Will questioned, "Mom, why are the vents smoking?" I turned on the light to see what he was talking about and, sure enough, smoke was pouring into the van through the air-conditioning vents. I pulled out of the line and parked. We both hopped out of the car as I dialed my phone to call Allen. Just as I was doing that, several men jumped out of the van that had been in front of me. In normal conditions, it might have worried me that men were coming out of a van and toward me in the dark, but somehow I knew they had good intentions. Their suits may have been the give-away, but, then again, men in suits can be bad guys, too .... I just knew. One young guy said he used to work in an auto shop and said the smell and where it was coming from indicated that the A/C belt may have problems. He assured me that, if that was the case, it would be safe to drive it home. I walked to the window for our breakfast, then we headed home. We made a quick switch of the cars since I wasn't willing to drive an hour and a half in, what seemed to me, a bit of a hazard -- NOTE: last week, we had a flat tire, purchased two new tires, and replaced the failing alternator and battery. I was NOT about to test it again... yet.

Will and I arrived at the camp safe and sound with only one slight detour on the way. The sun was in my eyes and I didn't see a sign that indicated a turn-off. After driving south about five miles, I was wondering why the sun wasn't in my eyes as I expected it to be all the way. A quick check on my phone GPS indicated the missed turn and we headed in the right direction. Oddly enough, we camped with about five others who all missed the same turn-off because of the sunshine. We got there just fine, packed all our gear onto our backs, and managed the short hike to the camp site. He and I set up our little green two-person tent (minus the missing stakes.) We were among the first ones ready for the day and we sat and chatted while he anxiously waited for his friends.

When I was packing for this trip, I was nervous -- not scared, just a bit anxious that I didn't know what to expect. My last overnight with just Will and me was to Natchitoches a year and a half ago, and we stayed in a warm, cozy, clean bed and breakfast. I was not too sure I could handle the camping gracefully. Looking back, I don't really know what I was thinking. Allen assured me that this would be a cake walk for me --I had been a Girl Scout camper and counselor; I had survived a couple Central American trips staying in places without water heaters, trudging through the jungle in the dark searching for snakes, crocodiles, and bats, taking half as many clothes as I actually needed, and I even got through a night and day with no luggage (thanks to mom who let me wear her clothes.) He pointed out that the Mom and Me camp was geared toward moms who were afraid of spiders and chipped nail polish. He was right, it was fine, but many people were not excited about having latrines with no electricity or hot water. While Will and I waited for the rest of the pack, we watched moms and sons arrive with lots of air mattresses, coffee pots, and Christmas lights (no joke!) I did later wish I had an air mattress, but then we would have had to make two trips to and from the car. I could make do with the yoga mat under my sleeping bag.

The day was a blast and the weather could not have been better -- not cold, not hot, just right for this Goldilocks. Will had a lot of fun with his friends, the moms all got along, and the day was packed with activities that kept us busy and bonding. We roamed the campgrounds as a small group (the ones from his pack) and the boys earned some belt loops and pins. We did some sack races, watched a man explain and throw tomahawks, earned the maps & compass loop and pin, did archery, painted each others' faces, earned the art belt loop, tied knots, and waiting in a long line for BB guns before giving up and heading for dinner. We all had a really good time. Will was definitely more interested in playing with his friends, but that was okay since all the activities really were geared to do with mom.

This morning, Will and I got up, packed our gear, and took it to the car -- all before breakfast. He was really frustrated that I made him help me pack since all his friends were playing football while he worked. I pointed out to him that it was "Mom & Me" camp, not "Me watch Mom do all the work" camp. He pouted, but helped, and I wondered why the other moms didn't expect their boys to pitch in. We got home, unpacked, and started the laundry before Allen and the little kids got back from church. I was definitely ready for a nap, but Will and I DID have a great time.