A Day in the Life of a Cub Scout Mom

I knew that various camps for Colin this summer would help keep my sanity intact. What I failed to realize is that for Cub Scouts day camp, I would have to volunteer to help. This didn't really scare me when I signed up for the job. I figured I'd work the one day required and get the other three days free. What I didn't realize was how much I would have to pay on my one day of work.

The week before we had record setting heat with temperatures in the 100s. The week of camp, of course, it decides to pour rain and heat up to a scorching 60 degrees. Lovely! It rained solid the day I helped from 8:30 to 2:30 and when it did finally stop, the sun started to peek out just enough to make the field steamy and gross. I was absolutely miserable!

What cheesed me the most was that everyone else who was doing a craft or learning activity had either a shelter or an open tent set up to keep them dry. Oh no, not me! I had to play a game in the grass with absolutely no cover whatsoever. By about 10am my REI rain anorak was soaked and I looked like I had just stepped out of the shower with my clothes on. People offered me umbrellas, but how am I suppose to manage that while trying to bounce and catch a ball? Hello! I'm pretty sure I am on someone's bad side since I got put in this detail.

What's worse than being outside all day in the drenching rain with seven different groups of cub scouts? Being outside all day in the drenching rain with seven different groups of cub scouts when the game you're playing is quite stupid and boring. Be sure that if an adult thinks a game is quite stupid and boring, the kids are surely going to think it's even more stupid and more boring. Moreover, we have this side of eternity, or 40 minutes, per group to keep them interested. Oh yea, this will work! I sure would like to meet with the person who thought that it was a good activity.

Somehow we managed to get through the day, mostly because we made up other, much more fun games to play with each den. Boy howdy, was I tired at 3:40 when we were all done. I could hardly collect my things, including my son, in order to go home to pass out. Once we got home, I ordered pizza and both of us to take baths to wash all of day camp down the drain. Neither Colin nor myself made it past 9pm that night! I think I'm either too old or too out of shape (or both) for this type of work. How come I couldn't get a sit down type of craft? My only saving grace was that I didn't have to go back for another day. Thank You, Jesus!