Life with Dylan

Category: Cub Scouts

  • Officially a Boy Scout

    Tiger Cub, Bobcat, Wolf Cub, Bear Cub, Webelo …
    He did it all – Camping trips, belt loops earned, beads earned, silver arrows and gold arrows. 
    Special badges for Conservation and Whittling. Earning the religious square knot as a Wolf Cub.
    Laws and Oaths memorized. Secret handshakes and salutes.
    And now the coveted Arrow of Light. 
    Welcome to Boy Scouts Dylan. 
    You worked hard and made us all proud. With Grandpa by your side, you crossed over from a Webelo to a Boy Scout. 
    You are on your way to make Eagle Scout.
    Some days I feel like it has been forever since you started your journey. 
    Four and a half long years to be exact – but then I look at the pictures – the little spunky boy with attitude going to his first Tiger Cub meeting. The little boy who was so excited to start exploring the world as a scout. 
                                     

    I look at the pictures and think, Where did the time go?

    You still have spunk and attitude, there is no denying that – but now you also have confidence.

    This is what will make you a great Boy Scout.

  • One night of camping with my son that I will never forget

    So last weekend was a Cub Scout camping trip that Dylan really wanted to attend. However, Grandpa was out of town on business and he is the camper … not me. Knowing how much this camping trip meant to Dylan, I said that I would go Friday night and then my dad would take over on Saturday.  How bad could one night be?

    We arrived at Irvine Regional Park around 5:30 pm and made our way up to the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center. Looked nice. Buildings, lodges, parking lot, orchard … but we were camping.
    In a tent. On the ground.

    As we walked the 1/3 mile up a steep incline to our campsite, carrying our gear, I remember thinking “What have I gotten myself in to?”

    This is dirt with lots of cactus and bushes. Up in the mountains.

    Well, with the help of one of the other parents I managed to get the tent set up and air mattress inflated. Hard part done right?

    This would be my home for the next 18 hours.

    As the boys ran around and played I settled in. This might not be so bad.

    I love nature and the surroundings were beautiful. Why did I not bring my camera? At least I had my phone for a few pictures.

    The sunset was gorgeous – this picture doesn’t do it justice.  Oh, and the moon coming up over the mountain was awesome. It was so close to us, I wanted to reach out and touch the moon with my hand.

    So now that the sun had set and dinner was cooking I started thinking about where I was. And how it was getting really dark. And how if I needed to go to the bathroom I would have to walk up the hill and across the dirt road … with a buddy since we always use the buddy system for safety.

    Time for s’mores. This will be fun and will get my mind off the idea of what animals would be coming out of hiding during the night. Wood fires are not allowed, so the campsites have these really cool propane campfires that look just like a campfire, but without the smoke in your eyes or any flying embers that could start a fire.

    We had a visit from the ranger who informed us of the rules. Most were common sense and of course the be courteous to your neighbors rule of quiet time between 10 pm and 7 am. Great, this meant bed was at 10 and I could sleep. The faster I went to sleep, the faster morning would come and I could go home.

    Oh wait, I almost forgot the best part of the ranger talk.

    “You are out in the wilderness. We do have mountain lions and bobcats. We do have coyotes. We do have rattlesnakes.”

    Um, hello? Why are you telling me this at 8 pm.

    Long story short. I laid in the tent from 10 pm until 3 am awake. Listening to the coyotes howl and the wind blow. Listening to the footsteps outside my tent that were not proceeded or followed by the sound of a zipper, which meant it wasn’t someone getting up to use the bathroom. Wanting to look outside, but too scared too move. Oh, then there was the low flying helicopter that circled the area around 1:30 am. Talk about your imagination running wild!

    I think my favorite part was at 3 am when I realized I had to go to the bathroom. Yes, my son was not too happy when I woke him up to be my bathroom buddy. I believe his exact words were “Really mom?”

    Since it had been a full moon the night before, it wasn’t that dark outside. We saw a few bunnies and even some frogs around the edge of camp. I will even go as far as to say that it was quite peaceful. Once back in the tent I fell asleep. Not sure if it was from pure exhaustion or because I had seen that there really was nothing outside. A few short hours later I was awake – along with most of the camp – thanks to the peacocks down the hill at Irvine Regional Park. Those are some very loud birds!

    I will admit that waking up to see this was incredible.

     … watching my son sit outside our tent and whittle with his pocket knife at 6:30 am was pretty cool too.

    I may not be the coolest camping mom, but I sure did enjoy watching my son. He really is growing up and I am so proud of him. Rather than me taking care of him, he took care of me that night.

    Breakfast was great. There is nothing like a good breakfast burrito with lots of fresh bacon cooked over a camp stove. I was amazed at the kitchen set up these dads had.

    Oh, and we had Starbucks too –  thanks to a Dad who made a coffee run at 6 am.

    The day would be filled with adventures and all things Cub Scout. On the agenda was zip lining, archery, BB guns, and a night hike. I would stay until lunch time and then it was time for the boys to bond.

    I can not tell you how happy I was to see my reinforcement arrive. Grandpa to the rescue!

    Once my dad was there, Dylan wanted to have nothing to do with me. He actually told me that I could leave.
    He really does like spending time with Grandpa on these camp outs.

    I stayed just long enough to watch Dylan go zip lining a few times and then I was out of there.

    The last time I went camping was when I was a Girl Scout. That was 30+ years ago.

    So my famous last words “How bad can one night be?”  Well, let’s put it this way … I won’t be camping any time in the near future. At least not the kind of camping that requires me to sleep in a tent.

  • Recognition from the White House for helping the tigers

    There are many times that I have been proud of my son. What parent hasn’t been proud of their child? Getting a good grade on a test, learning to ride a bike, receiving an award from school, the list can go on forever with the many accomplishments we witness as parents. However, there is a certain kind of feeling you get as a parent, one that is filled with pride and happiness, when you watch your child beam with pride as his peers applaud him. These are the rare moments that bring tears to the eyes of mothers.

    Last week my son received The President’s Volunteer Service Award. He did not know that he was getting it and when he was called up during a Cub Scout pack meeting I was suddenly overcome with pride.

    As you may remember, Dylan had a special birthday wish in July. A wish not for presents or a party, but a wish for the tigers at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. His wish was to raise $1,000 and help build them a new home. He surpassed his goal and raised over $1,300.

    In doing so, he volunteered much of his time – 50 hours to be exact. Unbeknownst to me, a child of his age that completes 50 hours of community service is eligible to receive a special award from the President of the United States. A good friend of the family completed all the paperwork, sent me the awards last month, and asked that Dylan be honored at a Cub Scout meeting.

    Along with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, Dylan received a letter from the White House, a letter from Nograf Network, and a lapel pin of the Presidential Seal.

    I am still in awe of this. I have never known anyone who received an award from the White House, let alone a family member – and as excited as he is now, I can only imagine the stories he will tell his children and grandchildren one day.

    Knowing how much Dylan loves saving animals, I thought it was only right to dedicate an area of our home for him to display his efforts and accomplishments. So after a little reorganizing, this is now known as Dylan’s shelf of conservation. Each animal represents one that he has adopted from San Diego Zoo Global and I will be framing pictures of them as well to hang along with his letters.

    Sometimes the best rewards are those that you don’t expect to get.

    Dylan may have inspired many people, some total strangers, with his birthday wish for the tigers, but the 30 young boys who applauded him at his Cub Scout meeting are the ones who he inspired to make a difference of their own. 

  • Cub Scouts at the ENC

    Dylan recently had his Cub Scout meeting at the Environmental Nature Center – which is one of our favorite places. Just when I thought I knew everything the ENC offered for children and families, I learn something new. The scouting programs they offer are incredible. 

    Whether your son is a Tiger Cub, Wolf Cub, Bear Cub or Webelo, the ENC has a program designed for you that will satisfy various scouting requirements to get your child one step closer to earning his rank.
    We participated in the Bear Cub program called “Wildlife Wander”, which took our group on a 1 hour hike through the center with various stops along the way to learn about wildlife. While sitting around the fire pit, the boys learned about hummingbirds and how they live. Did you know that a hummingbird uses pieces of spider webs to build their nests? I didn’t. 
    Starting the hike and checking out the native plants
    Stopping by the pond to learn about crawfish

    The boys got to explore the center, play games, and learn about threatened, endangered, and extinct animals. The ENC Naturalist was so good with the boys and was able to explain things at a level that they would understand. Stopping at this picnic table was my favorite part – I totally forgot that we were in Newport Beach because it looks and feels like you are out in the wilderness.

    Learning about conservation was the final part of the program and we stopped at another beautiful location to learn how the boys can do their part by conserving energy and water at home and school.
    The programs are only $5 per scout and for an additional $1 the program can be extended for another 30 minutes to include another elective. Sounds great right? Well, it doesn’t stop here.
    While waiting for the parents to arrive, I picked up a brochure on the scouting programs and learned that the ENC also offers campfire programs, overnight programs, wilderness survival, and Eagle Scout programs – all catered for scouts. 
    Do you have a daughter? No problem – the ENC offers a variety of programs for Girl Scouts too.
    For more information on the ENC visit encenter.org or call 949-645-8489   

  • The Pinewood Derby is Serious Business

    For those of you who have sons in Cub Scouts, you know that the annual Pinewood Derby is serious business. Not just for the kids, but for the parents (mostly the Dads) – because the parents are usually the ones doing most of the wood cutting and sanding. Sure, the kids paint the cars and help, but really how much can a 7 or 8 year old do with saw? Well, at least safely.

    This year was Dylan’s third year racing in a Pinewood Derby. He has yet to win. And I found out that this was my Dad’s 21st pinewood derby car to help make.

    Being an Eagle Scout, he has raced his own cars as well as those of his sons, and now his grandson. I stay out of it because it’s just too much pressure to have the perfect car. The perfect weight. The perfect wheels.

    In my head I’m thinking ‘people, it’s a piece of wood’ – but I know better than to say this out loud around the guys. I may be a girl, but I’m not stupid!

    Dylan named his car the Silver Bullet. He drew his own bullet on the car and decided to put a driver in the car. What kind of driver do you put in a pinewood derby car? A LEGO driver of course!

    Like I said, this is serious business. The boys have to pass inspection and certification at check-in. From here the cars are taken and the boys don’t touch them again until after the race. This stops people from adding weights or anything that may give their car an advantage after the car has been inspected. Shocking, I know, but it has happened. (I told you this was serious business)

    Each car races in four heats, a different lane each time. This keeps it fair in case one lane happens to be slower than another. The car who wins the most heats will win for that level of Cub Scouts.

    Dylan’s Silver Bullet won 3 out 4 heats. Proud day in our household and proud day for Grandpa.
    After building and racing in 21 Pinewood Derby’s, this is only the second time he has stood in the winners circle.

    So happy and proud of my little guy. We had to go out and celebrate.

    Where? Icicles of course! 
    He didn’t want to leave his car or trophy in the car, so we brought them with us. I think he secretly wanted people to ask him about the trophy – and that’s totally fine with me. he deserved a little recognition and praise. After all, he just won the Pinewood Derby!

  • Do Your Kids Play?

    A new school year has begun and we are finally getting back in the swing of things. Homework, packing lunches, nightly reading, and so on. And as this school year begins, I once again find myself contemplating how I can make this year better than last year.

    The emails and papers coming home from Dylan’s school about various after-school clubs and sports are well … to be honest, a little overwhelming.

    They all sound wonderful, but come with a price. Yes, the clubs and sports programs will cost me money – money that isn’t really in my budget – but the other cost is much greater in my opinion.

    The cost of my son’s childhood.

    He loves Cub Scouts and the after-school science program. He joined the science program last year and really got something out of it. I don’t mind paying for this. The program meets right after school one day a week and lasts only one hour. It ends just in time for me to pick him up after I get off work.

    So what about soccer, tennis, Spanish, keyboard, chess, art, music, and swimming? These are all excellent programs for children, but do children really need to participate in all of them? Many parents will sign their children up for multiple after-school programs. Who makes this decision?

    (more…)

  • Cub Scout Time Again!

    After taking a break from Cub Scouts this summer, it’s time to get out the uniform and prepare for another fun year of scouting. This year, Dylan is a Bear Cub and he couldn’t be more excited.

    To kick off the new year, the pack took part in a beach cleanup at Big Corona to show our community that Cub Scouts believe strongly in Leaving No Trace Behind. The beach cleanup was a huge success and of course all the boys enjoyed roasting hot dogs and s’mores afterward.

    You can read all about the impact these boys made in the article I wrote over at OC Moms for The Orange County Register.

    Go Cub Scouts!!

  • He’s at it Again!

    Rocks, Minerals, and Geodes – oh my! The boy is at it again. After getting a few rocks and crystals at Cub Scout Day Camp, Dylan became fascinated with a new found hobby. Then during his first week at the Environmental Nature Center Summer Camp he received 2 more rocks. It wasn’t long before he had to buy a little book and his very own geode to crack open.

    What a fun way to spend the afternoon with him. We had the hammer, the newspaper, the geode, and of course the camera ready to go. It took us about 10 minutes to crack this little rock, but what we found inside was beautiful.

    The crystals shimmered in the sun and what appear to be little snowballs to the naked eye are actually small crystals when you look under a magnifying glass.

    Knowing how much Dylan loves to do research on the internet, we found a great site where he could look up other types of rocks and crystals to add to his collection.

    Do you have a child interested in rocks and crystals? If so, check out The Kids Corner at Rock Crystals site.

  • Cub Scout Day Camp

    Dylan just finished his first Cub Scout Day Camp. Five days of all things Cub Scouts! Archery, flag football, ultimate frisbee, creating with clay, building a bird house with wood and nails, making his very own earthworm farm (which now resides in our house), making his own fishing pole from bamboo and fishing in the pond, and I’m sure much more than he told me considering the long list of achievements that was sent home.

    The days were long (8:30 am – 3:30 pm) and the weather was hot, but he had a blast and I’m sure he will want to do it again next year!

  • Scout-O-Rama

    For those of you who purchased a coupon booklet from Dylan, Thank You! He sold enough to attend Scout-O-Rama 2011 and we had the most amazing time. Scout-O-Rama is basically the annual trade show for scouting. Hundreds of booths to see with crafts, games, activities, cooking, and so much more… all run by the boys themselves. Many of the older boys (Boy Scouts) are required to run a booth and teach something to the younger boys (Cub Scouts) to earn merit badges. This year, Scout-O-Rama was held at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado. Beautiful day in the wilderness. Dylan had a blast and earned three more belt loops in the process!

    Just one of the many bridges Dylan walked across …

     Shooting with Grandpa … a guy thing!

    Cool bridge built by the Scout from Saigon!

    He amazed me at his accuracy.

    Dylan earned his Geography Belt Loop at this booth …

    They had the coolest obstacle course, military style, but Dylan did the course so fast that I couldn’t get pictures. You should have seen how fast his little legs went through those tires!

    Dylan did 10 push-ups, no problem!

    And what would a scouting event be without some sort of cart racing?

    Not the finish line, but the ice chests did stop him!

    Last but not least … a watermelon eating contest!

    The perfect way to spend a Saturday with my Wolf Cub.