Scouts Schmouts!

Everyone in my house is a scout, except me. Maybe that is why I've always had a bad attitude about this particular program. It could also be the fact it's one more thing I have to try & juggle. I don't know, but since I don't get any badges and Kurt already has tons of badges...shouldn't he be the one to help?

So this has been my attitude for the last 7 years, but 4 months ago everything reluctantly changed. Kurt was traveling for work and Hunter had a court of honor (really had no idea what that even meant), so I told him I would go. Coop & I sit down on a chair as young men/old men, and a woman in a yellow button down shirt buzz around the room. Then, everything is quiet and someone has everyone stand up for the flag ceremony. If you follow the instructions, everything is fine. After the flag & announcements, different leaders start coming up to hand out awards. This is where it got dicey. Some guy calls Hunter's name and then says, "If Hunter's mom is here we'd like her to come up as well". What??? Who are you people and where is the hidden camera? Blushing, I walk up to the front of the room. Then the man says, "Hunter earned his ?? award. We like to honor the mothers for their support and encouragement in helping their son's attain this award". Oh my. I completely blush and I'm pretty sure all the other moms in the room are thinking "She's never even been to one of these meetings...what a hypocrite." Even if they weren't thinking it, I was! Then they ask Hunter to pin a little trinket on my shirt. O.K. What's the deal? You voluntarily give a teenager a sharp pointy needle and ask him to stick it in my shirt...next to my skin? Ridiculous. Luckily Hunter didn't draw blood, but then all the other boys started chanting, "Kiss,Kiss,Kiss". This is just getting sick. Hunter, the good son he is, reaches down & hugs me...in your face rowdy boys!

So, somehow I made it through that evening, but I set a precedent. All of the sudden, both boys want me to come to all these court of honors. Hunter had one 2 weeks ago and Coop had one last week. I told Hunter I would come if I didn't have to go to the front again. He duped me. I ended up in the same position, just receiving a different pointy emblem and only one boy had the nerve to yell "Kiss". I gave him a knuckle sandwich from a distance. You aren't going to believe it, but went to Coops last week..oh yes...I had to go to the front again. Puhleeeeze! Even more nutty....they gave him a sharp point object to pin in me as well. He is 8...he doesn't even use pointy scissors yet and that is just cutting paper. I made him pin it on the bottom of my shirt near my meaty abdomen.

So ladies, beware, scouts is dangerous and once they have their claws (or pins) in you...they don't let go!