What's a Scout Again?

Tonight was Henry's first night being a Cub Scout. For those of you who don't know this about us, we're not big scouters. Darin is maybe a Wolf himself. My brothers and dad are all Eagle Scouts (you guys make me proud), but for all the scouting that took place in my family, I have very little memory of any of it. I don't even remember helping on their Eagle projects. Did I? I hope I did. So anyway, we don't devote a whole lot of family discussions to Scouting. But George has been hearing us talk about how Henry would get to be a Cub Scout now that he is 8.

So tonight Henry's friend Ben came and picked him up and took him off to Scouts (whatever that meant). I kept telling George that we would go pick Henry up. It took me about twenty minutes to convince George and the girls to get in the car. They didn't understand what was in it for them (they rarely do). As we were driving out of the driveway and up the street George says to me:

"Mom, how long is Cub Scouts?"

I was all confused because I thought he understood that we were on our way right that minute to pick Henry up, therefore, no need for the question. So I kind of tried to lamely explain the scouting program with my limited understanding. But he got all frustrated.

"No, I mean, when will we see Henry again? I was sort of thinking we should have brought his toothbrush, and I should give him the new toothpaste you bought today. He didn't even get a chance to use it before he left for Cub Scouts."

That was too much for me. I was laughing so hard in the car. I finally told George, Henry would be able to try the new toothpaste tonight, at our house, because you only go to Cub Scouts for one hour once a week.

Can you imagine what they must have thought Cub Scouts was?! But it sort of explains why he was so sad that he wouldn't be a Scout with Henry.