Cubs, Bugs & Shrubs

Guess what I got to do today!

Hint #1 : I was gone from 12:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Hint #2: I am dead tired, and a bit spacy
Hint #3: My voice sounds strained and raspy
Hint #4: My nose and cheeks are a bit rosier
Hint #5: I had a sack lunch for dinner
Hint #6: The silence in this room sounds heavenly
Hint #7: I'm feeling appreciation for my daughters
Hint #8: Today my name was, "Monkey B's Mom!"
Hint #9: On the drive home, I sat in a daze at a blinking yellow light for who knows how long until I realized someone was honking at me.
Hint #10: The title of this entry
Hint #11: The picture at the top of page

Did you guess it?
Do you know where I was?
YES! I was a leader for the day at Cub Scout Camp (400 boys). Okay, now say this slowly...
H..O..L..Y S..M..O..K..E..S...!

I'll just sum the day up with a few negatives followed by a few positives.

Neg #1: I guess the hardest part of my day was keeping track of 12 rambunctious, excited, talkative, always-on-the-move 8 and 9 year old boys. They were all over the place, and my throat is sore just from trying to keep them reigned in.
Neg #2: Mineral study time. Although interesting, the presentation was boring and did not last long enough. Extra time meant...CHAOS.
Neg#3: Boy who will not be named. I will not go into details. Let's just say this boy doesn't quite live in the same world we do. It was a world of endless wandering off, endless dropping things off the bleachers, and ...well let's just leave it at that.

Pos #1: I got to be with M.B. all day, and he was so glad to have me there. I know this because he kept telling me so.
Pos #2: BB Gun Shooting. Fun to watch and help them. The best part was when they gave the leaders time to shoot. I finished and brought my tattered target back to MB to show him. He was amazed (so was I) that most of the holes were in the middle black circle. What was great was the way he took the paper from me and ran to show it to all the boys, who somehow seemed equally as proud of me. Great moment.
Pos#3: Boy who can be named; Chase. Followed me around and sat by me a lot, and presented me with a painted ladybug he made during craft time. So sweet.
Pos #4: MB's liquid eyes. He has amazing eyes. They are big, and the iris floats in a big sea of white. They are also very shiny, as if he produces a little more eye moisture than the rest of us. People who know him usually notice this and will comment on it. Today as I was talking with another leader, he glanced up at me with those eyes, and they caught her off guard. "How beautiful!" she said. He was embarrassed, but it was cute.
Pos #5: Although I am tired, I had a great time. Boys may be noisy, and burpy and they may like to smear chocolate pudding all over their faces at dinnertime. BUT, they have a sweetness I just love. They wanted to sit by me, and they kind of melted into the hugs I gave them when they accomplished something great. They shared with the kids who didn't have treats. They were concerned if another boy seemed upset about something. They laughed loud and long and had me doing the same. I think I really did enjoy myself.

I'm not going to say that I look forward to doing this again in the future, but I won't dread it. Somehow it was an experience I am glad I didn't miss.