Cub Scouts

I may just be partial but...little boys are SO DANG CUTE! Last night at the Cub Scout meeting of Pack 899, Den 1, I had to give a lesson on What Makes America Special. The boys were split up into 3 groups of 4 and sent out to 3 different stations. One of which was mine. I was fully prepared for hi-jinks and such. I even expected some goofy input. And I wasn't disappointed. First of all...thank you to Cristian for answering..."MY MOM!" When asked what makes America so special. And thank you to little Jerry for reminding me about the time he tried to smash his face into Cristian's Birthday Cake, although I don't really know what his point was. Oh, and also thank you to little Jerry for answering..."Arnold Schwarzinator!" When asked if he knew any famous Americans. Silly me. I was thinking he would say George Washington or Abe Lincoln. And thank you to little Manuel who told me ALL ABOUT his trip to Corpus Christi and how that tied in to being a good citizen and Henry Ford's Model-T. I never knew.
Thank you to the Other Cristian (yes there's more than one) for pointing out the "Evil Looking Cow With No Eyes" in my book on Texas and thank you to Tommy Jasso (you just HAVE to say this kids last name too, its an unspoken rule) for pointing out that it would be more efficient if he just wrote "Bird" instead of "MOCKINGbird" in his book under the State Bird. All that MOCKING business is just unnecessary. Thank you to the new kid for having the most meticulous printed handwriting I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE ASIDE FROM MY FRIEND MIKE ROTTA. And the kid is only 8.
Everyone one of these adorable...sweaty...messy-haired Bear Cubs was awarded American Flag Pencils with a Matching Star Eraser Top, which were promptly transformed into magic wands and flung about at assorted other boys, by all. I was the only one giving out prizes which automatically made me the coolest (DUH GIVE THEM CHEAP TREATS PEOPLE) until The Other Cristian's dad showed up with hot dogs and fruit punch and then I was kicked to the curb.
I was extremely proud of myself last night. I was able to sit around with other parents without having a panic attack. I was even the star of the show for perhaps...15 mins. I even TALKED to some of the other parents. And thankfully, I didn't go home and have back spasms from my knotted nerves over the whole "public speaking around other adults who are more adultish than I am and therefore probably think I am weird and/or unfit for wearing flip-flops and baggy pants to a Cub Scouts meeting". This is actually the first year that I have even participated. Cris has been doing this for 2 years now but I always let my dad take over because after the VERY FIRST meeting I couldn't go back due to the fact that one of the moms had to check her FREAKING ORGANIZER to see if little Dante could play with Cristian anytime within the following three months AND THATS CUZ SHE WAS MY AGE AND I THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE NORMAL. After that I felt excluded. No one talked to me. And of course I didn't talk to anybody so I just stopped going. My dad made it easy because he got all into it like the NERD HE IS and quickly became ASSISTANT CUB MASTER which requires him to dress up like Smokey The Bear for all Scout functions and at least that gives me some measure of joy. But only because he looks hokey and it makes me laugh to see him with that crocodile hunter hat and the neckerchief and the patch-covered shirt and the multi-task cargo pants and his never-seen-a-hike-before shiny hiking boots.
Anyway. I vowed to be different this year. I have succeeded so far.
We'll see how it goes.