crossing the bridge v2

Yesterday, Henry bridged from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.

I remember the first time I went to a Blue and Gold Banquet, way back in 2013 when William was a Tiger rank and Henry was still in preschool.  With a totally unexpected lump that formed in my throat - and tears that dripped down my cheeks (where did all this sudden emotion come from?  I thought we were just here for dinner and a magic show?!) - I remember watching the fifth grade boys walk from one side of the stage where their Den Leader removed their Cub Scout kerchief and waved them goodbye - to the other side of the stage, where they were met with a firm handshake of the young men of Boy Scouts, and fitted with a new kerchief.   

The symbolism of the kids crossing the stage - and walking across a small bridge - was not lost on me and I remember so clearly thinking that day will be here for William BEFORE I KNOW IT.  And sure enough, it was.  And now Henry has earned his Arrow of Light, and crossed the bridge, too.   

William was on the other side to meet his little brother with a big smile and handshake and it was epic. 

Charlie baked a cake, for entry in to a Father-Son Cake-Bake contest, to commemorate the event.  Each layer is intended to represent a different level in Cub Scouts, starting with Bobcat (light blue); Tiger (orange); Wolf (red); Bear (green); Webelo (blue) and Boy Scouts (yellow).  

As he was frosting the multiple layers, I kept asking him, "How in the world do you think you're going to transport that thing to the event?"  And he kept responding, "It'll be no problem. Trust me, Jen, that's the least of my worries."   

Once finished, Charlie drove and I held the cake on my lap.  And sure enough, it wasn't his problem - it was mine, trying to keep that multi-leveled masterpiece upright for three excruciating miles through stop signs, traffic lights, around corners, and over speed bumps.  You don't realize just how much accelerating - and decelerating - there is on a simple car ride, and the incredible forces of gravity that travel exerts, until you're holding a tiered cake in your lap.  Also, it's safe to say that my anxiety level transporting the cake was on par with transporting newborn triplets home from the hospital: every other car on the road was a dire threat.  

We arrived in one piece - literally - and set up our cake among some fierce competition. The creativity and artistic expression of people just amazes me.   This tree house cake was one of my favorites (look at the adorable little Cub Scout people sleeping under the graham cracker tent, and actual BRIDGE to the Boy Scout campground!) 

And this one - with the teddy bear clutching the Pinewood Derby Twinkie totally cracked me up!

Or this one, with the campfire and Lego scouts on Kit Kat logs?  HA!

    

While I haven't been as involved with Cub Scouting in Texas nearly as much I was in Virginia, and from a scheduling perspective - I am looking forward to the boys participating in scouting events together - this change is bittersweet.

It's impossible to comprehend that our little guy is now a bona fide Boy Scout, considering he was an "honowawy Cub Scout" ....

Just yesterday.