On My Honor

This is another post that gives me pause.  My kids are big kids.  We have no more babies.  Gone are the high chairs and binkies.  We no longer have to carry around a change of clothes in the back of the car (actually I'm currently re-thinking this... boys are messy).  I don't have to plan my day around a nap schedule.  I cry a little inside when I think about this- but I'm also coming to the realization that it's also kinda awesome.  

We can just go if we want.  We can eat on the fly.  We can all put on our own shoes.  We can go to the movies.  Essentially... the world is ours.  That is if we can stop fighting long enough to go and see it right? 

That said- my boys had their first and last pack meeting together last night.  It made me weepy. 

Ryan has been waiting for this day for a LONG time.  It is his deep-seeded belief that scouts is awesome.  And he has had to watch his brother do "all these cool things" and he wasn't old enough to do it.  It bugged him more than just a little bit.  Finally though.  Finally HIS day came.  We marched into the scout store and he carried all his stuff himself (did NOT want my help) and came right home and immediately started combing through his book.  

Needless to say it took him less than a week to earn his Bobcat badge...  Which he was awarded last night.   

And I got my new Bobcat pin.  I love that they make a big deal about of the moms at scouts.

So proud of my middle baby!

And I'm also so proud of my oldest one too.  I guess I have to stop calling him a baby.  It takes on a new meaning at this point... even though he'll always be my baby.  He earned his Arrow of Light last night and said good-bye to his Webelos den... and is moving on to Boy Scouts.  Ty had some amazing leaders who pushed him to get everything finished on time- we are SO grateful to the Mannings- for their hard work and dedication to these boys.  They were so incredibly lucky.

 I'm going to add something here that Ryan will probably wish I didn't.  That's okay though because to my knowledge he doesn't have anything with an internet connection and probably won't read this until he's older and hopefully in a forgiving mood.

While Ryan was extremely excited to be in Scouts on Thursday night... it was also very new to him.  He was a little unsure of himself.  I watched as they called all the scouts up to participate in an activity.  Ryan very surreptitiously reached a hand out and held onto the tiniest bit of Ty's shorts.  Not enough that his brother would notice, or anyone else really- it just looked like he was standing close.  But just enough to assure himself that this was what they were supposed to be doing.

Ty did notice though- and he put his arm around Ryan and brought him in closer to the group.  I know they fight.  I know they argue.  And I know that sometimes they probably want to throw bricks at each other.  But I also know they love each other.  And they care about each other.  Ty nodded down at Ryan and made sure that his little brother was in his group as they worked together to solve some riddle their scoutmaster had set for them.  It was a tiny nod.  It was fleeting.  And the meeting went on as if it never happened.  But I watched something pass between brothers.  And it made me proud to be their mama.

We took the boys for ice cream after- to celebrate their rank advancements and the fact that they are pretty cool dudes.