Crystal Hot Springs

What I love about Freestone's scout leaders is that they love to camp, they do it all the time, and it's no big deal for them.  I get a text.  "We're going to Crystal Hot Springs.  Have Freestone bring a sleeping pad and warm clothes."  I love it.  They're going three hours away for two days, and all they need is a sleeping pad and warm clothes.  No mention of a swimsuit, towel, pajamas or anything.  What I love is that they don't fuss.  Obviously, every boy knows he needs these things, or at least his mom does. The boys' packing list, if they were in charge, would look like this:  1. Candy 2. Treats 3. uuuuhhhhh....

I had a rather loud discussion with Freestone as I dropped him off at the church, as to whether he needed a coat in Idaho in the winter, for sleeping outside with wet hair.  His point was that this was supposed to be fun, and the mere thought of a coat was hampering his ability to have fun.  He ended up taking a coat, and a sub-zero sleeping bag, a pad, and an extra blanket.  I don't know what he did with all that stuff while he was eating candy, but he came home with a cold, his red eyes watering, nose running.  He's hacking up scout phlegm as we speak, but he claims he didn't need a coat and he had a bunch of fun.

It's great that we have these built-in opportunities for our boys to go away and use their worst judgment without having moms there to remind them to bundle up, or to eat something healthy.  They come back just fine, and with an extra layer of confidence.  Someday, they might even gain the smarts to go along with all that confidence. ;)