Lenten Blue and Gold

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about the Catholic faith.  Especially Lent.  I mean, I know the basics (and what can be found on Wikipedia), but to me, in my blissful ignorance, Lent has always been associated with some sort of suffering.  I know it's supposed to be more like a willful sacrifice or penance.  But still, I associate it with suffering.

Which is why having to go to the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet seemed to be appropriate this week.

Okay, I know, I have a bad attitude.  But you'd have a bad attitude, too, if you woke up to your toddler coming out of his room with two handfuls of poop.  That's right - I said two.

Let's just say it was not an easy morning.  Cole woke up with the poop and then basically had tantrum after tantrum all morning.  I don't know what his problem was, other than that his day started with two handfuls of poop. 

Let's also just say that it was a long afternoon as well.  Cole was SUPER TIRED, and yet I couldn't get him to take a nap.  None of my tricks worked.

So by the time the evening rolled around, I knew we'd be in for a real treat at the Blue and Gold Banquet.  Actually, any church activity in the evening is a real treat lately.  This is mainly because they always serve the food much later than expected, making Cole not only tired but also hungry and angry.  This also makes Spencer and Josh whiny and hungry, and, for some inexplicable reason, hyper.  And all of this makes for frustrated and rather-be-home-but-we're-here-because-we-know-we-should-be Mommy and Daddy.

Anywho, it was about as expected.  Cole was a complete and noisy PILL the entire evening, Tess wanted to be held the whole time, and Josh and Spencer were excited and hyper and couldn't stay in their seats if their lives depended on it.

I must have done something bad recently, because talk about penance...

Anyways, I only got a few pictures in, and most of them involve Tess.  This is because at one point the only way I could keep her happy was to take pictures of her.  She's at that stage where no matter what's going on she will always smile for the camera.  This is pretty awesome and handy.

A random picture of a rather shaggy-looking Josh.  He had a great time mainly because he only had desserts for dinner.

That's me... behind Tess.

And there's super-grouch Cole... behind Tess.

And Lance!  Lance was there, too... behind Tess.

Here's Spencer getting his Bobcat and his first advancement bead.  I guess moms get to go up whenever their sons get a rank achievement.  I even got a pin.  Woo. Hoo.  (I still have a bad attitude.  I'm working on it...)  ((Just thought of a silver lining - at least they didn't give me a patch.  I would have thrown it back at Spencer's awesome scout leader.  However, I'm pretty sure anyone who had read my post would have understood...  But that's not the point.  The point is, it was a pin, not a patch, and so that makes it a little better.))

Well, what can I say, other than that we survived.  Hopefully that's enough suffering for a good long while...

p.s.  I just want to make sure that any scout leaders reading this understand that my bad attitude in no way has anything to do with you or the Cub Scouts.  It's my rotgut kids.  Specifically, my tremendously rotgut toddler.  Boy howdy...  Anyways, we actually have some really awesome Cub Scout leaders right now, and I'm so glad they're willing to serve our boys (and us!) in this way!