Stinky Boy

Josh got home from Bear Lake today and man are we glad to have him home! He probably could have left the stink there, but at least he is home. Six days is a long time for my buddy to be gone! He is so not a mama's boy - he is so independent and doesn't need me, but I need him. :) He is my helper, my buddy and my peacemaker. I'm so proud of him for not only going away for six days, but for completing five merit badges! Isn't that crazy? I can't believe how much they do in one weeks time. He just got home and is already talking about what classes he wants to take next year. He finished his rifle shooting (and did really well, in fact), environmental science, canoeing, swimming and archery merit badges.

He has earned his Second Class and is well on his way with his First Class. I'm so grateful for his Scout of a dad, his awesome leaders and grandpa's that have helped him. He is working to have his Eagle when he is fourteen and this mama is not earning it for him. I am not the best Scout Mom - I'm learning the rules of the game right along with him.

This is a picture of him last Sunday night before they left. He has everything packed neatly on his back. And, he is clean and smiling. I should've taken a picture of him this morning when they got home. He wasn't as "compact" and didn't smell as nice. But, he was smiling!

Before he got to camp, he wanted to do a practice run with the tent. He said he was sure he could set it up, but taking it down was another story. Jer and I sat out at the picnic table and watched. With very little coaching, he did it. He is a good kid. Silly how just watching your boy set up a little two man tent makes you realize how quickly he is becoming a man. The first time he passed the sacrament, I cried. And now he is back from a week long camp. What am I going to do when he does get his Eagle? I guess as long as his voice doesn't change and his leg hairs don't get any longer, I can deny his manhood.

However, if you look at the boys shoe size and "taste" in soccer cleats, he is all man. He only got one season out of his last boots so we told him before Fall we would take him to get new one's. I got an email from Team Gear saying the boots ("boots" are what hot shot soccer players call cleats) were all on sale until the end of last week. So my boy get's online and starts drooling. He came to me at one point and asked if I thought his dad would let him get Nike instead of Adidas this time. I obviously know very little about what he is talking about so I ask why he wants Nike. Why does it really matter? Where I come from, you go to the PayLess Shoe Source down the road and try on all the shoes until you find some that are cute and mostly fit. I have quickly learned that for Josh, getting this particular boot is like me getting my first pair of Gerbeau jeans in 1990. So, we get to the soccer store and Josh starts trying on. He was a good sport and humored me by trying on the cleats I thought looked like good one's, but in the end he got what he wanted. :) All I will say is that if he doesn't run faster, jump higher and kick harder in these boots, he never will. They are the hot diggity bomb. I think he had a hard time leaving them home while he was at scout camp. He told me he was going to sleep with them. For those that care about this kind of crap (ie the Johnson boys) they are the Nike Mercurial Vapor VII FG Cleats. If you google them, you will see that all the hot shots (Christiano Ronaldo) wear them. And Ronaldo does run fast, jump high and kick hard. They must be magic.

Oh it's a good thing I love this boy. Josh. Josh is the boy I love. (and Jer) But it's okay that I put a picture of Ronaldo, right? Josh loves Ronaldo, so in order to support him, I love Ronaldo, too. He he.

So Jer is packing for his big "vacation" to Denver. I'm so not looking forward to him being gone, but I am glad my Josh is back. 

Welcome home, Stinky boy.