A Baker's Dozen: Daily Life in a Large Family

Cub Scout Crossover 2011

Last night was Crossover for our Cub Scouts. This is when they move up to the next level of scouting.

Tilly happily volunteered to keep Apollo busy during the meeting...

He tried out a swing for the first time. He was happy, really...he's just a serious baby.

Mordecai crossedover from Bear to Webelos. Webelos is the transition from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. Now instead of Den Day once a month he'll have Webelos meeting three times a month in the evenings.

Erik and Mordecai have been friends since they were both born. They both started out as Tigers together.

Everett is another good friend of Mordecai's.

And Hezekiah. He's grown so much in the last year...

Just for fun, here he is at Crossover last year, when he officially became a Tiger.

Ian and Hezekiah have been friends since before they were born. Remind me sometime to show you their first picture together...God knew exactly what Carolynn and I needed after Mordecai and Erik...so He sent us charming, mild mannered boys. Thank you, God.

And here's one more picture of Apollo...because he's just that cute.

 

Pinewood Derby 2011

Whose kids are those anyway? Ah, that's right, they're unsocialized homeschoolers, so we forgive them their odd behavior...

Saturday was our Cub Scout pack's Pinewood Derby. This year we only have two Cub Scouts (Mordecai and Hezekiah) but our  pack lets siblings race in the "Outlaw" division. In the end, we had six cars to race...Chuck was busy, busy, busy helping with cars.

I think this little Tiger is excited about the race...

Chuck cut out this car, wanting to test the design. Avi painted, polished and raced it.

Tucker and his car.

The Baker's Dozen outlaw cars...ready to race.

The best part about a large family? Your built in cheering section...

Kalina pauses to sample her car.

In the end we didn't come home with any prizes, but we had a great time racing, visiting and filling up on pizza. Thanks to everyone in Pack 222 who made this happen.

{Find us on Facebook! Look for A Baker's Dozen and Apollo XIV}

Arrow of Light

Friday night we got to celebrate with Enoch as he received his Arrow of Light award. This is the highest honor in Cub Scouts. He also earned Super Achiever by earning every badge in the Webelos book. This arrow was crafted by Chuck. Each bead and emblem represents a specific achievement through his Webelos years. 

Here we are the ceremony, as he was presented with his arrow. Thanks for the photos, Tilly!

Monday Enoch crosses over and becomes a Boy Scout! 

 

 

Two of My Men

Chuck (39) and Hezekiah (6) 

I wouldn't trade them for the world...

Crossover 2010

Last night was a big night in our house. Hezekiah, age 6, finally became a Cub Scout!

He was full of enthusiasm.

When your five older brothers are Scouts, its a big day when you finally get to crossover...

I think he's gonna do just fine.

Daddy was there to do the honors, presenting Hezekiah with his hat and neckerchief.

Aren't they handsome?

Enoch crossed over to Webelos II and Mordecai crossed over to Bear. Boaz and Judah are Boy Scouts, and Ezra just aged out of Boy Scouts (but plans on being an adult leader).      

Here's to many more years of Scouting in our family!

Playing Hooky

Yesterday morning, I got this desperate email from a friend:

Ugh.

 I don't want to teach today.

Or clean.

Or break up fights.

Or plan for tomorrow's teaching.

Can I take the day off?

Isn't it time to go to the beach yet?

And I knew as a fellow homeschooling mom, it was my job to uplift and encourage her. So I invited her over, and we all played hooky.

We sipped coffee shakes.

And fixed lunch for sixteen children.

And then, so we didn't feel completely guilty, we got productive and did  some digital scrapbooking.

 

  
 

And today? Today we hit the books.

   

Pinewood Derby 2010

I wasn't at the actual derby, since I was away at the ladies retreat, but my friend Bridget was and  took these photos. Thanks, Bridget.

 
This the the only photo of Mordecai. I guess he was feeling a bit shy?

"I had a skeleton and fire on my car. The car was black and yellow. It raced good. My favorite part about the Pinewood Derby was racing the car."

I love the look of concentration on Enoch's face. Next to him and fellow Webelos: Peter and Jonah.

I love that Bridget captured this photo of Tilly taking pictures. Before I left I put my kit lens on Tilly's photo (she usually shoots w/ a 50 mm) and told her "Just put it in auto and don't worry about it. The lighting is terrible at that's the best you're going to be able to do". To which she responded, "How do I put my camera in auto?". My heart swelled with pride. The girl didn't even know how to shoot photos in auto!

What a handsome man I'm married to. Whose heart wouldn't melt at the sight of their husband balancing his two youngest on his knees?

Enoch's car was voted favorite of by the  Cub Scouts!

"Last year's car was better than this year. It won fifth place. But I got voted the favorite of Cub Scouts. I had fun racing."

Hezekiah built a car and was able to race in the Outlaw race (for siblings and Scouts whose cars are disqualified). He won third place!  

    "The sticker on my car was the same color as my car. The weight on top, on the red stripes made a lot more weight. Because it was longer than the ones inside the car. There was this pink one and it was racing awesome and a guy said it was the Pink Sled. I was almost all the way down but the sled caught up and then it got to the finish line right when mine did. Somebody had a Hershey Bar car but the person was in the Outlaw Race and the guy said 'Watch that Hershey Bar '." 

Mordecai Takes on the Alley

Mordecai's wolf den went bowling yesterday. My mom watched the other children so it was just Mordecai and myself. A little date (which ended with *gasp* a small order of fries from McDonalds!) Poor Mordecai's at a slight disadvantage when he goes bowling...the three fingers he's missing parts of happen to be the three bowling fingers. That means he has to bowl left handed- despite being right handed!

 

He did awesome though. Check out that form!  He scored 86, not counting the spare the computer didn't record. He beat out every other other wolf (and even a Boy Scout who was there with his little brothers). You go Mordecai!

Click over to my Little Earthling website to see photos of my latest client, nine day old Oliver.

Crossover

Monday night was Enoch and Mordecai's big crossover meeting for Cub Scouts. Crossover is when the boys "crossover"  to their new level in scouts. 

Enoch crossed over from Bear

to Webelos.

Mordecai went from Tiger

to Wolf.

Enoch is very excited to be in Webelos (stands for We'll Be Loyal Scouts). It's the transition year (and a half) between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. These  boys meet three times a month (instead of one) and the requirements for badges are much more rigorous. 

Mordecai's move from Tigers to Wolves means he no longer has to have me present at the meetings (Tigers must have an "adult partner"). My mom said I had to mention on my blog about how well Mordecai did at this crossover meeting. He marched right up to the front to receive his awards. Most of the year he has been dragging me to the front with him and trying to hide behind me. Hurray for small steps forward.

Expect some photos of my men in their new uniforms soon...

Assistant Patrol Leader

The handsome boy you're looking at is the Burning Bullfrog's newest (and first) Assistant Patrol Leader. In February our three oldest boys crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.  Judah really takes his scouting seriously- in a good way. He is determined to achieve great things in his years of scouting. From the day he joined, he's had his eye on Eagle Scout. As a Webelo he worked hard to earn every single badge in the book and along the way picked up a handful of beltloops and academic pins, earned his Arrow of Light, his Leave No Trace Award, this Wildlife Conservation Award, and probably a handful of others too.

Scouting has been one of the best things that has happened to our boys. Scouts is the place Ezra and Boaz have made their first friends- not to mention the friends I've made there. Scouts has given Chuck ample time and oppurtunity to pour into his boys' lives. He loves taking the boys on the camping trips and outings, and loves that he doesn't have to plan them himself.

I wanted pictures of our boys in their new uniforms, since the current photos on my wall have them in their Webelo uniforms. When I saw this picture of Judah, I couldn't believe how much older he looks. Check this out. This photos was taken September 1, 2008:

It amazing how fast they change.