My Mom the Boy Scout

Some of you know that Vance recently started Boy Scouts (actually the pre-cursor to Boy Scouts, Webelos, since he is only 9). It was going to be a father-son thing until Eric had to go to Afghanistan and Mommy got called up to be the scouting buddy. Here's the thing - if you tell me the goal (patch, pin ...) and the steps, I will get you there. I am nothing if not an over-planner (so is Eric). Vance has been racking up the patches.

The last couple of weeks they were working on the Citizenship badge and the Religious badge. So yesterday afternoon Vance and I were going over the 10 Commandments again, as the Chaplain would be at the meeting last night and that was part of qualifying for the badge. Then we remembered we had a flag out in the garage that we were going to give to the Boy Scout hut where they meet. Since we live in the village, we are not flying the flag (operational security - don't advertise) and, part of Citizenship is properly honoring, displaying, folding, etc of the flag.

Vance went out to the garage and got the flag that was still rolled and wrapped in moving paper. I suggested we unwrap it in the foyer in case there were any dead bugs in it. The unwrap was successful. So we moved into the dining room where we were going to unroll it and properly fold it. I began to unroll it. Suddenly Vance says, "There's a spider!"

And here's where everything goes horribly, horribly wrong. I see a spider - a huge spider - not quite as big as the tarantulas we found in Tucson and San Angelo, but it is huge and it's on the move! My instinct kicks in (be prepared, the next 30 seconds are about to get sordid).

I throw the flag onto the floor (no, that's not all). I stomp on the flag. I have killed the spider whose spidery entrails are now squished into Old Glory's stripes.

And according to Vance I say "Oh Jesus!"

So let's see, this went from patriotic and Godly to throwing the flag on the floor, stomping on it and possibly breaking the 3rd Commandment - "do not take the Lord's name in vain" (I told Vance it was more calling on the name of the Lord for help. That makes sense, right?)

So I rolled the flag back up, told Vance to put it back in the garage and never speak of this again.

(Please remember me as the girl who wrote the Veteran's Day post, not the girl who stomped on the flag.)

Love you all - Val