As many of you know, Cole is in Cub Scouts. He's what they call a Wolf (2nd grade) and he really enjoys all that scouts has to offer. This time of year, the cub scouts hold their annual Pine Wood Derby races. Every boy makes a race car out of wood and they race these cars down a large ramp that is about 30 ft long. They even have computerized timing set up on each lane to see which car is the fastest. I am told that our pack likes to spare no expense and go all out! That sure makes things fun for us.
Many boys spend all year long perfecting their cars: sculpting, painting, and polishing the axles. The scouts have very specific requirements for these cars. They have to be within certain length, height and weight limits. Unfortunately, our family has not yet gotten to the place that we prepare for this evening fun in advance. I do believe that Stephen started this process the weekend before... AND he had two to
Cole chose to make a mining cart - this coming from the game Mine Craft. Isabel started out wanting to make a surf board car but this was later mended to a skate board (apparently they are easier to sculpt with the limited power tools we possess).
The morning of the races, we still needed to paint the skateboard and glue the accessories onto both carts. Here is Cole's gem mining cart drying. There is a comb underneath it to angle it towards the heater that I had blowing at it to aid in drying it faster. There are beads (gems) drying in good ol' Elmer's glue.
Isabel's 'Skating Serpent' was ready for action! She cut the wood with Stephen's drill, painted, and glittered it herself. It's a cool skateboard, right?
I thought Cole's mining cart was quite an ingenious idea. He even put one of his lego mine rock monster to sit in it. I didn't take pictures of the finished product because I was waiting to take a picture of him in his Cub Scouts uniform with his car at the race. The best laid plans.....
Stephen took the older two kiddos to the church, where his pack meets, ahead of me because Jack and I were driving my car - Jack often gets DONE with pack meetings way before they are completed and we make a hasty exit before things turn ugly.
Anyway.
When I arrived at the church, I was greeted with Stephen and Cole huddled over one of the tables, working at a feverish pace. Apparently, Cole's car was too heavy... WAY TOO HEAVY! Stephen was having to chisel parts of the sides off, take out the Lego guy, and even drill holes in it to try and make it lighter. He even enlisted the help of a fellow dad to hammer off one of the ends of the carts. OH THE CARNAGE! Wood pieces and gems were flying everywhere. This was taken after some of the sides had been chiseled.
Cole handled it well and even resigned himself to the possibility that Isabel's car would be entered in his place as our 'family' derby car. In the 11th hour, after much sweat, and as they were closing the car registration table, his car weighed in at exactly the max weight. HALLELUJAH! I do believe I heard Stephen mutter something about finding the nearest beer about this point.
Both kids had a blast racing their cars in their groups. But it became quite obvious that they were not the fastest cars on the track and Jack was reaching his time limit so he and I headed home. Baby boy was making a scene and needed his bed. Fast.
When the rest of my crew got home, I was told that indeed their cars were not in the finals. HOWEVER, they do have awards for 'superlatives' and Cole's now-train-wreck-of-a-car won the 'Most Unusual Car Award'. He even got a trophy! He was the toast of his own little town - and I think Daddy was quite proud too.
Here is the result of our wild night at the races:
Notice all of the willy-nilly drill holes. *Sigh* It really was quite the masterpiece at one point but what a story it now has!
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