Today my son had his regional pinewood derby competition. It was held in a cafeteria of a local private school. He had won first place in his Cub Scout troop for the Wolves. His car was created from a block of pine wood (get it) and the stock axles and wheels. His design was a pick up truck painted to look like his Daddy's.
Now we all know that a 7 year old can not use power tools and can not engineer a car to do well with the logic and skill needed. So he had some help, well, a lot of help from his Dad. All the boys did. So when we got to the competition you can feel the testosterone of the males competing against each other. They pick about everything. The competition is triple elimination and you have to have raced on all three tracks to make it all even.
I am sitting there watching the racing that is going on. Cheering for my son's car (truck) and trying to keep my kids from standing up in the front and getting in the way of the other spectators. While sitting there I realize that there is something else going on. Yes the normal testosterone running through the room but there is something else this year. I realize that there is some estrogen floating around too. The lady next to me cheering with her son is accused of cheating when others think that her son is using a car from last year. (Hey, when you have a winning car you tend to duplicate it). The more she and I talk I realize she had helped her son make his car. Our neighbor comes in and picks up her son's car which she had helped build. And there are others.....
We came in 15th out of 23 cars. Our neighbor's son came in 16th so we are still first in the neighborhood rivalry!! It wasn't a bad showing.... but there is always next year.
3 comments:
OMG. Nicholas looks SOOOOO much like his dad (except the hair color!). Glad to hear about the soap box derby. My sister's sons had theirs a few weeks ago - Patrick (8) beat Donald (10) in the finals of the district. They finshed 1-3. Oh, the sibling rivalry. . . . .your kids are getting so big. I haven't seen the middle one since she was 2 days old. I'm a bad friend. Seems to me I might need to road trip at some point this summer.
Definitely!!! Come ANYTIME! I would love to see you. I have been trying to figure out how to get my husband and I to Boston for a little get away. Just need a babysitter....hmmmm
well, i'm buying in the spring of '08 (can't do it this year . . . that whole no job thing). so that gives you a year to find somebody to watch the kids and it gives me a year to find a place so you can come visit me in my house! (read condo).
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