Pinewood Derby

Yesterday was the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. For those unfamiliar with scouts, this is a Big Day in the life of a Cub. Several weeks before the big day, the boys get a car-making kit - a block of wood, some axles and wheels, and they (um, and their Dads) design a car to race. There are some exact specifications that must be followed. The only one I am sure of is the 5-ounce weight limit.

So my boy (with lots of help) made his car; I think Dad had as much fun as he did. Friday night they had to take them to the meeting place to be weighed and impounded for the night. This was to prevent any funny business to make that car go faster down the ramp.

The Webelos races was scheduled for 11 am. We arrived shortly before 11, to be told that they were running a few minutes behind. At one point I realized I’d forgotten to remind him not to cry or get mad if he lost. (My boy still needs those reminders.) At another point Dad (ever the optimist) realized he’d forgotten to remind him not to gloat if he won. At noon his den’s turn came. He won all 6 races! Which meant he advanced to the finals.

Talk about mixed emotions. Our girl was bored. (I admit it - I was too.) We had lunch waiting at home. And a dog, trapped in the house.

Oh well, the hotdogs were cheap and everything was going so late we didn’t have much longer to wait. The finals came up. We made it through the first round. (Yeah, now it's we. The little sister is not so bored anymore.) Now we could see the boy was getting tense. The final round was not like the others; there was no clear winner showing up. Then there had to be a tie-breaker! Oh, the suspense!

Finally it was all over. My boy had won third place! He was very happy and very relieved. He has a nice little trophy and, of course, his car. He and Dad are going to build a special shelf for it. (That’s because his dresser and bookcase are all covered with stuff and it just seems easier to build something new than clean them up.)

Four hours later we got home to a very happy (and ready to go outside) dog. The boy was tired, but happy and relieved that it was over. The tension was too much for him, I think. We also discovered the onset of nervous perspiration. He swore he deodorized that morning. My boy is growing up!