Pinewood Derby!

Pinewood Down and Derby!!!

This past weekend we attended our LAST Pinewood Derby. After FIFTEEN YEARS of going to Pack Meetings and all the Cub Scout stuff, it is officially over! Waa.. waa...my baby's growing up! He was inducted into Boy Scouts, and so we closed that chapter in our lives. I don't think I like this! And to think of all those times I complained about having to attend yet ANOTHER Pack Meeting! Like they say...the days are LONG but the years are SHORT! Where DID the time go?

At least this chapter ended on a GRAND note. McKay won FIRST PLACE in the race! He was pretty excited. Last year he also won, but they didn't give out awards for it. But it wasn't real hard to figure out who placed where. They just said everyone was a winner and ended it at that. And we thought that was fine too. This year they gave an award for the fastest car but didn't mention what "place" the others took. I thought that was the best way to do it overall.

This year, when I told him he had to get working on his car, he informed me he was going to race his car from last year. The Ninja Turtle car he pretty much designed himself. I told him that I didn't think that was a good idea. I didn't think it would still be any good after a year of being mauled and played with, but he insisted! My other boy's cars are missing wheels and other various and sundry parts, but his was actually in pretty good shape. Wow, that was easy! Last year, he helped his Dad cut it out and then I helped him paint it. I was so grateful we didn't have to start from scratch again, even though I honestly didn't think it would hold up to the others. Boy, was I wrong!

Dave is pretty good at this thing, after FIVE BOYS I guess he would be. The other boys all won (or took 2nd) as well. He makes sure our boys do most of the work on the car though. Well, as much as he can stand to let them! lol Can I just say I love watching the dads! They are instructed that they are only to HELP the boy, not the other way around. Um...yeah right! Over the years it has been so fun to see the intensity with which some of the dads get into it. We have a lot of engineers in our community and so at my oldest son's derby, it was INTENSE! I had never seen anything like it! It was a REAL do or die race. The boys didn't even seem to care and were cheering each other on, but you could tell the blood pressure was rising in that room in those males over 30! I thought there was going to be some action going on in the parking lot after! Back then they only did it every three years because it was too much for the leaders to handle. Have you seen the movie DOWN AND DERBY? Yeah, pretty much the same scenario! Thankfully, it isn't like that anymore. The dads have mellowed quite a bit. The derby's are actually fun to watch now...at least ours.

McKay won ever single race with the exception of two that he raced against his bud Carson. In the end it came down to three. His bud Zack, Carson, and McKay. Carson's car was really fast and I thought for sure it was going to win the whole thing. Then it came down to McKay and Carson. One track seems to be faster than the other and so they were careful to make sure they gave them both a chance on each track. I think overall it should have been called a tie, because it was SO close! I am sure if those two raced against each other over and over, the outcome would have been different each time. It would have been awesome to have them tie! It's kinda hard to beat your best bud! This year they were both selected as the District Cub of the Year - McKay for Webelos and Carson for Bears - and that was so fun for them to share such an honor together. But I don't think this will alter their friendship any. Afterall, they are BOYS! McKay was very excited, but pretty much forgot about it by the next day! Aren't boys great?!!! Here's a few more photos....