Pinewood Derby

Oh! The pinewood derby!  The pinewood derby!

Evening of racing and fun!  

The cars go down fast; the boys have a blast, 

We're always so sad when it's done.

That bit of impromptu poetry was brought to you by Katherine, proud mom of scrub sprout Brandt, the Bear.  Yesterday before school, Brandt asked, "Is tomorrow the 19th?"

"Yes, indeed," I replied.

"It's the pinewood derby," he reminded me.  And truly, it was a reminder.  I hadn't given it much thought, which showed because his car was cut out but that was it.  I went for spray paint so we could get it painted after school, and today, Kent took it to work to give it the finishing touches.  Brandt came home from school excited for pack meeting, and that excitement only grew the closer we got to the race.

Brandt's car didn't do super well.  In fact, he came in last in all his races.  The wheels weren't turning very well--they seemed to be rubbing against the car--and Brandt finished second to last in the overall standings of the timed races.  It didn't seem to make a bit of difference to him, however.  He was just excited to be racing.  He made an adjustment after the timed races were over and then his car did better, but truly, he was just happy to be there.  I'm not sure the pictures below really convey it, but he did have a good time.

It's a T-Bird, with a really huge fin.

Blythe wore her pajamas to the derby.

Maybe this is the look of a boy who isn't entirely satisfied with his car's performance.

That front wheel looks wonky.

"But who cares?" says Brandt.