Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Pinewood Derby

Saturday, January 26th was the long awaited Pinewood Derby.  This was Tyler's 2nd Derby, but first time attending at a local mall.  

Dan coordinated the event for our pack and I assisted with recruiting volunteers to work the event as well as leading them during the actual event.  Suffice it to say, it was a very busy day.

These first two pictures are not mine.  I did not have much time to take pictures and those that I did take didn't come out great because I didn't have the time I needed to set up my camera.  It was quite a day!

I spent the whole day working under that banner with a number of boy scouts, organizing cars and getting them read for the heats which started every 6 seconds or so.  There were 380 participants that day with each car going down the track at least 4 times plus the finals where there were 68 participants.  Crazy.  I never saw the banner above the track until I was looking at pictures on facebook after the event.  


Isn't this track slick?  So much better than last year!



Tyler and Dan worked long and hard on the car.  Tyler drew up the initial design.  He wanted a jet car.  Dan even bought the right kind of saw so that Tyler could cut out his own car.  I am very pleased that Tyler was so involved in the process this year.  I think the results are pretty cool.  He named the car 'Blue Nightmare.'  Yes, he named it not long after attending the monster truck show.


These trays are how the cars were organized for the heats.  The banana car in the middle of the below picture won the people choice award for our pack.  That car was really neat.  Tyler got 2nd place.


Here is Tyler's car getting ready for a run down the track.


Aunt Donna and Ryan were track side cheering on Blue Nightmare.


Tyler came in first in his den of 10 boys which meant he went on to the finals.

Here is Tyler's car from the back.  Check out the orange inside the jet engine... fire!!


Tyler did not place in the finals, but had a fabulous time.  


He's already looking forward to the next Derby.

1st Reconciliation


Friday, February 1st was Tyler's First Reconciliation.  And, he was excited.  Seriously.  Who looks forward to making a confession??  Maybe he enjoys one on one time with the priest?  Maybe it was that he finally got to go in the wood box in the back of the church?  Or, maybe it was because he got to wear a tie.  Should I feel bad that the shirt and tie was part of his Dracula costume from Halloween?  Oops!

Who knows why he was excited, I'm just happy that I didn't have to force him to go.  In fact, when he started giving me a hard time about learning the prayers in the weeks leading up to the event, I told him he did not have to receive this sacrament as long as he understood that meant he would not receive First Communion next year which means he will never participate in communion with everyone else.  Yeah, I can't believe that worked either, but it did.  

Yes, this is happiness at being in church wearing a tie on a Friday evening...


He marched right up to get his certificate, shook the hands of both priests and came back to me with a smile on his face.  Love this kid.


My proud boy.


And now, when we go to mass and recite the Our Father, my boy turns to me and says "I just did my penance again."  I hope that wears off soon.