Pinewood Derby 2016

Last week was our Cub Scout's annual Pinewood Derby. We have now made 3 Pinewood Derby cars. They have all been really cool and unique, but unfortunately, they have also all been slow. Regardless of wins and losses, we still had a great time watching the races, and Christian has learned a lot in the process.

The Derby was earlier than usual this year, and it kind of snuck up on us. Jonathon has been super busy at work, so we just barely had time to get the car done before Pack Meeting. The hardest part is always coming up with a good design that can actually be accomplished. After going through several options on the Internet, Christian decided on one and helped Jonathon with the sawing and sanding. They cut and carved the wood block into the shape of a broomstick. Then I helped him with the painting. After it looked like a broomstick, I wrote "Firebolt" on it, and Christian glued his lego Harry Potter to the top. As it was going down the track, it really looked like Harry Potter riding his broom. It turned out super cute, and just his style!

I was a Wolf Den Leader in this ward (for 3 months until I got called to the Primary Presidency), so it was fun to see all of my boys and their cars. They all worked hard and were proud of their designs. They each got to race several times and the people in charge kept it going at a good fast pace. Even better, all of the racers and spectators got caramel corn while they watched, so everyone was happy. I think Hyrum had 5 cups of popcorn before I realized. Overall, it was a very successful event.

At the end, they gave every boy an award. The Cubmaster really loved Christian's car and made him feel really good about his design. Christian received the "Nimble Nimbus" award. (Haha! Don't they know that a Firebolt is way cooler than a Nimbus!)

As we were watching the races, Jonathon and I decided that since we have 3 boys and 7 more Pinewood Derby cars to build, we should probably figure out how to build a faster car. It's not important that they win every race, but it is a bit disheartening to lose a lot. Christian's car was pretty middle-of-the-pack, but he had a great attitude and never got too discouraged. Jonathon talked to all of the other dad's there, and got their tips and tricks to building a good car. I think he is determined to help Christian (and Andrew) do better next year. :) Maybe by the time Hyrum is in Cub Scouts, they will have it all figured out. Until next year...