Cub Scouts 2012 Cardboard BoxCar Derby

We had great fun for our 2012 Cub Scout Cardboard BoxCar Derby! The boys got to design their own box cars and put them together with their families. We had three heats of three to four boys and each boy had a pit crew. Here's how it worked. 

We had 4 pits. Each racer had a number. They all started at the start line and then went into the pit number we had given them. They had family members be part of their crew. The first lap they started and went into their pit and had to get out of their car and take off their shoes and sock, turn their socks inside out, and then replace their socks and shoes, get back into their car and run the lap coming back to the pit the second time. The second pit they had to down a bottle of water (just the smaller ones 8 oz.) through a straw.  Then they ran another lap back to the pit crew where they had their windshields washed (We had them wearing goggles or glasses and we sprayed their face with water and then wiped it off). Then they were off again and instead of stopping at the pit the last time they just had to race around again to the finish line!! It was a lot of fun! We did not time them or have actual winners but we had a lot of fun together!

Very Busy 10 Year Old Birthday

Well it was a very fun exciting day for Ben. He turned ten today!! How time flies! He got up before the roosters were crowing and was all smiles and asking if he could help make breakfast. Dewey had brought home donuts for the birthday boy, so there wasn't much to make. But we pulled out some bacon to go with it. He excitedly told me what he wanted to do today when his friends came home with him after school for a movie party. He'd like popcorn and candy and chill watching BATTLESHIP. So Dewey and I scrambled and got things ready while cleaning up because we were getting the refrigerator and dishwasher replaced today. Dewey also had to go in to work for a few hours, but he rushed home with a school treat for Ben's birthday and we made it just in time to hand in our before the bell range releasing all those kids. Ben shooed me on my way so he could walk home with all his friends. Although he made the mistake of inviting a few extra people over (one of which was an older girl...??????) and thankfully I had a few extra things. The movie was uneventful but fun with all these boys +1girl, although Brandon and Bransen had seen the movie previously so they kept saying things like, "This is my favorite part," or "Watch out, this part is good!" I like to watch my son and his friends to see how they treat each other and what kind of kids they are. Ben is very kind and likes to be around people. He tells a good story too. Anyway, Ben made a wish and blew out his candles and ate cupcakes and then sent his friends on their way thanking them for sharing his day with him. Then we ate pizza outside on the grass because our family tradition is the birthday person gets to choose what we eat for dinner (we ate outside because with the birthday mess and the new fridge mess it was better). Then Dewey and I made a scavenger hunt for Ben to find his presents. It was cute because all the kids were chasing him from clue to clue and begging for us to make a scavenger hunt for their birthday's too. He had to go to each room and finally found his presents in the back of Dewey's truck. He is such a good kid that thankfully he was very happy about his gifts and excitedly brought them into the house to open and examine. He even let his brothers and sister have a turn! Overall I think he had a wonderful time.

Dewey's sister Dejah sent him a poem about turning ten. It made me cry thinking that my baby has to grow up. I want my children to learn to be responsible and make good choices and I still want them to be children and have those childlike attributes. I see them growing so quickly and I feel like I am missing it. I remember clearly Ben's milestones, and it seems with the addition of each child I am more forgetful or maybe not as watchful of the next milestone and the seasons pass and I wonder why I didn't catch that time or slow it down. Here is the poem that spurred these thoughts:

On Turning Ten
by Billy Collins

The whole idea of it makes me feel
like I’m coming down with something,
something worse than any stomach ache
or the headaches I get from reading in bad light –
a kind of measles of the spirit,
a mumps of the psyche,
a disfiguring chicken pox of the soul.

You tell me it is too early to be looking back,
but that is because you have forgotten
the perfect simplicity of being one
and the beautiful complexity introduced by two.
But I can lie on my bed and remember every digit.
At four I was an Arabian wizard.
I could make myself invisible
by drinking a glass of milk a certain way.
At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince.

But now I am mostly at the window
watching the late afternoon light.
Back then it never fell so solemnly
against the side of my tree house,
and my bicycle never leaned against the garage
as it does today,
all the dark blue speed drained out of it.

This is the beginning of sadness, I say to myself,
as I walk through the universe in my sneakers.
It is time to say good-bye to my imaginary friends,
time to turn the first big number.
It seems only yesterday I used to believe
there was nothing under my skin but light.
If you cut me I would shine.
But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life,
I skin my knees, I bleed.

Anyway, I hope you have had a wonderful 10th birthday Ben. We love you!

Back 2 School 2012

Wow, the summer is over and it is back to school. I love the routine that school brings, but I miss having the kids home! I enjoy every minute we spend together. The kids were so excited to get ready for school. We hit Walmart and Shopko while they were having their sales and got all the supplies they could ever need! Gramma took them shopping for some school clothes and they came home and modeled them! They wanted to wear them every day but we convinced them it would be better to save them for school.

Our first day was August 30th. They got to go the night before to meet their teachers. Ben is in the 4th grade and has Alissa O'Berry as his teacher. She seems to be very fun and creative. Poor lady though because she has Ben, Bransen, and Branden in her class... We will see how she does with them! The twins are in 2nd grade and have Mrs. Hong. We have heard wonderful things about her.

Needless to say, they were dressed, fed and ready to go to school by 7 the first morning. Thankfully Dewey was home and remembered about taking pictures!