Pine Wood Derby

Last night was the Pine Wood Derby, the last one for Big Boy #2 (Yay!  We have been doing these races for six years and are ready for a break!  One year off until the Caboose brings his own car to race.)  

The kids participated in four different heats, all against the same car. Here he is racing our backyard neighbor - who ultimately came in third.

We were watching the times on the track, and knew it would be a close race.  BB#2 was averaging 2.26 or so for his time, but there was another car that seemed to be getting about the same times. 

When they finally announced the winner, we learned that first and second place were only .003 seconds apart.  Three one-thousandths of a second! So close!!! Big Boy #2 ended up taking second place.  He was perfectly happy with how he did and was thrilled to add this trophy to his collection.

A woman in our troop came over asking for our secret to a fast car. My answer? This guy:

Diamond and I can't take any credit for the success the boys have had over the years in the Pine Wood Derby. Our effort consists of dropping the boys at my dad's house. My dad is an engineer with tons of a bit of a competitive spirit. It's a fabulous combination and we are just so thankful for his willingness to share both his power tools and his expertise.  Plus?  The boys get some one on one time with grandpa.  A victory no matter where you place.

Brace Face

Today Big Boy #1 got his braces on. Here is the 'before' shot.
The whole thing only took about a half hour. He was feeling pretty good right after (I think the frozen yogurt I treated him to helped a bit.) But by the time he got home from school, he was starting to ache quite a bit.

I'm thinking if I just hang onto these pictures of him getting the braces put on, I can use it to scare away some girl in the future.
Who could've guessed that braces would actually make this kid CUTER?
In case his four bowls of cereal for breakfast, constant complaining about being tired and endlessly outgrowing shoes and pants wasn't enough, after getting his braces on, this kid is definitely a teenager now!

Archaeology

The basic premise of archeology is that by studying the physical environment in which a society lives, one could get a sense of the people and culture that inhabited the area. I started to wonder what an archaeologist might think if they stumbled upon our home with no one home. I think it would become pretty clear, pretty quickly, that we have a house full of boys.

Like the Nerf darts that landed on the kitchen counter.
And the Nerf dart hanging on the curtain in the family room. And on the floor of the master bath. And embedded in the Christmas tree... Pretty much there are Nerf darts EVERYWHERE.
Speaking of cabinets, what about the Spider Man that was spotted climbing up those things.
Then there is the handcuffs hanging from the clock in the foyer.

One quick glimpse at the closets here and you would have to notice a total dearth of anything pink.
Certainly all the army guys guarding the upstairs would be an indicator that there were boys in the house.
Who knows what you might find on the decorative shelf above the foyer. Shoes? Paper airplanes? More Nerf darts? Yup, all that and more.
Yea, I don't think it would take long at all to figure out that we are a houseful of boys. And I LOVE it!