Go Speed Racer!

Ethan recently had his first pinewood derby! I'm not sure how we have lasted so long without being involved in one  (I guess moving a lot does have it's perks :) but this one caught up with us and he had a lot of fun with it. We didn't find out about it until just a few days before (not sure how that happened because everyone else had their kit for weeks, but I'm not going to let that get to me) but luckily we have a super awesome grandpa who knows about these things so we ended up with way better than a block of wood with tires nailed into the sides. Ethan drew out a plan and chose the paint color, then he and grandpa cut it sanded it and painted it. They also weighted it with lead and put graphite on the wheels - who knew there were so many tricks to this thing. Once they were done Ethan and I cut out some vinyl accents to give it a little life. (It's supposed to be Mr. The King from Cars, can you tell?)

So it looked pretty great, but who knows how it's going to hold up against everyone else's cars? You never know if some kid is going to have a dad who kills at scouts and 9 older brothers to practice with so by the time he comes around they have pinewood derby-ing down to a science. So before the derby I sat Ethan down and we practiced sportsmanship. We memorized what he was going to say to the winner if it wasn't him. ("Great job! Congratulations!"-seems simple, but in the heat of the moment when he already doesn't have a good memory I was worried he would forget.) So I figured we were set... And then the afternoon before the derby I came down with a mighty stomach flu. I usually don't get the stomach flu. I accredit it to all the germs I acquired while riding the bus to school all those years, but whatever the reason, I pretty much have an iron stomach. But this one got me. I spent the whole afternoon collapsed on the bathroom floor Only getting up to puke before I collapsed again. (I did manage to drag myself into the car to go pick the kids up from school, but I had to pull over twice, and we only live two blocks away) I tried calling my parents to come help, but they were out of town, so finally I got up the courage to call Grandma and Grandpa Eberling and see if they could take him, and they were so nice to agree to do it. I didn't know how it would end up, but when he got home he was one happy little boy. He ran in the house and said "Mom, you know that stuff we practiced me saying to the people who beat me?" Then he raised a certificate and his car above his head in a victory stance and yelled "Well, I hardly even had to say that stuff!" 
He had won in his division and taken 2nd overall! Plus he had won the award for best eyes! - who knew that was even a category?:)

You know how there are some people who always win everything? Well Ethan is kind of the opposite of those people. This fact is exaggerated by the fact that his sister IS one of those people, so any time he can get a triumph that's reason to celebrate! I am so proud of that guy! He even insisted on eating from the "blue plate" for the entire week. (The blue plate is the special plate that whoever does something spectacular gets to use - things like doing really well on a test, being nice when it would be really hard to, or accomplishing a goal you have been working toward qualify you to use the blue plate. Also occasionally when you need a little self esteem boost that one of my made up songs and an impromptu dance party can't fix the other members of the family can appoint you as "blue plate special" for the evening and you can use it. But rarely do you get it two nights in a row, so having it for the whole week is pretty stinkin' awesome!)  I am really happy for the guy, he needed a win lately, and I'm so glad he got it. Congratulations Ethan, I'm proud of you!