derby. – dare I utter that word?

I think that anyone that has a boy in scouts feels a mixture of the same feelings when those little boxes filled with a wooden block are handed out to boys that have visions of speed racer running through their head.

Dread, excitement, fear, overwhelment, frustration……

I personally DETEST derby time!

It all began the first year Michael came home with that stupid piece of wood. Matt in his usual procrastinating way didn’t help him with it and before I knew it he was deployed and I was left with a distraught boy that didn’t have a car the day before the event.  I ran him to the hobby shop, had them cut a diagonal piece of the top front of the car and he raced a school bus that year. What can I say… I am so not creative.

The next two years thankfully, his pack held a “cutting night” where they went to a generous dad’s house and cut their cars. Those years were livable.

This year Matt took the stance that Michael would do the whole car and everything about the car all by himself.  He has seen it happen so many times where the dad takes control of the car and it ends up being his project rather than the scouts and Matt was determined not to let this happen.  Personally, I think it was Matt’s procrastination habit more than it was any other reason he gave.

So, once again…. the day before the race we are still sitting here with a block of wood. So, Michael paints it and calls it “the graffiti wall”.  It actually didn’t do too bad either.

I can’t help but think that we have failed Michael in this area though. We never were really into his scout stuff, all the badges and everything were just confusing and overwhelming at the same time and neither Matt nor I was ever all that interested. I figure we will probably end up paying for therapy………

But, it’s ok. He is now an 11 year old scout and his derby days are over, thank Heavens!!!!

Wait, what is that you say? Isaac turns eight this year and will have a pinewood derby?  You have got to be kidding me! Can’t a mom catch a break around here????????

Garage Sale?

No. not really.... We just determined that it was a great day to clean out the garage.
This of course involved taking everything out of the garage first.
I was amazed at how many people stopped by thinking we were having a garage sale. We had no signs and it is not like you could accidently come upon our house just driving around....
We did find quit a few things to take to the thrift store and made a load there and then to the dump, then to a friends house to drop off a cord of wood that has been in our garage for a year. I have a bunch of stuff to list on craigslist.. one of these days.
Now I can actually park in the garage, amazing concept....

What I have learned from having a large family

I came across this little gem on a friends blog and it resonated with me. If I were to sit and write on the same topic I would produce much of the same... But since she has done it for me I will save myself the time and effort and paste and copy it here. Thanks Jenna!

"While you do have to watch out for your kids' personal safety, they are not really made of glass.
Steps. Kids need to learn to use them sooner rather than later.
Cookie dough. Really, do you actually KNOW anyone who has gotten sick, or even worse, died from it? Hearsay doesn't count.
Forget the ten second rule. If there are no bugs crawling on it, it's still edible.
Strong boys wear pink. Especially if they have a big sister. In fact, if they have a big sister, they probably wear pink tutus.
Sometimes it's easier to codify than disallow fighting.
New clothes? You mean socks and underwear, right?
Never let pride get in the way of accepting help.
You don't have to call the doctor for everything.
If you can stand up, you are well on your way to being able to sweep, fold laundry, and wash dishes.
Try not to get to attached to your possessions. Someones just going to break, make off with, or stain it.
Overlook things, if no property damage or broken bones will result.
It's OK to sometimes not know where your kids are.
Playing in the rain is not bad. It means mom will stay sane.
Mom does not have to share her chocolate.
If you get fashed about germs, you'll go hungry a lot.
Hand washing. A good idea, yes, especially if you can see dirt, but again, do you really know anyone who's gotten sick from eating without washing first?"

http://raisinggodzillas.blogspot.com

Where's the beef?

Almost a year and a half ago I put my husband and I on the South Beach diet and saw great results. This lead to muy quest for better food choices for my family. Exploring more vegetarian menues, trying to go as "non- processed" as possbile in all of our meals, etc..
Lucky for me I have some great like-minded friends to mentor me on this journey. One of them had a connection to a farm that sells organic beef and pork. Literally you tell them when you want the cow and they will slaughter and prepare it for that date as long as you give them enough advance notice.
We went in on an 1/8 of the cow and were so very pleased with what we received. Just about every cut imaginable wrapped in white paper and labeled with cut and poundage.
What a difference in the taste!! Amazing!! And a bonus, the dog loved the bones that came with it.
We are hoping to order another cow along the Nov. time frame, so if you are interested in a portion let us know and we'll hook you up!