Camping With a Side of Mud

In June Will and I went to Cub Scout Camp. 

Yes, Cub Scout Camp. 

Yes, in June. 

Yes, this past June when it rained torrentially every day. 

Yes.

But we managed to do all the fun camp things. I was fairly amazed by how all the camp activities were conducted rain or shine... mostly rain.

Will earned his Webelos Sportsman pin by learning how to shoot BB guns

and shoot a bow and arrow.

He also played volley ball

and collected bugs

and fished and fished and fished.

I enjoyed some quiet afternoons reading in a canvas tent with a nice colony of daddy longlegs.

One afternoon the sun came out

The most amazing aspect of Cub Scout Camp (to me) was the fact that my french manicure survived five long days. There should be a merit badge for that. 

  

Throwback Pinewood Derby

The Scout Master of Pack 456 seized upon the idea of making this year's Pinewood Derby a Throwback Derby- in honor of the first Pinewood Derby in 1953.  That meant that all cars had to be cut in the same design as the first Boy Scout-approved 1953 design and all the cars had to be weighted with pennies instead of the fancy tungsten weights they sell at the Boy Scout Store these days.  There were some fans of this plan and some haters, but in the end everyone got a medal because everyone did their best and that's all that matters, right?

It turns out that 1953 was also the first year of the Corvette, so Will selected a '53 Corvette design for his paint job.  Mom committed to the theme by creating classic white-wall tires for Will's car.

Soren had a bit more leeway because he didn't have to comply with the throwback rules. He picked an Angry Birds theme. Rick was against attaching feathers to the car because they would create drag, but how can you have an Angry Bird car without feathers? 

And he did end up winning the Pack Award for best car design.

Yay for Team Smiley!

Pinewood Derby

Whew! All caught up!  I guess it's a good thing that not much happens in February and I had plenty of time to catch up before the next bloggable event:

Pinewood Derby!

So it all started with two blocks of wood

Soren's was from a kit and was already more or less the shape of the BatMobile.  Rick did a little research and he and Will decided on a super streamlined design.  

Rick had to work the scroll saw, of course

Then the boys got busy sanding

Rick spray painted a really pretty base coat.  

I airbrushed the flames (really!).  Then Rick finished them off with a clear coat.  Shamrock stickers for luck was Will's idea since the race was on St. Patrick's Day.

The Big Day 

(Yes, that's me being a line judge- a huge responsibility and more stressful than you would think)

The boys loved it and were thrilled to race their cars and win medals

Hooray Team Smiley!