Cub Mobile Derby

I don't think that I have posted on here about Noah joining Cub Scouts.  He joined this past October and so far has loved it.  It has given him lots of new experiences, many outside his comfort zone, but he has kept going back for more.  It has been awesome watching him grow through the program. 
Last weekend was the annual Cub Mobile race and you know nothing gets my crew excited like something that has wheels.  Joe and Noah set out to build the very best Cub Mobile ever.  They had grand plans for motors, special wheels, turbos.....you name and they wanted to do it.  Of course they were set back a little in their dreams by the rules, regulations, and specifications of the official Cub Mobile plans, but they had fun anyway.
Noah chose the color (Peterbilt Green just like the truck his Daddy drives) and scrounged around back at the shop until he found some old Peterbilt symbols to use for decoration.  He painted his wheels "Chrome" and they even attached a Peterbilt gear shifter knob to the brake on the Cub Mobile.

~The side view~

 

~The front view~

 

~Ready to go~

They raced down that hill that is beside Rizer Chevrolet.  Noah was one of the very few that did not crash, and he came in second in his division.  No matter how the awards would have come out, he had a great day all around.  I don't think I have ever seen him (or Joe) smile that much!  They are already talking about how to improve the Cub Mobile for next year while staying within regulations...something about precision balanced bearings in the wheels....
I have to say, I am looking forward to it as well!

Happy Birthday

"It is a good deal like a bad tooth...though you won't think THAT a very romantic simile.  It takes spells of aching and gives you a sleepless night now and then, but between times it lets you enjoy life and dreams and echoes and peanut candy as if there were nothing the matter with it."  ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

That is one of my favorite quotes out of the "Anne" books.  It comes at the point when Miss Lavendar is talking to Anne about a broken heart, but it can be used for so many things.  I think grief is a lot like that.  There are days when it lets you go on about your life as you please and then there are those other days...those special days....birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas...when the pain is still so strong that it sucks the breath right out of your chest.

Today is one of those days.  Granny Faye's birthday is today and for the second year in a row she is celebrating in heaven.  I know that she is experiencing a far better day than I could ever plan for her if she were here, but oh to just have that chance again...

If she were here and I had that chance, I would of course get her some type of flower because she just loved watching things come to life this time of year.  Then I would complain about this rain and she would remind me to be thankful for it.  She would fuss at me for not having shoes on Ezrah.....

Oh Ezrah, she would get to hold him and smear lipstick on his cheek because I know she would kiss him.  She would LOVE his curls, but she would probably tell me it is time that I cut them.  And although she never met him, if I close my eyes I can almost see him sitting in her lap and that look of pure joy that passed on her face any time she was around my children.....

I can see her smile, smell her scent, and hear her voice...and I miss her so much.  Soon the boys will be up, and in the chaos of the day the sorrow will take a back burner.  It will allow me to "enjoy life and dreams and echoes and peanut candy" as I help my children remember their Granny Faye on this day.  But for now it leaves me sleepless and with an aching heart....

Happy Birthday in heaven Granny Faye.

Dr. Seuss

This weekend we spent time doing something none of us had ever done before.  We attended the reenactment of the Battle for Broxton Bridge.  It was a two day field trip that had been planned for over a month.  The boys and I went Friday morning and spent about five hours touring the campsites of Civil War soldiers, a chapel, post office, hospital, blacksmith shop, and learning all about artillery used during the War Between the States.

Saturday we brought Joe along for the actual reenactment of the battle and both sets of my parents joined us for the afternoon.

Let me explain...there is a reason my kids look like they are going out in a hunting party.  The guns of course were souvenirs and don't actually shoot!  When we are in large crowds I find it is easier to dress them all in the same color so that I can easily spot them (especially when I am by myself with four rambunctious boys).  The preferred color used to be red, but it was too common and was getting confusing.  I really wanted to put them in pink, but they rebelled, so we compromised on orange.  I figured Joe was distinctive enough on his own that I would not need to put him in orange to find him....but since he still has his winter beard, and seeing all of these soldiers, I think I should have color coded him too!

 

See what I mean!

 

 

The battle was interesting.  We had never seen anything like that.  The boys of course loved all of the cannons, loud guns, and horses.

 

 I personally was fascinated by the way the ladies were dressed.  However, I am so thankful that I was not born during that time period.  I am pretty sure I would have been a rebel too....but in an entirely different sense!

So...what does all of this have to do with Dr. Seuss?  Yesterday was the birthday of Dr. Seuss, a favorite author around here. We could not celebrate then because of our planned field trip.  So today (a day late) we had a Dr. Seuss party.  Ham and spinach quiche served as our "green eggs and ham" and most of my crew tore into it.  Micah however has a bug so he didn't even get a taste.  He did manage however to sit up long enough for me to read him some of our favorite Dr. Seuss books.

So there you have it.  Our fun filled weekend of battles and birthday parties.

Happy Belated Birthday Dr. Seuss!