Procrastinating Pinewood

Last year when Pinewood Derby rolled around, we were super pumped about it.  We spent a whole week on Rowan's car, painting it and getting the accessories just right.  It was pretty styling and we had high hopes that that would translate into some good results.  Of course, we warned Rowan not to get his hopes up too much and that it wasn't all about winning the races.  Unfortunately we didn't warn him to not play around with the wheels too much and by holding onto the wheels, they got pushed in too far and didn't spin too well when it came to the races.  Rowan didn't win a single race and I'd be lying if I said we didn't walk away a little jaded by the whole experience.

Enter a new year, a new opportunity to redeem ourselves.  We knew the time was approaching.  We had fair warning through various emails and other reminders.  Perhaps the disappointment of last year played a part in it, but we didn't prepare for the derby at all.  The day of the race came and I mentioned to Steve that the Pinewood Derby was this very day.  I saw Rowan's face fall when I mentioned we probably wouldn't be ready in time and I felt major guilt about his reaction.  So we whipped something together.  5 minutes before the races started, Steve was still attaching the wheels.  We had weighed it to be 5 oz exactly and then realized the wheels would add additional weight, so the still wet paint job got very messed up by trying to get the weight correct.  Rowan wanted a Pokemon car, much to Steve's chagrin, and Pikachu ended up looking like a burn victim.

But we went.  I felt redeemed as a parent that at least Rowan would participate and I prayed that he would win at least one race.  Anything but dead last.  I feel that kid's pain who took that title home and hope it was the one who just brought his block of wood with wheels attached and nothing else.  Nothing hurts more than actually trying and failing.

To our amazement, Rowan won the first race and the next and the next, until he was the proud owner of third place.  It was completely unexpected and it was so awesome to see Rowan's excitment.  Sometimes it pays to procrastinate.