Chopped Veggie

Last week I totally meant to blog about Sean and his Cub Scout Rain Gutter Regatta. Instead, I blogged about my new truck. Meant for this post to be done by the next day so it could go live but time got away from me. Shame Shame. Days later I am finishing up this post. It's been a busy kind of week.

So let's talk about the call I got last Thursday morning about 11am. It was from Hubs telling me that he had taken Sean's Regatta Boat to work on while he was out of town. At that point in my head I was thinking, "YAY! I didn't lose it! Sean didn't lose it!" THEN Hubs told me HE lost it and could I please go buy another and help Sean with it since he would not be home in time to do so. I told him I would but that it was going to be a close call and I was not happy. I was visiting my BFF with mine and Nana's dog in tow to see the Vet. Turns out the Vet wasn't able to see the dogs but that's another story. BFF says she'd help if needed and I so could've kissed her. She was already working on sewing numerous patches to Bridge's Daisy Vest. 

I rushed to the Scout Shop to get the boat and paint. Then to the hardware store to get sandpaper. To save time, me and BFF sanded, painted, and marked the bottom where the rudder and keel would go. YAY US!! I made a call to Sean's Art Group Therapy teacher and told her that due to emergency Scout business Sean would not be at group. I felt horrible but what could I do? He gets out of group and home just in time to go to Scouts. We needed that time.

When I picked up the kids from school I told them what had been decided and what we needed to do. To curb the disappointment I told them we'd still go to QT and they could get whatever snack/drink they wanted. I'm awesome like that.

Got home and the girls, for the most part, did what I asked them to and stayed out of the garage and our way. I know it killed them to be inside watching cartoons and not out working on a boat with us. Meg may have popped her head into the garage 2 or 3 times but that was it.

Because I am not smart enough to take my laptop to the garage, or rather wanted it out of danger, we were using my cell phone to follow web directions on making an awesome Rain Gutter Regatta boat. I showed Sean how to sand the boat since it needed another sanding, why I have no idea. He did a bang up job. But some of the pretty blue paint came off. Oops. Sean wanted to paint it some more and I said ok. Instead of using the paint I bought that dried quickly I let Sean talk me into the white spray paint, the fact I left the paint brush at BFFs house might have helped that decision. Before we could paint it, I suggested we might go ahead and attach the rudder and keel. So I showed him the diagram and showed him how to use the tacky glue. Then, I showed him how to spray paint the sides white. He did pretty well and only had too much paint and bubbles on one side. While that dried I let him loose with sharpies to decorate the sail. He decided that since I said no to violence he'd draw a knife, an onion, and lettuce. We then had to think of a name. Some how we landed on Chopped Veggie.

While the boat still needed to dry I told him we should clean up our area and go get cleaned up and ready to go. By the time it was time to leave Hubs was home and showing me my new truck. Sean then proudly showed him his Regatta Boat. 

Get to Cub Scouts and find out we put the keel or the rudder, I don't remember which, on the wrong way. Like upside down or something. I have no idea how it happened except that we were looking at a diagram and I was doing my best not to take over. It is supposed to be mostly a Scout thing after all. Scout Leader told us it was ok and Sean could participate. YAY! Cause for half a min I was freaking out thinking, "OMG I failed my kid!!"

Commence the racing. Starting with the younger Scouts up to the older ones (Tigers, Wolves, Bears, Webelos 1 & 2, though I don't think we had Webelos 2). The girls are antsy thereby making me antsy and ready to just leave. But we stuck it out.

Finally, its Sean's Den is up. I watched all the heats. Hubs called out to him to not watch the guy he was racing but pay attention to his boat. I just kept watching Sean. I was so stinking proud of what I saw I wanted to shout it to the world. Sean was watching the racers ahead of him and taking note of their style. Getting an idea of what was working or not working and how best to approach this thing we have never done. (In CS Rain Gutter Regatta boys blow wind into the sail to make the boat go). He was also patiently waiting his turn and not whining or anything. He took suggestions from us and kept doing his thing. In his heats he only got 1 X, 2 Xs meant your day was done. By the end when it was coming down to who would place 3rd, 2nd, and 1st, Sean had some of his Den/Pack mates and other parents cheering him on. That, made my heart nearly burst right there. This is the kid that for 2 years was frustrated by his Pine Wood Derby experiences. He got 1st Place in his Den. That earned him the chance to race for Overall Regatta Winner.

He got a new card for racing. Commence the heats. When his turn during the heats came up he had us and other Pack mates and parents cheering for him. He was eliminated early on and didn't place in the Over All. He was bummed for a minute that he wouldn't get a trophy. We just kept telling him how AWESOME he did and how PROUD we were of how well he did and not just the winning 1st in his Den. THEN, others in the Pack started to pat him on the back and tell him how great he did. Man, it was an AWESOME evening for sure.

No one could believe that we had put that boat together in less than a day. Lucky me it didn't need special tools. I decided against too much shaping of the boat and thought simple was best. Good call, no?

That night as I was tucking Sean in he asked if I could help him next year with his Pinewood Derby Car. I laughed and said, "Remember when I said I know nothing about boats?" He nodded. I said, "Well, I know less than nothing about cars. We'll see, though. Maybe I can consult." 

Sean at dinner last night showing off his new Webelos 2 rank. So forgot to snap pictures last week.

Side view of Sean's Regatta Boat

Front view of Sean's Regatta Boat

His Den Medal