We really enjoy getting together with our HotWheels club. Every few months we'll overrun a fellowship hall or community center for the better part of a Saturday to buy-sell-trade little $1 car-cars and to race on a 50-foot downhill track.
A club is only as good as you make it, and it takes more than one person to make it. DH stepped up to assist with the racing and now manages the racing and the points for those participating in the year-long points race. I assist with the front door, collecting entry frees and table fees, distributing entry raffle tickets, assisting with race sign-ups and accepting the fees for racing. Another couple manages the lunch that is included in the entry fee. A father and (grown) son team manage the assembly and dis-assembly of the track. And another gentleman keeps it all running and handles the funds. Somebody else handles the customs competitions.
Anyway, back to the racing...it's our favorite part of the gathering. At the beginning of the year we received permission to have a "car number" for El Torro to participate in the points race while he was still in utero. and a car was run for him during the shows he was still baking in the oven. He "participated" in his first show just before he was a month old and won the mainline race. We all got something of a chuckle out of that.
The chuckle became an all-out guffaw this afternoon when it was realized that this one-toothed babe was the points champion for the mainline class. We suspect the rules will be changed next year--it will be put up to a vote by the general membership (because another member was winning races without being present as well).
I don't have any pictures from today, but when I find which photographic devise the race winner pics are located on I'll post those. *lol*
A good family time, every time! We can't wait for the "season" to begin again in February (or March).
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Water Bottle Rockets
When we were shopping around for a Pack to join, the Tiger den of one of the Packs we visited launched water bottles. I chatted with the den leader and received some verbal instructions, and supplies were picked up within the next week. We didn't actually build it until a month or so later. And we got one of the fittings wrong so now we're tinkering with it until we get it so it's as easy to utilize as the one we witnessed.
Meanwhile, we found a Pack that is very close by and has a great vibe to it. The Cubmaster had built a different water bottle launcher than ours, and he had the Pack out to his house to build rocket bottles and roast marshmallows.
Meanwhile, we found a Pack that is very close by and has a great vibe to it. The Cubmaster had built a different water bottle launcher than ours, and he had the Pack out to his house to build rocket bottles and roast marshmallows.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Ultimate Frisbee
For some reason I thought Ultimate Frisbee and Disc Golf were synonymous--kind of like Best Foods and Hellman's. But they're not. Which we found out when we showed up for an introductory clinic for Ultimate Frisbee with an area league that is looking to possibly start an elementary/middle school team.
I like the idea of Ultimate--lots of action, but designated as non-contact. The boys seemed to like it overall, but got their knickers in a wee-bit of a twist because some other kids were "hogging" during the game play. A few observations resulted from that: a) there is no "I" in "team" and trying to put it in there results in no scores; b) having a fuller grasp of the game play prior to actually playing would be helpful; c) putting three puny-like geek-esque homeschooled boys on one team can potentially stunt any hope for scoring--especially if #b has been neglected.
We had a good time though, and it's unfortunate that I have not figured out how to orchestrate a means for these three boys to practice what they started to learn in a functional and helpful manner. However, they did earn their Ultimate Beltloops and that finished off Eldest's Sportsman pin. And they ran about so much that Wee-one practically crawled over to sit on the floor at my feet when there was still 30minutes left to the event. *two thumbs up* And it was exceptionally kind of the facilitators to include Wee-one at all since he did not meet the minimum age requirement.
I like the idea of Ultimate--lots of action, but designated as non-contact. The boys seemed to like it overall, but got their knickers in a wee-bit of a twist because some other kids were "hogging" during the game play. A few observations resulted from that: a) there is no "I" in "team" and trying to put it in there results in no scores; b) having a fuller grasp of the game play prior to actually playing would be helpful; c) putting three puny-like geek-esque homeschooled boys on one team can potentially stunt any hope for scoring--especially if #b has been neglected.
We had a good time though, and it's unfortunate that I have not figured out how to orchestrate a means for these three boys to practice what they started to learn in a functional and helpful manner. However, they did earn their Ultimate Beltloops and that finished off Eldest's Sportsman pin. And they ran about so much that Wee-one practically crawled over to sit on the floor at my feet when there was still 30minutes left to the event. *two thumbs up* And it was exceptionally kind of the facilitators to include Wee-one at all since he did not meet the minimum age requirement.
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| Practicing tossing a frisbee. |
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| Running laps to start warm-up. |
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| They made warm-ups silly fun with high-step runs... |
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| ...zombie walks... |
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| ...and a move to free up the ball-and-socket of the hip, but it looked like The Monkees met Jazzercise or something. |
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| I don't think he quite understood that he was supposed to be defending, or blocking, the pass during this drill. |
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| Taking a break from cheering the game by checking out the flooring material. |
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| Group pic at the end of the 90-min clinic. I've notated the young coach that engaged Wee-one when he was getting mopey during warm-ups, a homeschooling friend from our Pack that joined us at the clinic, and Eldest. Where's Wee-one you ask? |
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| He decided he'd had enough and sat near me. |
Friday, November 11, 2011
What to Do About Veteran's Day?
I'm trying to do better about creating meaningful traditions for our family this year. It's actually been a work in process for a few years, but this year I'm making a valiant push (mostly). I have a binder with loose-leaf pages labeled for the holidays we do, or want to, celebrate so I can jot down the traditions we have or the traditions we're creating for each one. And typical of me, it isn't until it is upon us that I get around to seeking out ideas.
What did Google provide me with this time (in no particular order)?
http://www.hsclassroom.net/2011/10/honoring-our-vets/
http://www.home-school-online.com/2009/11/veterans-day-activities-for.html
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/blog/homeschooling/ways-to-make-the-most-of-veterans-day-in-your-homeschool/
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/schoolroom/veteransday.php
http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/a/veteransday.htm
http://spousebuzz.com/
http://blogs.houstonlibrary.org/?p=1312
And for food?
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,196,159163-237196,00.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,194,158163-232198,00.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1628,148174-254197,00.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,184,150160-226196,00.html
http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~worldwarone/WWI/HomeFront/BestWarTimeRecipes/BestWarTimeRecipes.html
http://heavytable.com/the-world-war-i-era-cooking-of-food-will-win-the-war/
http://www.seabeecook.com/cookery/
I think we will try to say a prayer of thanks for our Veterans, and those that are currently serving, around the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. They are in our regular prayers, but there is power in specific prayer--for those praying, and for those the prayer is over. We'll also hang our flag. I have the address for a friend's daughter serving in Afghanistan--see about writing her a note. Though I'd also like to see if maybe we can start a project to collect stories of Service from our relatives.
What did Google provide me with this time (in no particular order)?
http://www.hsclassroom.net/2011/10/honoring-our-vets/
http://www.home-school-online.com/2009/11/veterans-day-activities-for.html
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/blog/homeschooling/ways-to-make-the-most-of-veterans-day-in-your-homeschool/
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/schoolroom/veteransday.php
http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/a/veteransday.htm
http://spousebuzz.com/
http://blogs.houstonlibrary.org/?p=1312
And for food?
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,196,159163-237196,00.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,194,158163-232198,00.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1628,148174-254197,00.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,184,150160-226196,00.html
http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~worldwarone/WWI/HomeFront/BestWarTimeRecipes/BestWarTimeRecipes.html
http://heavytable.com/the-world-war-i-era-cooking-of-food-will-win-the-war/
http://www.seabeecook.com/cookery/
I think we will try to say a prayer of thanks for our Veterans, and those that are currently serving, around the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. They are in our regular prayers, but there is power in specific prayer--for those praying, and for those the prayer is over. We'll also hang our flag. I have the address for a friend's daughter serving in Afghanistan--see about writing her a note. Though I'd also like to see if maybe we can start a project to collect stories of Service from our relatives.
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