Last weekend we had our big Awana grand prix. This is where kids are given a block of pine wood and a set of wheels. Then it is up to them (or their Dad) to shape it and paint it to make it look like a car. Plus they have to be a certain weight to make it go fast. There is a whole science to this.
My husband used to do this when he was in Awana. So he was all about doing this with his kids. It always seems like such a great idea in theory. Although this happened last year too. We don't actually have any wood working tools. So it was just him and a knife wittleing away. About half way through the first one, he was ok to never have to do this ever again. Plus I could tell he was seriously considering "just how dangerous is it really to give a 6 year old a knife to let him do his own dang car?"
Luckily he got them both done. Then the kids got to decorate their car themself. Bug painted his blue with flaming bunnies (Foster's home for imaginary friends reference) and Sunshine took crayons and stickers to hers. They both did a great job.
Of course once we got there it looks like some of the other cars came right straight from the Hot wheeles factory. There is no way the kids designed half of them. Which just sort of made me mad. It put them at an unfair advantage. I thought our kids cars were fantastic and original.
None of our cars won for speed, but they both got trophies for original design. I am glad about that. That they recognized the effort. But usually things like these "everybody is a winner". The kids don't know that though. They felt like big winners and strutted around with their new shiny trophies.
It was a pretty fun day. Grandparents and even Aunt Mari came out to cheer them on.
