Nico and Nori

Pinewood Derby

Thomas's second pinewood derby was a success.  He designed and cut his own car.  He painted it and Bubba helped him weight it correctly and get the wheels put on just right.  He won a race or two and lost a race or two and then was out of the running.  I was very proud of his good sportsmanship.  I have mixed feelings about the pinewood derby.  It is so hard for me to see so many boys disappointed.  There were about 25 boys racing cars.  Each of them had put so much time and effort and emotion in to making their car the best they could.  They all wanted so desperately to have their car be the fastest.  It is so hard for me to see 24 boys feel like failures and only one boy feel like a winner.  I do think there are good lessons to be learned through it, but there are also a lot of dashed hopes.  Maybe it would be better to not build it up so much.  Maybe we should all come the night before and have the same 2 hours to work on the cars and then race in the morning.  That way there wouldn't be so much emotional energy built up.  

It was a fun morning and I really am glad that Thomas has a loving grandpa who takes the time to work with Thomas on his car.  He is a lucky boy.  Those memories with his grandpa are the ones I am happy for.

Last Year's Family Pictures

This is yet another testament to my ailing mind.  I SWEAR I posted these pictures back in October.  I was just about to upload my 2012 blog book to be printed and while I was looking through it one last time I realized...these family pictures were not there!  I am glad I realized it.  I would have been sad to loose these in my deep dark computer hole.  My wonderful friend Shelley and I traded family photo sessions again this past year and she did a wonderful job as always.  I didn't plan as well as I should have...we were in a rush to get ready and then we were late and it was cold (quite cold) and we lost light fast because I was late.  We rushed and did it quickly, but really none of us were comfortable and I can tell in the pictures.  Because of that, I haven't printed any of these for my walls, but I still love them and am happy we did it.  Thank you, thank you my dear Shelley!

Crazy Hair

This girl has crazy hair...and lots of it.  This is a bit crazier than usual because it was in a little ponytail on top of her head for a day or so and then I took it out.  The back of her hair is always crazy also.  She loves to rub her head back and forth when she is lying down, so she gets little dreadlocks on the back of her head.  I think I got one picture of it.  She didn't like being turned away from the action...as soon as I turned her around to get a picture of the back of her head, she started arching and straining to turn around again.