For those, not in the know, the Pinewood Derby is an opportunity for grown men to build little wooden race cars on their son's behalf; that they will then race against little wooden race cars that other fathers have built on their sons' behalf.
OK, maybe as they grow older, the children will actually help. But the only help that our seven-year-old has thus far provided to his father is the inspiration that he'd like for his car to resemble a rocket ship. Which Charlie, subsequently, convinced him should resemble a shark because it would be SO TOTALLY COOL. OK? OK? OK? OK?!
Once he had his son's concurrence, Charlie ran out to the store and bought the necessary wood carving tools and supplies and got right to work. William, meanwhile, went in to his room to read books and called out, "Great. Whatever. Can you tell me when it's done? Thanks Dad!"
Tonight, Charlie carved out the dorsal fin, which he'll affix to the top of the car with wood glue before drilling out holes and inserting lead-ball weights. He'll then paint the whole thing in shark-like colors. My husband was feeling pretty smug about his awesome design when the doorbell rang. One of the father's from his den had swung by our house to show off his son's car (although the son was at home, in bed asleep.) The dad is retired from the Army, so had decided to craft his son's little pinewood derby car to look like an army tank. It was an unbelievably PERFECT model, from the turret to the all-terrain track to the detailed camouflage paint job. He was incredibly proud and beaming from ear-to-ear.
Charlie has since decided that he needs to add gills and a remora.
