Off to the Races!

Consider this a warning - this is a bragging Mom post.  It is a "Wow I adore my kid and isn't he amazing post" an "I'm so stinkin' proud I've just got to share" post.  If that's not your thing you may just want to skip the blog today.  Because...

I AM SO PROUD OF MY NJ!

I feel it important to set the scene a bit.  Last night, my two boys came home from the weigh-in, one so excited I was afraid he wouldn't sleep and the other a tad annoyed and very apprehensive.  At the weigh-in last night Grant was told Noah's car didn't meet the standards because the blue wheels they had found a few week back didn't have the correct type of axle.  (Side note - these same wheels were on the car at the last weigh-in but nothing was said then.  Just sayin'...)  Anyway, the boys had spent a lot of time perfecting those wheels (including giving it quite a go on my treadmill) so Grant was most sad to have to rip them out last night and try to rework the car.  They were able to get the new wheels on but Grant was sure any chance Noah had was shot.  Noah could have cared less.  He told me about the news as soon as he walked in, but finished it with "it's all good, Mom."

So....  We were up bright and early ready for the races!

My little cheflette from last night tastes our creation

Lemon Poppy Seed Yogurt Pancakes - everyone really liked these

And NJ got suited up and ready to go

Love the pieces they made at the pack meeting - kudos to Keith!

In the meantime, before we left, we heard from MOMG! 

Dear Detectives,

I hear it’s race day in Farmington Hills!  Good luck at the Pinewood Derby today, Noah!

I did get your email saying that you felt Nita was in Mississippi.  I have been impressed this week from the reports I have received from MOMG Intelligence on your progress.  It seems that you were on to Nita quite early this week!  Your use of your drawings from the State Project was just what I was talking about last week – use the resources that you have!  It was very smart of Noah to remember that he had drawn both the Muppets and a coke bottle on Mississippi!

I dispatched the Swat Team to Mississippi search there for Nita.  They had quite the time interviewing citizens who had claimed to have seen Nita from Tupelo to Onward!  They enjoyed seeing Elvis’ birthplace and the Natchez Trail.  But no sign of Nita in any of those locations!  She did, however, leave a puzzle piece behind.  Tucked behind a teddy bear on a shelf of the Onward Store, they found the puzzle piece I am enclosing for your safe keeping.  It seems Nita was in Mississippi but she got away again!  Fortunately, wth all the information we gathered we were able to alert Mississippi authorities and the borders are safe!

Also, I am passing along some further information from MOMG Intelligence.  They first ask that you remove Mississippi from our “States at Risk” wall.  You should move it to our “Suspect” wall next to the “Last Seen” header.   Secondly, they have asked me to enclose the next 20 states they feel are most at risk based on the information they have been gathering.  Thirdly, I am enclosing a ball of yarn.  We would like to use the giant map on the “Tracking Nita” wall to show Nita’s track from state to state, just as we have been doing.  We have a feeling that Nita will be laying low for a day or two and will need some time to regroup, but you should expect her or my Intelligence team to contact you again soon.

Again, best of luck today, Noah.  I know you have worked very hard to perfect your car!  If you show the same about of perseverance there as you do in your tracking of Nita, I’m sure you’ll be successful.  Good work this week, Detectives!

The Chief

So Nita escaped once again.....

Well nab her yet!

Kayla and I shared our special treat  we made last nigth with Noah hoping it would give him an added boost to kick but today!

Cookie Dough, Oreo, Nutella Brownie - yep, Noah loved it!

Showing off his treat (Kristi's note - the cookie dough never did set, but no one cared.  They ate 'em up!)

So we set off, and arrived at the race! 

And I got to work setting up the Chili Cook-Off

Listening to the rules

Noah's first heat

Ready to race (Noah's is the second from the left - complete with Batman driving)

He won his first heat!  It was at this point, with him grinning like a mad man (not the invisible kind, Colleen) that we knew it was going to be all good.  He was so excited that anything else would have been icing on the cake

The second heat

Ok - so I didn't take pictures of every race - but here's what happened....

Each car had to race on each lane (for a total of four races) in each level.  So Noah competed against the 12 other Tiger cubs.  He won two heats and came in 2nd on the other two.  It ended up being good enough to take 3rd overall for the Tigers and qualify him for the Pack Finals!  

In the meantime, Grant entered some of his old cars into the "Open" class.  He didn't do too well, but Mikayla went up to collect his award for him!

Then the Scout prizes were announced!

Noah and his trophy for 3rd!

He was SO EXCITED!  He was almost crying.  And he kept saying "I can't believe it, I can't believe it!"  (Grant's got good pictures I'm hoping hell share at some point, too.)  He at one point threw his arms around Grant and said "I couldn't have done it without you, Daddy, it's all because you helped me"  - Yes, super proud, big pile of Mom goo here!  I almost cried along with him.  You would have thought the kid won the whole derby he was so excited.

As it turned out - he ended up finishing 6th out of the whole pack!!!!  Not bad for a first timer.   And actually, in the finals, he ended up being the highest placing Tiger (so he beat the other two from before).  He was so excited about the trophy, none of any of this even occurred to him.  Shear joy.

After the races, they opened the track up to anyone, so we had a Gatchel family race

  A

Grant's car, Mikayla's car and then Noah's

They were off - Noah's kicked butt by the way!!

All this excitement!  And such a good attitude about the whole thing (the kid didn't get upset once, even when placing fourth in some of the final heats) that it earned...

Orange Leaf!

And I've decided the best thing is that you get to taste what everyone else gets!

We of course made phone calls to share the joy and were fortunate enough to get to Skype with Aunt Shellie.  Who ended up being joined halfway through by Grandma and Papa- bonus!

After such an exciting day, we decided to let Noah have one last "we're proud of you" treat by letting him do dinner and a movie of his choosing.  So as this ridiculously proud Mama types, they are currently wrapped up in Wall-E and munching Cool Ranch Tacos that the Bean prepped up last night.  We may never come down off the high :)

Tomorrow is more Scouts as the boys are off on a Go-See to the local ABC TV studio.  Not sure (other than Church) what the Bean and I are going to be up to.  But I can guarantee it probably won't be as exciting as today was.  But until then....