AWANA Grand Prix--We have a winner!

Today was our church's Grand Prix races. All the boys and girls in Sparks and T & T can build and decorate a block car from a kit, then they are raced against each other. There were 41 cars entered this year, andthe kids were placed into three separate brackets. Princess has been excited about this for weeks, and finally the day has arrived. Here is the report on the action:

This is the "Butterfly Crown Car" which was 100% designed by Princess with some help from Mom & Dad with painting, hot glueing, and assembly. It is supposed to look like the front butterfly is driving the car and that the other butterflies are riding along. The one on the back is chasing after the car to catch a ride because she was late. How creative is that?

The car looks pretty good considering the drama that caused both me and Princess to be in tears over it just a few short hours before we had to be at the official weigh in. I took it to school with me to spray it with laquer because any good crown needs to be shiny. I left it outside on a sidewalk so that it would dry before school got out and Princess would have plenty of time to put on the jewels, butterflies, and wheels. Well, one of our second graders grabbed it on the way out to recess, and he/she decided to dig in the garden with it. By the time that I found it in a tire in the recently watered (read as muddy) garden, part of the end was broken off in two places, and it was covered in dirt which was permanently stuck to it because the paint was still tacky! Thankfully, my wonderful assistant and my student teacher could see how distraught that I was, and they cleaned it up as best as they could. With a fresh coat of paint and some jewels and butterflies, it looks as good as new, and Princess is very happy with how it turned out. We have decided not to be angry at whoever chose to take something that didn't belong to them, and we have used this as a lesson in life on how to treat things that do not belong to us. I guess that God needed us to have a refresher course in that!

This is the car in the actual race. As you can see, the Butterfly Crown Car is well behind the other racer, but we really didn't expect it to run at all. Two of the wheels barely turned, and as one boy put it, "Those butterflies are going to catch some wind!"

This is where the car stopped on the track. Right in front of us as if to say, "There's my Princess! Pick me up!" The poor thing didn't even make it to the finish line!

Princess is soooo excited! Her car won 2nd place for Most Creative Design! She is telling everyone she sees about her first ever trophy that she has ever received. She even wants to sleep with it tonight, and I think that I will let her.

This is Princess and her friend A. A's car got 3rd place for speed. Way to go, Girlies!

We had a fun morning. We might even consider doing this again when the Grand Prix comes up next year. But, then we will have two cars to design and make! Superman can't wait!