Comfort Zone? What's that?

            For a lot of folks, stepping out of their comfort zone is a huge accomplishment. For me, it’s been a daily event for the last nine and a half years—ever since the nurse asked me if I wanted to have my newborn son circumcised (and that’s ALL I’m going to say about that very personal decision). Being the mother of boys I find myself answering questions about, or trying to find solutions for things about which I have no first hand knowledge every day. It can be challenging. But I can’t imagine my life without these loud, Lego-loving, Star Wars-obsessed, fart-joke telling little men of mine.

Owen's first place car

            One of by children’s favorite things on earth is being a Cub Scout. Cub Scouts are the very cradle of all things boyish. The day my son brought a flier home from school with a picture of a scout holding a bow and arrow he was hooked. Now both of my boys are enthusiastic Cub Scouts and I have become a reluctant Den Leader.

James' first place car

            The highlight of the scouting year has to be the Pinewood Derby. At our annual holiday party, our pack gives each boy a kit to create his own car to race for the Derby. It’s essentially a block of wood and four wheels that the scout (with some guidance) turns into a race car. We also encourage parents and other adults to race. It’s a lot of fun and their entrance fees usually pay for the kids’ trophies. The parents may race their kid’s car or they can create their own. I promised my boys this year that I would build a car for the race. And then I forgot about it.

            I had a day off on Thursday and was very proud of myself as I ticked off things on my to-do list. I was on my second mile on the treadmill at the gym when I realized I still had to get the car started and finished—that day. It needed to be officially weighed and registered on Friday night.  So right after I showered I took out my kit and wondered how I was going to turn this thing into a car.

            Now, I like to think of myself as being handy. I can assemble just about anything from Ikea and I can hang pictures and shelves that don’t come crashing down. But this meant cutting and I haven’t picked up a saw since eighth grade wood shop. I took a deep breath and jumped in. After some time and some very colorful language I had this…

...and I still had all my fingers!

            All I had left to do was paint it and put the wheels on it. The paint may have been a little sticky, but otherwise it was ready just in time to be weighed and registered. The boys were pretty impressed with my woodworking skills but I think they thought my paint job was a little too… girly. And that’s just fine with me. I guess being girly in a boyish world is starting to become my comfort zone.

Word up!

Alas, I didn't come in first like my kids. I tied for 4th. But I did it in style.