Cute Kid Pix February 2024

More photos that didn't make their own post...

The Cub Scout Pinewood Derby was postponed due to snow and finally happened early in February. My youngest's den has only two members, so he had a good chance of coming in first. Their two cars were evenly matched with very close finish times. My son's car won three out of four heats, but both boys' cars advanced to the finals (three cars per den go ahead). They finished in the middle of the pack in the finals. 

Getting ready for the first round

I should have been standing on the other side!

One of the final heats

At a den meeting, they met with the new mayor of Laurel, Maryland, Keith Sydnor. They had a good discussion about civics.

Posing with the AOLs and the mayor

While Mom and the youngest were out of town, the rest of us went on a bike ride on the Matthew Henson Trail in Montgomery County, Maryland. It was fun but I have fallen out of bicycling shape. I need to bike more!

Trail's namesake

Waking from nap/taking a break

Challenge at a playground

Harder than riding a bike

Easier than riding a bike

Typically we get a treat during or after a bike ride but no bakery was nearby. We went home and made brownies.

Harder than buying at a shop

The next day I went geocaching in Odenton and was near Shipley's Do-nuts, so I brought some home. The bottom middle one is a Skittles-covered donut!

Yum!

In other dessert news, the Anne Arundel County Public Library had a fundraiser where the librarians crafted an ice-cream flavor with a local creamery. All purchases of Dragons Love Toffee supported the library. Naturally I had to try some.

No competition there

Yum!

The month ended with the Blue and Gold Dinner, a celebration of the Scouting movement at which the oldest scouts in our pack move on to the troop level. My youngest will be moving up next year! The event included a cake auction for which we donated a campfire cake.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever...until it's eaten!

Cute Kid Pix March 2022

Some more pictures that didn't make their own blog posts...

Spring comes in March around our home. Our perennials started coming out in the yard, even though we did have sub-freezing temperatures and snow/sleet a few days later.

Front yard

My wife and I went to the Baltimore Dancesport Challenge, though we only went to cheer on our fellow That's Dancing Ballroom dancers. 

Some of the action

Us by the photo-op sign

Our Cub Scout pack had its Blue and Gold dinner in late March. The theme was Minecraft and we made a cake for the sale. After some in-game design, Mom and sister helped our cub on the execution, which included rice crispy treats for beach and blue jello for water! The usual variety of fondant was used for grass, the door, the carrots, and the pig.

Cake before the water was added

Water for the sugar cane!

Sorry there's no pictures from the actual dinner. It was fun.

Blue and Gold Dinner 2019

My eldest son had his final Blue and Gold dinner with his Cub Scout pack. The dinner is a celebration of the founding of Cub Scouts and is when the Arrows of Light transition from the Cub Scout pack to a Scouts BSA troop. The theme for the dinner was Marvel Superheroes, so the tables had some activities to keep us busy during slow moments of the evening.

At the table

One of the fundraisers at the Blue and Gold Dinner is the Father/Son cake sale. Cakes are sold via silent auction to raise money for the pack and the local Scouts district. We worked the day before on the cake. By "we" I mean the whole family!

Sister making batter

Scout making lines

Making it perfect

We watched a YouTube video where a pro baker made a Spider-Man cake. We did our best, as is the Cub Scout motto.

He'd just been through a tough fight, I'm sure

At the dinner, the boys received their final awards before getting the Arrow of Light.

Handing out last patches

My son shakes hands with the Cub Master

We went up on stage for the bridging ceremony. The boys cross a ceremonial bridge and are welcomed by their new troop.

Excited to go upstairs

The whole group

Us

Receiving the Arrow of Light Patch

We just pinned the patch, sewing will come later

Receiving the Arrow of Light

Showing off the Arrow of Light

Part of the ceremony is changing the shoulder loops from blue to green and getting a new neckerchief. Parents take off the loops, the kerchief, and hat (when applicable). The boy crosses the bridge. The new troop puts on the new loops and new neckerchief (we may buy a new hat, we haven't decided yet).

Taking the shoulder band off

Remembering the years with Cub Scouts

On the bridge

Getting the new neckerchief 

We had a great time and were very proud of our son.

Moved on

Three boys with their new troop mates

Blue and Gold 2018

This year's Blue and Gold Dinner for our Cub Scout pack had video games as its theme. One of the traditions is to sell Father/Son cakes to raise money for the pack. My two boys started on the project with some help from mommy.

Seriously working on the cake

Less seriously working on the cake

We're almost done

We decided to make the cake from Portal (of "The cake is a lie" fame). It looks like a regular chocolate cake with cherries nestled in bits of white frosting. Adding cherries was the most fun part of making the cake.

Putting down some white frosting

Cherry placing

That's my hand there not really helping out

Last one

We were satisfied with the result.

Top view

Side view

From the game

At the dinner, it looked very good, especially with some supporting game art.

On sale!

Some of the other cakes were impressive, too.

Mario cake

Campfire cake

At the dinner, my son's den received their recently completed awards. As is typical, they looked a little uncomfortable.

My son is the tall one

The dinner's main purpose is to celebrate the oldest cub scouts who have finished their Arrow of Light and are joining Boy Scout troops. Part of the ceremony is "bridging" to the new group, usually involving an actual bridge. The pack's old bridge was in bad shape, so the cub master made a new bridge which was unveiled that evening.

Covered bridge

The new bridge

Bridging ceremony

My son also won a door prize that was highly coveted by the boys--a gift card for GameStop. We haven't used it yet but I am sure that will come very soon.

Best! Door! Prize! Ever!

See last year's Blue and Gold here, and the prior one here.