The woodworking class

So, I had an idea that I would start this little woodshop class for the neighborhood boys in my garage once a week. I don't mean anything super technical because I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to woodworking at all. But, after our basement (flooding) remodeling project, I had this plethora of power tools at my disposal as well as lots of other random materials. I had no intention of letting the boys use the power tools, but I thought we'd build something small...like the little boat and dock I found here.

Well, knowing nothing about wood, I bought these huge 2x4's and my circle saw wouldn't even saw through them to make the cute triangle shape. Weak battery? dull blade? I don't know. So we had to give up that project. We made the docks, had the dowel rods for the sail, but couldn't finish them. Shoot.

Well, one little boy had asked if we could build a race car. I told him there was no way I could do that because I couldn't even build the boats with my saw! But then the next day, I saw what I think was a gift from God to these guys: a half-made go-cart-like-thing in the alley behind my house. It was like a giant box with back wheels. I don't know what it had originally been, but the boys spent the afternoon attaching wheels onto the front of it from another broken thing (I used the drill which they thought was very cool) and nailing wood onto it to make a seat and a "steering wheel" of sorts. It does not steer. They ran up and down the alley so happy. One even looked at me and said, "Ms. Susan...I told you we could make the race cart!!!!"

I was so happy for them that I told them they could come back the next day and paint it. Why do I say things like that???? Not reigning it in, for sure. So today, they came back multiplied by about 5. Literally, a van pulled up in front of my house and about 10 boys knocked at my door. I was so overwhelmed I told them that I couldn't find the paint but that they could still play with the go-cart and then I gave them all a bunch of candy. They were pretty happy.

What have I started???? And how am I going to top a race-car? One of the guys said to me today: "Maybe we can build a tree-house next." Tree house? What happend to tiny toy boat????

Oh my.

In the meantime, while I was busy with these boys in the garage, my crazy 3-year-old learned how to ride his bike without training wheels. Jeesh! They grow up fast.