VX3's Regional Competition

VX3 did extremely well in their Regional competition this weekend. They did not get an award, but they had a robot run of 265 - one of their best - and had great answers in Core Values and Research Project judging. 

Annnnd... they carried out one of their team's Core Values by having lots of fun! :)

Showing the glorpes to the Flaming Ninja Bunnies team

Playing Mafia with team Heat

Thor showing enthusiasm :)

Zoe and Cecily handing out gum to other teams 

Thor making balloon animals for the Curious Pandas 

Zoe giving gum to a team that was handing out cookies

Jared explaining VX3's research project to a girl on another team 

In the gym, just before the opening ceremonies

These cute little "Lego men" were walking around for most of the day. I'm not sure which team they were from, but their costumes were pretty cool! 

Thor and Zoe representing VX3 in the "Spirit Parade" 

The ref showing the score to Cecily after VX3's first robot run

Zoe and Jared getting ready for the run 

In Technical judging

Shaking hands with the judges after Research Presentation judging

In Core Values Judging

Zoe's glorpe "shaking hands" with the judges after Core Values judging 

The team and coaches, with participation medals

VX3 plus glorpes and hats

I uploaded most of the videos I took during the two days to YouTube. You can view them here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjcO03e4DXsE5OrRfp-Bul6J1_b-esDWs

Canada

Last weekend (January 11-13), our family went up to Ontario, Canada to celebrate Great Grandma's 100th birthday! There was a big family reunion... 40 out of the 44 of us came. 

Evan and Knut playing checkers 

Great Grandma holding Leif

Playing Quirkle with Jess and Brin 

Gloria, minus energy

Grandma with Gloria, Rosemary, and Thor

(Photo thanks to Grandpa Davis)

There was also an open house on Saturday afternoon for all of Grandma's friends. There must have been about 100 people there! The five oldest great grandchildren (Aiden, Annie, myself, Kyra, and Mharie) were put to work writing name tags, serving coffee, making sure everyone signed the guest book, handing out cake, cleaning up dishes, etc... as well as repeating family connections over and over and pointing out parents, grandparents, and siblings. ;) It was a lot of fun! Great Grandma really seemed to enjoy it... she had a big smile on her face the entire time, and it didn't tire her out as much as we had expected.

Great Grandma cutting her cake 

(photo thanks to Grandpa Davis)

Our family with Great Grandma 

(photo thanks to Great-Aunt Lydia)

Chicago!

Knut, Cecily, Thor, and I are leaving at 7am tomorrow morning for Chicago! VX3's regional competition will happen over the next two days. The rest of the family decided not to go, so Grandpa is taking the four of us.

When we return, expect blog posts with pictures from both Canada and Chicago!

Funny Happenings in Canada

Well! We've been in Canada for approximately four hours, and Knut has already managed to get himself in trouble with the police.

Well, not really. Here's the story:

Knut and Bjorn were having a pillow fight in the back seat of the car while Papa was checking into the hotel. After a couple minutes, two policemen started walking towards us across the parking lot. They shone their flashlights into our car, then just started laughing. Mom opened the door. "We thought we saw someone fighting in the back of this car," they explained, "so we came over to check... but now we see it's just some kids playing." Still grinning, they waved and moved off.

We had fun telling Papa the story when he came back, and then announcing later to Cecily and Thor (who were riding in Grandpa's and Grandma's car), "Knut and Bjorn just got in trouble with the police."


Just a few minutes later, another amusing incident occurred:

The hotel at which we'll be staying for the next couple nights is linked to a restaurant, with each hotel room having its own separate outside door opening onto a courtyard in the back which is shielded by the restaurant. Now Mom and I and a couple of the other kids grabbed luggage and bedding from the car and headed towards the restaurant in the front which we thought was the only way to get to the hotel rooms. We entered, loaded down with suitcases, pillows, and sleeping bags. The waitress looked just SLIGHTLY skeptical/confused, but she remained perfectly polite. "How many?" she inquired. After Mom told her that we were headed for the hotel, she explained the layout of the building to us and assured us that "everyone does this", and we weren't the only ones confused by the layout. :) All the same, we must have looked quite funny to the restaurant guests, coming in like we did, loaded down with backpacks and sleeping bags! ;)

Despite all of our mishaps, we managed to get settled into our rooms just fine. We're looking forward to having a great time at the family reunion tomorrow and to wishing Great Grandma a happy 100th birthday on Sunday!

My apologies for any typos; I'm not used to typing on a miniscule touchscreen keyboard (aka Papa's iPhone). I will edit this post as soon as I have access to a computer again!

The Homeschoolers Who Don’t Do Anything

(View The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaWU1CmrJNc)

We are the homeschoolers who don’t do anything;
We just stay at home and lie around,
And if you ask us to do anything
We’ll just tell you, “We don’t do anything.”

Well, I've never left my homestead;
You should see the books that I've read!
And I've never been caught without several pocket knives on me
And I never rode the school bus,
And I never got a C+
And I've never gone to “real school” in the fall.

We are the homeschoolers who don’t do anything;
We just stay at home and lie around,
And if you ask us to do anything
We’ll just tell you, “We don’t do anything.”

And I've never watched a movie
That was rated over PG,
And I've never in my life gotten a grade below an A,
And I've never owned a locker
And I've never been a talker
And I've never gone to “real school” in the fall.

We are the homeschoolers who don’t do anything;
We just stay at home and lie around,
And if you ask us to do anything
We’ll just tell you, “We don’t do anything.”
The Homeschoolers Who Don’t Do Anything

I've never tried caffeine pills
And I'm not too good at people skills,
And I've never finished all my schoolwork perfectly on time,
And I've never used a smartboard,
And I'm quite socially awkward
And I've never gone to real school in the fall.

Insanity

Crazy songs:

Mommy, Did You Know (parody by Papa): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhVELvmROsI&feature=youtu.be
Stihl, Stihl, Stihl (another parody by Papa): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEBLnSX3qXY&feature=youtu.be
I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas (sung by Knut and Joe and John Phillips): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqY77hSMl-k&feature=youtu.be 


Annnnnd some conversations: 

*pot boils over*
Knut: I DIDN'T DO IT!!!
Sylvia: Knut, there's nothing wrong with it, so you don't need to protest your innocence!
Knut: I did it!

Sylvia: I'm beginning to realize that every homeschooler is a geek.
Knut: You mean you haven’t noticed that before?
Mom: If they’ve been homeschooled long enough, they are.
Cecily: What’s a geek?
Knut: It’s a type of bird found in Southern Africa.

Knut: I say one word and everyone repeats it.
Sylvia: Everyone? ...wait...

Sylvia: Besides, do you want Leif to suffer psychological and physiological problems for the rest of his life as a result of being frozen to death as a newborn?!
Knut: Exactly. Wait... HUH??

Papa: How was your day?
Cecily: Um… what day is it? (thinks) It's Monday… it was great!

Knut: Mom, when did we do the traducion for last lesson? Was it at a time when I wasn't here?
Mom: Yeah, it probably was... you can do that today.
Knut: *depressed face* This is not a happy day.

Knut: *making faces in the mirror*
Thor: *comes in* Um... Knut?
Knut: What? I'm practicing my evil grin.

(Sitting in a restaurant booth at a party)
Molly: *comes up to us* Hey, can I join you?
Us: Sure! *scoot over to make room*
Molly: What are you talking about?
Kendra: Fingers falling off.

Sylvia: *finishes dinner* Mother, thank you for this delicious and lovely dinner you have prepared for us! May I please have some ice cream?
Knut: *looks at still-full plate* Mother, thank you for this... lovely... dinner you prepared. May I please have a peanut butter sandwich instead?

Knut: The world is demoralizing- especially French!

Mom: Great intellectual weirdos think alike.

Mom: (to Leif) Oh, you poor little thing… growing up in this crazy household…

Knut: Just for the sake of that, I should invent a toaster with a face. 'Cause faceless tasters are demoralizing.

(playing Pinochle)
Grandma: I'll bid 30.
Sylvia: Uh... It was dropped on you.
Grandma: It was dropped on me? For 25?

(playing Pinochle)
Grandpa: I don't know what's going on here!
Knut: I do. We're creaming you.

Knut: So... how's the weather in the UK?
Sylvia: Or what about the UN?
Knut: *laughs*
Sylvia: Of course, (gesturing to Cecily, Thor, Gloria, and Bjorn) these youngsters don't understand that...
(Cecily, Thor, Gloria, and Bjorn heatedly deny this apparent accusation of stupidity)
Knut: So, Thor, what is the UN and why is it funny?
Thor: United Nations... it's all the states.

Grandma Joni: Actually, I'm glad I'm old. I mean, consider the alternative... I could be dead!

(playing pinochle, counting points)
Grandpa: I think we're short.
Sylvia: I think I'M /very/ short.

Bjorn: What's your boss's name?
Gloria: My Boss.
Bjorn: No! What's your boss's NAME?
Gloria: My Boss. His name is My Boss.
Bjorn: That's a stupid name.
Gloria: I know. That's why I don't trust him. I don't trust him with my cheese.

Mom: Great! You're brilliant; you invented a new word! I thought I did a little while ago, but it turned out it was already a real word.

Gloria: I know how to upload pictures to Micro-Scoff! (She meant "add pictures to Microsoft Word")

Knut: Oh, look! Leif-sized handcuffs!
Leif: Ahh!

Papa: If I could FINISH MY SENTENCE...
Cecily, Sylvia, and Mom: *simultaneously slap hands over mouths and start giggling*

(trying to "hypnotize" Cecily using "the Force")
Sylvia: You will make deviled eggs.
Thor: You will make chocolate muffins.
Gloria: You will make doubled eggs.
Thor: DOUBLED eggs?

Papa: He can't punish a principle; he has to punish a person.
Knut: Unless the person happens to be a principal.

Mom: Remember, you're getting off easy for History this year.
Sylvia: Uh... Mom, I'm taking a CLEP test too...
Mom: Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.