Crocheting! My Latest Attempts...

I still need to weave in the ends, but here's my latest project!  I finished it yesterday on the ride home from Augusta.  

Update notes:  My son's Sci-Oly team placed 21st out of 60 teams in the nation.  Not bad!  

A Day in Augusta, GA...

Yesterday my husband and I spent the day in our car traveling to Augusta, GA. We came to support our son who happens to be a member of the State of Indiana High School Science Champion team. Today is the National competition! Tomorrow we'll travel home.

Most of the science competition events are study events and therefore not viewable by spectators. We did go watch and cheer on our son at his viewable event. And then, while we were waiting my husband and I shared the day exploring! Here's just a a taste of what we did...

Walked to an outdoor amphitheatre. The view is across the river is of the South Carolina part of Augusta. I didn't realise the town spread out like it does!

On this elevated walkway we found a true sundial!

At lunch we had Fried Green Tomatoes!

Had my photo with a statue of James Brown. Bummer, even he was taller than me! :)

Other things we did: Toured Woodrow Wilson's boyhood home, ate more great, local chow, went to a local festival, looked at antiques and walked through a car show...one of those where all the cars are super shiny and have the hoods raised...

Augusta is a very fun place to visit! I'd come back here in a heartbeat. Good food, friendly souls, and lots to do and see. In just a few minutes my husband and I will head back downtown to see the awards ceremony from today's events. Win or lose, we are proud parents of our science guy and his teammates!

Being Honored...

Today I traveled north with several members from and one of their coaches (and teacher) of the Indiana State Science Olympiad High School Champions!  

This team is going on to represent Indiana at Nationals once again.  We are heading to Augusta, GA following them in mid May.  

Today these kids were honored by their state representatives and senators.  In the first picture they are chatting with Rep. Peggy Welch, then with Rep. Matt Pierce in the House and finally with Senator Vi Simpson, in the Senate.  

This is year 8 out of 9 that this high school has won the right to go on and compete at nationals.  Talk about a bunch of smarties!  

Other Smart Kids...Even Smart Girls Will Be Girls!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of these girls at the award ceremony taking a picture of...????  The boys on our team!  

One of the girls on our team was standing near me when I noticed these three with their cameras.  I said, "What do you think those gals are taking a picture of?"  The girl near me said she thought maybe the wall.  The wall did have a neat wall hanging on it, but after the girl closest to me in the photo took her picture she instantly turned her camera to view her shot and started smiling and giggling with the girl next to her.  It definitely looked like she was saying, 'look at this!'  I asked the girl with me if she ever giggled like that when she took a picture of the wall.  "Oh My Gosh!   They ARE taking a picture of our boys!" she said.  Busted!  

Smart Kids!

Band 

mem-

bers, 

ath-

letes, 

the-

atre 

ma-

jors,

artist, scientist.  High school is filled with all kinds of kids.  

I spent yesterday with a bunch of smarties.  The Science Olympiad team my son is on went to their regional competition.  

We boarded a school bus at 4:30 am and headed to Purdue University.  In those early, dark hours of the morning the bus was fairly quiet.  Click, click, click.  On went the mini-mag lights as reference books were cracked open.  Months of studying have not been enough.  These kids go all out; every minute left is a valued working moment.  Two hours later the bus was stone silent.  I woke up and found everyone had fallen

 asleep.  "Good," I thought.  They need to be fresh for the tests and tasks ahead.  

  

In the 'home room', last tests runs are completed.  Checks on building event machines.  How did they fair their travels on the school bus?  

 Science Olympiad teams are made up of 15 members max.  The team I was with only had 14 members.  The 23 events of the day are study and building/task oriented.  Each event is completed by two or three teammates.  Study events are knowledge events.  Tests.  How much do they know about a certain area and how well can they answer questions or do calculations.   Building/task oriented events have strict specifications that the teams must follow.  Certain supplies or parameters are used to complete a specific task.  Sometimes the conditions the teams get to demonstrate their expertise in is less than desirable.  Trajectory was run out doors.  The temps were near 30 and dropping.  Snow was falling and blowing.  Part of the learning experience is to see how your designs preform under different conditions.  

At the end of the day, these kids were rewarded for their hard work.  Every neck on this team had multiple medals clinking as they walked.  Next month they will go on to the state competition.  Last year they went all the way to nationals and won 10th place.  They did lose some key seniors, but my opinion is that they are still as strong as before.  The top two teams from each state head to nationals.  I hope to accompany these smarties to Augusta, GA in May!  

Photos:  The brownies on the top are made with sauerkraut.  They were a joke, still a few souls were brave enough to try them.  A few of the text books just lying around and being looked at in between events.  Checking machinery, running the trajectory and photo of the winners!  

Wow! Uncanny likeness.

The former Surgeon General and a recent judge in the Electric Vehicle event at Science Olympiad Nationals at The George Washington University in DC.  

My research shows C. Everett Koop is 91.  Highly unlikely that this was him on Saturday.  

Photos from the Science Olympiad Nationals - May 31, 2008