Three (not so) little kids and whatever words come to mind…
Jenya's FLL robotics team, BrickBusters, won the FLL Robotics Regional Major at Sewickley Academy today! They took first place overall out of the 19 teams competing, plus they took 2nd in the robot challenge and got honorable mentions for programming and the research presentation.
This means that they advance to the Regional Championship which will be in January. Really cool!
Ana had her winter concert with the Children's Festival Chorus today. Lovely singinging in a really big, pretty cathedral. Unfortunately Lunn never zoomed out on the recording, so you can't really get a sense of how big the chorus is (about 60 kids), how big the audience was (huge!), or how big and nice the cathedral was. I'll have to remember to ask him to do a beginning or ending zoom-out next time.
RMU Holiday show today. The kids each did several numbers — Ana & Ben did a pairs solo, Jenya & Ana did Elena’s “Soldiers and Aliens” number, and all three girls did Crystal’s “Lion King” number. And of course their Theater on Ice troupe had a performance. Lots of quick costume changes, but that went better this year and I actually got to watch most of the show!
Here’s their Theater on Ice — Ana is in the red and black vampire dress, she and Ben are both vampires and do a few pairs moves. Jenya is the big pink bunny – I love how her bunny ears look on her scratch spin. And De is the little girl, in the blue pajamas.
And here is Ana & Ben’s pairs solo:
Yesterday Edison Hill passed away in Asheville, North Carolina.
The Hills lived next door to me when I was a child, and for as long as I can remember they were my second family. Melissa babysat for me and taught me to tie my shoes. Michael was the big brother I never had – I remember him pushing me in a cart when I was three or four, and teaching me to jump over the gap in the stone wall that ran along the back of the yard when I was a little older. Marcus was so much older that I didn't know him as well, but I remember my mom going out to pick him up in the middle of the night, and being so worried about him.
I remember Helen tying the sash on my dress, and her Mississippi Mud Cake, and the wonderful holiday parties every year. And I remember Edison swinging me upside-down and laughing. When I was older, I remember sitting with him and just talking, about everything – politics, science, books, law, the present and the future. He was always kind, always caring, but also funny and entertaining and just plain good company.
I grow okra now in my garden here in Pittsburgh, a southern oddity in this northern place, and I remember that I learned to eat it, and cook it, and grow it, from the Hills. I watch my children climbing the trees in our yard, and I remember climbing the big tree above the little playhouse, and Edison helping me down when I got stuck. The tree is gone, many years ago, and now Edison Hill is gone too, but in my memory they are both big and strong and welcoming.
The world is a better place because Edison Hill was a part of it. He will be missed.
Jenya participated in the "Teen Vet" camp at the National Aviary today. Highlights from her point of view included dissecting a bird, and talking with the vets who work with the birds. One of her friends from PALS was there as well. While she was in camp, Ana and I explored the Aviary. Ana loved the bald eagles and the little peacock.
After working on Rosetta Stone Latin for the last few years, Jenya finished the last milestone on the last lesson of the third and final CD today. Yeah!
Big test day today – Ben & Ana tested their PreJuvenile Pairs, Ana tested her Juvenile Moves in the Field, and Jenya tested her Intermediate Moves in the Field. All of them passed!
Dealia took and passed her very first USFSA test today, her Pre-Preliminary Moves in the Field. Her sisters says that now she's a real figure skater!
Ana made pasta and edamame for dinner, and De cleaned and set the table…
Jenya's lego league team had a skirmish today at Sewickley Academy. They placed 2nd!