Friday Upswing

Just a quick note (well, quick for me…perhaps verbose for others…don’t judge) that my 11yo (and I) have turned the corner on the sadness. I haven’t even cried for the past two days. Wednesday…it was water-works city, but now there are dry-eyes all around.

Not like we need Restasis or anything…it’s not chronic dry eye (have you seen those commercials? So odd…), but you understand.

Now, that’s not to say that things won't come up which will remind us of why we were sad earlier this week, but as my 11yo is fortunately beginning to understand...that's just part of life. 

And this week’s happenings led to a great discussion about skipping records.

First I had to explain how a record works, what causes it to skip, and how to move past a skip…and then we could talk about how a skipping record is like letting the same thoughts run through our heads, affecting our thoughts and attitudes, and sometimes it causes us to be stuck emotionally. 

And that we have to pick up the needle…make the choice…to move ahead of where we are and not that that skip continue to affect us. 

Then if/when we start to let that record skip again, we will be better prepared and pick up that needle more quickly the next time. 

At least that’s my theory I’m going with. It worked for us this time. 

And it allowed us the chance to discuss archaic systems of playing music. Always the homeschooler, aren’t I? Always a lesson in everything. 

I’m such a nerd.  

And speaking of nerds (please understand that I mean this in the most loving way possible…but this was NERD FEST): my 11yo and his friend BW went to a robotics camp this week. They worked together as a team at this introductory robotics camp, made up primarily of homeschoolers. 

Say no more, right? You can picture it, I'm sure.

At this particular camp, there were 9 teams/individuals (students could enroll as a team of two or as individuals) who attended this beginner camp, and each day they learned more about how to program their robots. 

The teacher sent photos and videos to the parents after each day, so we could keep up with what was going on. Frankly, I was amazed at what they did. 

I won’t go into it all…I don’t want anyone falling asleep mid-blog and waking in a puddle of their own drool. 

No one wants that to happen.  

Instead I’ll fast-forward to the end: Today was the final battle...and in the first round, each robot battled the other 8 in groups of 3.  

In that round, four of the robots won twice. So then those battled in pairs...and the losers (hey...I'm not calling anyone a loser here...just stating facts) of those pairs battled for Third Place; the winners of the pairs battled for First (and Second...clearly).

Are we clear on this? 

It doesn't really matter, because this is the bottom line: My 11yo and his friend were one of the teams who won twice in the initial rounds...so they moved on to the 1 v 1 rounds. 

They won their first round, so they went on to the finals...vying for First Place.

And they won.

The robot "Bugbot" and their "Major Awards"

So happy for my boy...this was the kind of upswing he needed to end an emotionally-tumultuous week. 

Thanks for taking the time to let me share my proud-mama moment! Have a fabulous day!