Math Counts!

Grant and Spencer were among the 10 kids from Blacksburg Middle School who were chosen among a competitive process to attend the Regional Math Counts competition at Virginia Tech. They were there from 9 am until 3 pm participating in various rounds under the supervision of their coaches, math teachers Ms. McCall (front, center) and Mr. Cox (back, center).

Among the ten were a group of four (I forget which) who competed in and won the team competition, allowing them to move on to the State competition in March in Richmond. The top three teams advance, plus the next six highest individual competitors. Spencer earned an individual spot, as did three other BMS students, meaning a total of 8 are eligible for the next round! While Grant was a little bummed that he did not advance, he did extremely well to have made it there as just a 6th grader.

Great job, Spencer, Grant, and BMS!

Grant turns 12!

Grant's 12th birthday is underway! It started with a by-request breakfast of eggs and cheese, bacon, biscuits and coffee.

He opened a few gifts including the gadget that tracks the stock market wirelessly (i.e. not on the internet, from a network of towers sending stock signals). It's magnetic too, so he wants to take it to school and put it in his locker!!

 cold hard cash from William (frozen into block of ice!)

 Giant party sub

 His requested gift - an office chair.

cute gifts and cards from friends :-)

 What's more fun than putting your arms through your shorts?

 Giant cookie!

 One of the many sleeping options

Standard issue sleepover breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes!

 Morning-after video games

Quick trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte, NC

The kids were off school for snow and teacher work days so we took an overnight trip to Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark in Charlotte, NC. Good friend William was able to go along with us making it twice as fun!

The park was very very UNcrowded and we almost never waited to ride anything. We really enjoyed ourselves.

 The wave pool during a non-wave time.

Huge crowds...not.

 Grant was the champion of getting across these. He'd fling his body from the center of one to the other and scramble across so fast!

See how crowded that it's NOT? Grant and I played a lot of basketball.

Opting for the floor over the two beds and pull-out sofa bed!

Assorted pet photos!

Spencer restrings his cello

We needed to replace a string on the cello so Spencer met with Dan Foster of Foster's Violins to learn now to restring it. We replaced all the strings and kept the old ones as spares!

His shop is just beautiful, don't you think?

Family Pics!

Christmas Eve/Day

Spencer and Grant in their long-awaited new robes made by Oma. And what a saga -- it involved driving her sewing machine to Wytheville for repair and finishing with a loaner! They are warm and awesome and the kids have not taken them off!

 Robert, Elisabeth, and Greg

 Tom, Karen, George, Therese/Oma

Christmas morning - 6 am!! Here come the Ewoks!

Spencer thought it would be nice to give the kitties milk. It did NOT agree with Hannah :-(

Spencer's gift to Grant - his expression was PRICELESS! (I missed getting that moment on camera). I try not to think of all the chemicals and preservatives in this. 

I enjoyed my day doing a puzzle!

Trixie on her new dog bed prior to being displaced.

Cats checking out the new scratching post/hideaway

We knew it would happen...Saki on the dog bed. Very happy Saki. With her favorite ornament from the tree, a little burlap tree.