Christmas list

While wrapping presents for cousins Bryce comments "mom, I don't care what you get me for Christmas, just don't get me any underpants!"  Sorry son, for that very reason alone, underpants will be the first thing you unwrap Christmas Eve. Bonus, they do have video game controllers on them....maybe now you will consider wearing them?! 

From the back seat..

 "Mom, Garry's too big to fit in the van!" Shelby's sober observation of her brother sitting in the middle seat. Not sure why she thinks that? Guess we're gonna have to strap him to the roof to ensure he has enough space:)

Too many hours..

"WHamO is super excited this morning. He loves doing demos!" Observation from Shelby on our way to an elementary school demo. Maybe we are spending too much time with the robot if we know what the robot is "feeling!"

A few more pictures... (2013 St Louis)

Aidan was wooed by the flashing pink ears. I guess he is now 'bunny bacon'?

Einstein matches (finals)

St. Louis had a bus painted in honor of competition. 

City museum was really hard work. Thanks to Phillip for the ride back to hotel.

No stop complete without a stop to the arch

Inside the arch

In front of the convention center. Hopefully we'll make a trip back next year!

St. Louis

It's almost 2am here and I should probably go to bed, but Bert's alarm goes off in about an hr. Which, I might add, I can NEVER sleep thru. Instead I have spent the last hour going back thru this blog. Even though I can be sporadic, I'm so glad I have posted over the years, jotting down silly sayings, posting pictures and such. So, I might as well spend this next hour catching up on all the goings on around here. We'll have to back track a couple of months to get caught up!

I mentioned some posts ago that Garry's Bacon team won at So. Florida regionals and it gave us the opportunity to go to St Louis to compete at World's in April. Somehow we (Bert, kids and I along with several mentors) ended driving out to St Louis pulling robot and paraphernalia behind us. Needless to say, it was a very long trip but we were kept entertained by our mentors. We sang songs, told stories, played games ( we attempted 20 questions, but it was ended being more like 50 questions!) and when all else failed iPads were dug out. 

Reaching our destination, we played non-stop for the next 96 hours. Thankful that Bert was able to accompany us, he and the little little people slept in every morning for some much needed rest, and Garry and I headed over to the dome early each day to be with the team. By lunch time, the well rested crew joined us for an afternoon of cheering. Nights were filled with the City museum, swimming and sight seeing.  Alas, we did not win in our division, but our team played well and we didn't go home empty handed- the team was awarded the Imagery award; which basically means that the image Bacon projects to the public is how FIRST would like to be presented. Ok, I've talked enough...let me get on to the pictures. There were way too many to put in one post, so I've broken it into 2 posts. 

A quick stop to visit Metro City. Although if judging by pajamas it should be early morning, it was really late afternoon. Jammie's are so much better for traveling!

Our fantastic entertainers and college mentors, Bethany and Kelly

Some downtime between matches

Plenty of sleep make for smiling little people

There was a playground right outside our section. Wilbur came to play with us!

Having fun at City Museum (recommended)

Even big kids played (got stuck)!

We met some unique individuals in the pits

Maybe I won't get in trouble if???

Bert: Aidan, did you kick your brother?

Aidan thru tears: Not that hard!

Snippets from Summer

Reliving summer one picture at a time

Look, mom! I still fit!

Cousins!

Aidan skating the night away

Auntie Tody came for a visit (and brought many more)

Down on the boardwalk...

Visiting Clifford the Big Red Dog at the Science Center

Parks and slushies...could we be any more cliche?

Bass Pro Shop fun with friends

This one is for Aunt Tanny

Although VERY belated, your box of scraps was a huge hit. I think every girl in the neighborhood has made a craft or

two (or three or four) using items from the wonderful box of goodies. Thanks again!!

I can't believe I didn't post Chick-Fil-A day!

We went twice:)

Breakfast....

We picket up a couple of calves along the way...

Hanging with the herd

Eat more Chikin!

Hanging with W-Ham-o at KSC

While we do have a life without robots (occasionally) today was not one of those days. We met WHamO over at KSC for a demo. So after Garry and fellow Bacon member finished the demo, we headed over to the Astronaut Hall of Fame for some fun!

Even though it looks like he's just hanging out, Garry's in charge of shooting frisbees. He's in heaven!

 Bacon bits!

Sitting at the official stations used at the Texas mission control

Bacon has given us many new friends. Bethany (a mentor and one of our passengers to Worlds in St Louis) works at KSC. To wile away the many hours to MO, Bethany told cool astronaut stories. The boys favorite story of course involved bodily functions.  So today she demonstrated the powder used to soak up urine. Bryce volunteered Shelby to be the guinea pig, but thankfully the liquid in one cup was immediately soaked up by the powder in the second cup and when Bethany dumped cup over Shelby's head, she didn't get wet!

Astronauts in training

Love bugs

Its that time of the year again. Thousands of paired love-bugs are In the air, grill, hair etc. While viewing a single love bug flying around in the car today, Aidan says "I saw a love bug. He wasn't being loved". 

Shoe Hound

Garry needed some dress clothes so last night we headed out to the mall. Dress shoes were also on the list so after several unsuccessful attempts to find shoes we ran through Payless. As Garry and I were waiting on the sales associate to locate the correct size, a small hand takes my phone out of my hand. I look around to see Aidan taking pictures of a pair of shoes. "We need to get these now" he says. I told him not this month, we were looking for Garry. He says its ok he took a picture so we can come back to get them next month!

South Florida Regionals

Lol, I just realized I forgot to post that WE
WON!!! Not just in the winning alliance competing with WHamO, but also the Chairman's Award, the highest honor given at the regionals. Also, one of our students won the Dean's Award. It was a very exciting event, one that sends us to World's in St Louis, to compete against all the winning teams from the regional events.

Happy 16th birthday!

Happy birthday Garry! Can't believe you are 16. Glad though, cause now you can drive the kids to their events and I can stay home and eat my bonbons:) Love you!

Oink, oink, BOOM!

Sports are not Garry's style. When he was six, he told me "mom, do you know in football you fall down and get hurt?!". Since then, we have tried many sports, and he humors me by finishing the season, but has no desire to continue on. And aside from music lessons we haven't found anything that he really enjoys as an activity with other teens. Well, eureka! Or should I say...oink, oink, BOOM?
Our new obsession comes in the shape of a cute little pig flying thru the air on a rocket. The pig, Wilbur, is the mascot of a robot building club called Exploding Bacon. Participants of this don't just build a random robot, but a Frisbee flying robot to compete against other bots in a game played across the world. And this past weekend, we got to see the fruition of 63 teams from across the world in action at the Orlando First Robotics Competition (FRC). We proudly wore our pig ears, chanted the Wilbur's theme cheer (see above) and little pigs even painted their hair in club colors. Needless to say, we (big and little pigs alike) are hooked on this awesome event. So much so, that you will probably be seeing a lot of it over the next few years. And although Shelby isn't quite old enough yet, she has already counting down the days until she can compete.
If you get a moment, check out this event at FIRST. We have not only been wowed by the event itself, but also by the fantastic group of teens and mentors (college FIRST Alumni, parents and industry professionals) that worked together daily for six weeks; designing, prototyping and programming bot and the family friendly atmosphere that became our second home. So until next time, take it from me, PIGS DO FLY! We have seen it:)


Like our group and watch some of the matches from the Regional at : Facebook - Exploding Bacon 1902

Little pigs!

While we didn't win this time, we did win the Creativity Award  by Xerox!

At the beginning of our adventure...prototyping

Ready to cheer

Grandma and Papa joined us -Grandma and Grandpa Robinson did too...I  missed pic:(

Taking a break!

Shamelessly promoting! Exploding Bacon team 1902

WHam-O (we're on the blue side in the center) taking the court

WHam-O up close...

After we lost our last match...we lost something else as well!