First Class!

There is first class flights, first class in school, first class seats at a concert, and then there is First Class Scouts. As of Monday evening, we now have not one but TWO First Class Scouts in our house. Noah passed his board of review and Scout Master Conference and happily accepted the new patch. Mama removed the last patch and replaced it with this new fancy one just in time for his first meeting as a First Class Scout.

It flies!

Over the course of the last few months, Lukas and Noah have been building an airplane. They designed it on the computer, printed out and traced the various parts, cut it out, assembled it and attached a motor. On Sunday, it was finally good enough weather to take it out for its test flight.

The boys practiced with Noah's glider and then it was time. Would the plane fly? What would happen when it land?

Excited boys watched the plane take off and fly high above the muddy park land, and relieved boys watched the plane make a relatively smooth first landing. Their project a success. However, being true engineers, they already had ideas of how to improve, enhance and refine their plane, so back home to the drawing board, the internet for research and credit cards for purchases.... stay tuned for Version 2.0 of the purple plane.

Easy solution

Lukas is working on a longer piece of music in piano and rather than stopping and flipping pages, he taped the entire score up on his wall. The music coming out of his room is delightful and without unexpected interruptions.

Appearance versus reality

It is not hard to get Lukas and Noah to wear their school uniform, and there is much work going on daily, yet there is also a bit of goofing off... so what is the appearance and what is the reality?

Both are true - he works hard and he plays hard :-)

High Tech

Is Noah texting his brother? Or his father? Is Lukas sending a file to Dad?  There is so many possibilities when three electronic devices are gathered in one small space, each handled by the tech savvies.

Pi run

For a family of math geeks, it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. What better way to achieve one of our family goals, running a 5k, than on this once in a century opportunity, pi day.

The date: 3.14.15
Race start 9:26:53
Length of run: 3.14 miles
Reward:  apple pie

Cold weather conditions prevented much practice running, yet we knew we could do it. The weather turned warm just in time for the race and the sun even came out a bit later in the morning.

The highlight for the boys: the pie
The highlights for adults: we did it, now let's keep it up

Sunbathing?

Noah was tired after his practice run and decided to do his cool down outside... He found the wall nice and warm and enjoyed the sun shine.

The last of the season?

The large piles of snow is rapidly melting. Noah savored the last opportunity for snow ice cream on Sunday and filled his bowl to overflowing before pouring over flavored syrup. He pondered the possibility of stashing snow in the freezer for another one and then decided some things are best to enjoy seasonally.

Yes we can!

The grand prize - giant TV - that the boys acquired while out exercising has been sitting in the garage for a while. It was finally time to find a permanent home for this large object, and the natural place was down stairs in the electronics domain.
The boys and Bob measured and planned and then the four of us carefully and slowly moved it down the stairs with only minor casualty, one wheel that was already wobbly.

Noah quickly claimed this large screen for his computer and with a minor investment from Amazon, he is now the proud owner of the largest computer monitor in the house, yet he has lap top capability. Isn't that the best of both worlds?

Swim review in the dining room?

The boys are working on their Swimming Merit batch so before the first session, Bob was reviewing strokes with. It was quite the spectacle, long arms flailing in the air around and around, it is a truly a miracle nothing nor nobody was hurt. I was told that both of the boys did well in the pool, maybe it was the review in the dining room, maybe it was the swim team practice from years past....

Yeah! Sixth grade math is done

Noah was jumping for joy as he completed all the requirements for 6th grade math on Khan Academy.

Trail mix

Who is snacking in secret? Nobody is willing to admit dipping into the tub of Noah's famous trail mix, yet the container is empty. Noah headed back to the Bulk Food store to gather up supplies for a new batch.  How long will this batch last?

It is cold outside

When it is too cold to be outside, and school is done, the basement is the place to be. The boys do not seem to be too bothered by the chilly winds, it only means more robotics and programming time.

Snow Ice Cream

Well, it is finally March, yet the snow is still here, so what to do to create some excitement? Yes, make snow ice cream. Lukas found a recipe on-line and set out to make a tasty cold treat. It probably would taste better on a hot day, however Lukas and Noah wrapped themselves in blankets and enjoyed the tasty treat.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Noah found a memory box stashed in his closet and got lost in old cards, drawings and little notes.

Snow camping

The boys and Bob headed out for the monthly camp out. Before they left, Lukas and Noah spent hours scheming, researching and preparing for sleeping outside in a snow cave one night. The temperature kept sinking, the wind was a bit brisk, yet they were convince it was the weekend to do this - to beat the winter, to conquer it.
Thanks for their careful planning and hot showers, the night was not as cold as they had anticipated, yet once back on Sunday afternoon, they crawled up under blankets and napped.

Sunshine!

Noah found the sun and could not resist a sun warm nap on the floor....