kandas-adventures

FIRST Lego League Robotics

What do suburban kids with engineer dads do for fun?  They join a FIRST Lego League Robotics Team!  Little K doesn't have an engineer dad, but she likes to build things, so I encouraged her to check out the team.  There was a lot of interest, so names were drawn to determine who would make the team.  8 names were pulled from a bag and Little K was the last name drawn.  All the others on the team were boys.  And surprise, surprise, most of their dads were engineers!

Using specialized kits designed by Lego specifically for competition, the kids built a robot with a programmable "brain" and various electric motors.  Programming language was learned on the computer, mathematical calculations were honed, and degrees of turns were determined.  There were over a dozen "Missions" to be completed on the mat: push that lever and retrieve those items; scoop those things and deposit them there; knock that and pick up this; hook this and flip that.  

What was the most efficient way to accomplish as many tasks as possible?  Design an arm for the robot, a scooper, and a rake.  Tweak the programming.  Try it again.  Try it for the 98th time.  Eventually, some small success... quick - save that program and don't let anyone adjust it further!

We met in someone's garage 2 nights a week for several months.  Closer to the competition we were meeting 3 to 4 nights a week.  It was INTENSE.  First of all, at times it felt like there were "too many cooks in the kitchen."  All these brilliant young minds, all eager to be THE ONE to perfect the programs before anyone else.  It was hard to keep them working as a team, and not in competition with each other.

And then there were the dads, of which I was one (honorarily -- my husband had NO interest in volunteering for this circus).  After 5 years with Girl Scouts, I thought boys must surely be less chatty and easier to lead that girls.  They all had an intense interest in the subject matter, so certainly they'd be attentive, right?  Oh my, was I wrong.  There were several boys on the team who were nonstop talkers and would not listen when the coach was giving instruction.  There was pushing and shoving.  There was yelling and throwing.  I spent most of the time biting my tongue, waiting for the dads to take command and bring the boys in line.  Finally, one night, when a group of boys was having a shouting match while the coach was giving important instructions about the upcoming competition, I lost it.  I rose from my chair and told those boys how disrespectful they were being.  One boy looked like he was going to cry.  There was complete silence after that, and I felt bad for dressing them down, but the coach resumed speaking and the rest of the meeting went smoothly.

Part of the competition is a research project, which unfortunately took a lot of time and wasn't all that relative.  The task was to identify a food safety issue and "invent" something to correct it.  The invention could be totally ridiculous, and for our team, it was.  After much argument, the team decided on raw sushi fish and how to keep it from colonizing with bacteria, especially at conveyor belt sushi bars.  We had to take a field trip to a restaurant for research.  I thought it was rather hilarious that we had a spanish-speaking sushi "chef" talking to the kids -- his command of English was quite poor, and he had no idea how to answer most of the questions the kids had prepared.  Anyhow, the "invention" the kids came up with was a laser "pen" that could be shined on the fish to show if bacteria was present.  They didn't have to actually make such a thing, just think it up, and of course explain it to the judges at the competition. 

So here are the kids during their presentation to the judges at the competition.  They had to present in a skit form, and they pretended to be in the "Cash Cab" TV game show answering food safety questions.  The judges were not impressed.  Oh well, neither was I, really.  What a waste of time and a motivational nightmare for the coaches.  The kids get enough scientific study in school -- 9 and 10 year olds sign up for robotics club to build and program robots, not to research bacteria and food contamination, and write and create a presentation about it.  Sorry, but that's my opinion. 

The morning of the competition each team met with judges for 3 different elements: teamwork exercise, scientific project presentation, and robot design and programming evaluation.  Above the kids are being drilled about their robot design and the programming.  The judges are trying to determine if the kids did ALL of the work, or had too much help from parents, and given how much the robot crashed and ran into the wall, I'd say there was no doubt there.

In the afternoon each team had 3 chances to complete as many "missions" as possible in a 2.5 minute time frame.

Surprisingly, our team scored right about in the middle among all the teams.

The event went from 8am until 5pm, and there was a lot of waiting around for our team's turn.  There was no shortage of electronic entertainment, though, as kids passed around iPads and iPhones and NintendoDS games.  This photo was taken late in the day, just before the awards ceremony.  The kids are huddled around one of the last devices to still have battery life after a long day.

Eventually it was over.  I can't tell you how relieved I was that the team did not advance to the regionals.  There was one "team" there of 2 boys, brothers I suspect, and of course they won awards and advanced.  I thought it must have been so much easier for them to get things done, and what a miracle it was that we accomplished as much having to mediate 10 busy minds to who all wanted to do things their own way.

Little K says she's done with robotics.  Never wants to do it again.  I think that's a shame.  She still loves building things.  Still enjoys robots.  Still is interested in programming.  She'd just rather work independently, or with her best friend (a boy from the team), without all the arguing and competition of a "team" setting.

In middle school there is an after school robotics club.  You can choose to be on the competitive team, or just build and program on your own for fun.  Maybe she'll reconsider when she gets to middle school and spend time in robotics again.  She's good at it, so I hope she will.

CERT firefighting

Take two dozen 11 - 14 year olds who want to be heroes.  Make them sit through hours and hours of lectures on Fire Science and safety.  Make them wait for weeks for this day to come.

 Suit them up in goggles, masks, helmets, and gloves.  Set out a dozen shiny fire extinguishers.

 Bring in the firefighters with their propane tanks and ignitors.  

Let there be flames...

And watch them fight.

A is so excited to be a part of the pilot program of Community Emergency Response Team for pre-teens.  The instructors are taking a gamble on these kids.  Challenging them to see if they can take this seriously.  Pushing them to study and practice.  Curious to see if they can handle the complexities, if they can remember the endless details, if they can perform under pressure, if they can make good decisions in the midst of chaos.

 A is a very eager student in CERT.  She's a little nervous, a little overwhelmed by all the studying, but she certainly takes it seriously and doesn't goof around like some of the kids.  With practice an persistence, I can see her going far with this volunteer organization.  If her fellow students perform well, the program will continue next year, and A will be able to assist the instructors in teaching the new kids.  When she is in high school she'll be able to mentor others even more.  Who knows where this will lead, if she keeps at it?  Maybe she'll continue where I left off...

That's me during Firefighting Academy when I was 21.  I graduated with excellent marks, but decided to continue on in college and get a degree in business instead.  The only fires I fought were controlled burns during training.  It was fun to see my daughter putting out fires today, discovering something I explored with my own sense of wonder, long ago.   

 

CERT: Community Emergency Response Team

A has signed on for a pilot program of CERT, or Community Emergency Response Team, for middle schoolers.  Usually the training is just for adults and older teens.  For the next 8 months she'll spend an hour a week after school learning everything from using a fire extinguisher and turning off natural gas lines after an earthquake, to administering first aid and helping with search and rescue.  At the end of the training there will be a drill, where she will be tested on everything she's learned.

This past weekend A got to participate in a drill as a volunteer "survivor," acting as a wounded person needing attention after an earthquake.  Adults who had just completed months of CERT training were brought through in small groups and were to attend to the "wounded."  Each child volunteer had a specific role to play.  A was classified as "walking wounded" and was to act alternately dazed and hysterical.  She was supposed to wander off, interrupt the responders as they tended the more gravely injured, and basically make a nuisance of herself.  A trainer stood by with a clipboard observing, and scoring the team of responders.  The trainer wanted to see one of the responders interact reassuringly toward A, bring her back to the staging area when she wandered off, and put her to work helping others.   

The teens and pre-teens really enjoy being "made up" for these drills.

The kids compare wounds before the drill begins.

Being a "walking wounded" meant that A had only "bruising" make up applied, which she was perfectly happy about.

The kids were sorted by injury and assigned to lie on color-coded tarps, which is what would be utilized in a real emergency by a CERT team.

Above the kids have been sorted and the next team of responders is just coming in.

A cracks a smile during a break in the drill.

Above, there's that moment the trainer was looking for: a responder has just retrieved A from the doorway and is talking to her while giving her a gentle pat on the back.

A spent the entire day in one area, playing her one role, over and over again, as different teams rotated through.  In other areas of the complex responders were practicing search and rescue, putting out fires, and more.  I wasn't able to stay and watch the whole thing, but I'm sure A can't wait to learn all these things and go through her own drill.  Until then she's certainly eager to sign on again as a volunteer "survivor" for the drills.

Tree Planting 2011

Fall is planting season for trees.  Creeksides choked by invasive Himilayan Blackberries are cleared, and the Mountains To Sound Greenway  is involved in restoring these areas with native plants.  Native plants provide the type of shade and shelter that spawning salmon need to survive.  The plants, when more mature, also prevent erosion and create biodiversity that supports an array of wildlife, including migrating songbirds.

After a tree is tipped out of it's pot, the roots need to be teased apart, and spread wide and evenly in the hole to anchor it.  This is important, because if you just pop the tree in as it came out of the pot, when a deer comes along and tugs on the foliage, the tree would pull right out of the ground.

Little K digs in with a volunteer leader and a new little friend.  Here the depth of the planting is checked.  Planted too low, water will pool in the clay soil and drown it.  Planted too high, roots will be exposed and it could die.

They started off wearing gloves, but soon cast them aside.  They wanted to feel the earth between their fingers, plus getting dirty for a good cause was just plain fun!  Thankfully hot showers were on the agenda when we got home.

The were photographed for the organization's website.  At the last moment Little K looks at me instead of the official photographer, decreasing the chances that this image will end up in the next newsletter.  Oh well.  We don't do tree planting for fame, we do it, along with all our other volunteering, because it is the right thing to do.

With proper care and protection, someday this area will be a forest again, with appropriately native groundcovers, and understory, and a high canopy of tall trees.  I may not live to see it, but hopefully my daughters can come back in 60 years and point up high and tell their grandchildren, "I planted that tree, and when I was a little girl there was no forest here."

Herding Cats

This is kind of a freaky photo, since I had to blur faces, but it's October and I'm preparing you for the dearth of creepy Halloween masks you'll see this month.  No, really this post is about herding cats, or children.  I'm the "unofficial" volunteer school photographer, so whenever my caller ID shows a call from the school prinicipal's desk, I know what's coming.  

Sometimes I'm called in to document an assembly, photograph a field trip, or take photos that are needed for the yearbook.  I actually made the yearbook for 3 years, and took a majority of the photos for it, but I've passed that gargantuan undertaking on to someone else now.  I just don't have the 1,000 hours for that one anymore.

Once a month I'm called in to photograph the winners of that months' good character attribute.  In the above photo are all the kids who got an award during the month of September for being "Compassionate."  Other tenets to live by: Responsibility, Respect, etc.  Each teacher picks 2 to 3 kids per month, gives them a little certificate on which they've written examples of the child demonstrating the featured behavior, and supposedly by the end of the year each child has been recognized for something good.  Even the class bully, and with some kids I imagine it can be harder than others for the teacher to find instances of good behavior.

For a group photo like this I usually have 3 to 5 minutes from the time the first child wanders in, until the kids have to be back in their classrooms.  This time I was lucky and had a helper to herd the kids, so we were pretty quick.  

I enjoy volunteering at the school, and watching through my lens as children go from clinging-to-mom's-leg kindergartners to "I'm-too-cool-to-run-around-at-recess" 11 year olds.  The transformation for some of these kids is amazing.  The shy little girl who sucked her thumb all through kindergarten?  Now a 5th grader who loves to speak at student council meetings.  You just never know how much a child can grow.

One thing all these kids have in common is how wiggly they are!  They aren't half-asleep teens yet, so taking these photos and getting everyone in focus and looking at the camera can be a challenge.  I take about 5 shots and try to pick the best one, but of course there is always one kid bouncing, and thus a blur since I took the photo using only natural light, and at least 2 who are looking down, behind, or off to the side.  And then there are those who make inappropriate faces or gestures.  For the gestures, I often have to photoshop out the "bunny ears" or other hand signals, because invariably those were flashed by some kid in the one photo that was the best of everyone else, so that's the photo I want to use.  For the funny faces, well, they get no relief from that one.

I blow the photo up to 8 x 12 and it gets posted in the main hallway for the remainder of the year.  I do my best, but in the end any kid who wasn't looking at me when I held up my hand and yelled, "Eyes here, 1..2..3!" will have to live with the image of themselves in that photo in the hallway for all to see.

So, can you find Little K in the above photo?  She's only child whose face I didn't blur, though she's obscuring it herself with her own hand.  Hint #2, she's wearing a light blue dress.

Environmental Education AKA 5th Grade Camp

Last week I spent 3 days and 2 nights with 93 Fifth Graders at Environmental Education Camp.  Five teachers, the Phys Ed teacher, a nurse, the school psycologist, the school principal, and 25 parent chaperones came along.
The kids learned about wetlands, tides, estuaries, conservation, and more.  Loaded 3 into a conoe, they set out to get stuck in the sand bars, many having never been in a boat before.
It was a real team building operation to get them all back to the dock again.  But that was the point -- to get them to try new things, and work together to solve problems (like being stuck in the muck).
A had a great time, even though she generously let the other two in her boat do the paddling since they'd never done it before, and they paddled in opposite directions and went round in circles the whole time (when they weren't stuck in the mud).
There was a 40 foot climbing tower for kids to challenge themselves.  A had never climbed before, and has a fear of heights, but she gave it a try.
Here she is on the way down... I could hardly believe my eyes, that she had climbed so high.
There was hiking, orienteering, a scavenger hunt, swimming, mini-golfing, a pioneer skills challenge, skits, a campfire with smores and songs, and bland camp cafeteria food.
What I loved most was witnessing kids from varied cultural backgrounds learn about the outdoors in a positive way.  I also loved how involved the teachers were, jumping in the pool with the kids, doling out hugs to the homesick, and demonstrating love and compassion.  The kids saw their teachers in a whole new light, a more nurturing and personal experience not found in the classroom. Everyone had a great time at camp.  Well, except maybe for the kid who dialed 911 as a prank and then had to sit out the rest of the activities, or the dad chaperone who cut his finger to the bone with an axe and needed to go to the ER, and the half-dozen kids who got stung by bees or threw up.  I certainly had my moment... after finally getting a cabin of 8 girls settled to sleep one night, the moment my head hit the pillow I got a bloody nose.  I ran to the bathroom and after being gone from the cabin a very long time, all 8 girls and the other parent chaperone tiptoed into the bathroom to find me hanging over the sink, covered in blood.  One of the little girls said with wide eyes, "Are you dying?"  So embarrassing!  But we all have to have a camp story, don't we?

School is out

   I can hang up my flag and vest, and stop traffic for other reasons until September. 
There's time to linger on the couch and give the kitties extra cuddles.

Time for dress up (at 10 years old, I'm grateful she still enjoys this). 
When the rain keeps you inside, you can get creative with paper, crayons, Popsicle sticks, and glue.  The girls are in the midst of crafting a play, with many acts and characters.  I can't wait to see the performance! 
Playmobil scenes.  Everywhere.  All horizontal surfaces become a canvas for their dramas. 
And even though the weather is not always agreeable, we'll hit as many playgrounds as we can this summer.  Above, this pocket park has a backdrop of Lake Union and a million dollar yachts.  You never know where you'll find fun during a summer in the Pacific Northwest.

I survived Junior Acheivement Biz Town

Yesterday all the 4th graders from my daughter's school went to Junior Achievement's BizTown.  It was the culminating field trip after weeks of study on financial literacy (and fiscal responsibility), and a chance for the kids to put into practice all that they had learned.  To read more and see a film about this amazing program, click here.  
As soon as the call went out for volunteers, I knew I had to sign up.  I still recall Junior Achievement coming to my school when I was in 8th grade, and although we had nothing like this simulated city to experience, we did get to go to Pemco Insurance for an in-depth tour of how a business runs. 
Volunteering at BizTown required a two hour training session, reading a manual that consisted of over 50 pages, and arriving at the facility 45 minutes before the students to set up.  At times I felt like it was "the blind leading the blind" with some of the things we were expected to accomplish. 
Each kid was assigned a job in BizTown: from CEO of a company; to water meter reader; to banker. 
Some things were very realistic, like long lines at the bank on payday!  Each business had a CEO who had to secure a business loan before the business could open.  Throughout the day bills had to be paid to the other businesses for services such as water, power, advertising, insurance, etc.  The kids had two "pay periods" where after working a shift they'd have a break to go to the bank and then go shopping.  This was the ultimate test for them: if they had not filled out their deposit slips, endorsed their checks, and completed their check registers correctly, they were turned away and couldn't get their money! 
Sponsoring businesses donated little items like posters, keychains, hats, pencils, and stuffed animals that the kids could buy (and actually take home!). 
There was even a restaurant selling slices of pizza (that had been delivered by a sponsoring business), snacks, and drinks. 
Each business had a goal.  I was assigned the newspaper, and in three 25 minute shifts my team of six kids had to produce an 8 page paper, which they then had to have printed at the copy shop and sold to earn back revenue to pay back their business loan.  One kid was photographer and had to photograph each business and their employees.  One kid was reporter and had a list of business people they had to find and interview, then write stories on.  Another kid was advertising salesperson and had to go sell ad copy to various businesses, and then return to paste the ads into the paper.  The editor spent her entire time at the computer typing up stories.  The CEO and CFO were back and forth to the bank, tending the loan, making payments to vendors, processing invoices for businesses that were buying ad space, and making sure those payroll checks were printed on time.  Oh my, it was just like a real news office, with everyone rushing to meet their deadlines, papers flying everywhere, and bill collectors, solicitors, and service people continuously interrupting our work. 
This kid came to change our "dirty" air filter.  His job was to go around to each business and swap out "dirty" filters with clean ones.  The "dirty" filters were simply spray painted brown, and the slots were they were "installed" were just frames, so there was no real dust flying around.  A short while later a bill would arrive for this "service," which the CFO and CEO then had to review, input, and pay. 
There was even a TV station and each business had to send someone to be "interviewed."  Each business had a TV mounted from the ceiling so you could watch the constant stream of interviews and advertisements, but in our business I reached up and pressed the "mute" button, since my six kids kept getting distracted from their tasks by wanting to watch their friends on TV.  I was the "mean boss," but hey, we had a newspaper to publish, and all the other kids were counting on us getting it done so they could buy a copy for a souvenir.
A was Sales Manager at Ikea, one of her most favorite stores in the real world.  Her first choice at BizTown was to work at the Medical Center.  She even wore her "scrubs" to the mock interviews they held at school, hopeful she'd be hired as a doctor.  Ultimately the teachers had the final say in where each child was placed, and I think they did a good job matching abilities with duties.  There were several special needs kids who received the more menial tasks throughout BizTown, but they were very proud to be doing them nonetheless.    A's job involved pricing the goods for sale, keeping track of inventory, and reporting sales to the CEO, which was a good workout for her mediocre math skills. 
Even though A didn't get a job at the Medical Center, she did stop by on her break for a "check up." 
I have to say that although it was an exhausting day, it was a really good experience for most of the kids.  I think it definitely furthered their understanding of how the world should work.  Money doesn't come free from the bank machine.  Loans have to be repaid.  You have a job to do.  Bills can't be ignored.  You can't buy things when you run out of money. And always, always balance your checkbook!

Outdoor Skills Weekend!

 
So the big weekend arrived with heavy rain and low temperatures.  The girls were enthusiastic, however, and so was I. 
We arrived Friday evening and the girls made their troop flag, took their written test (on outdoor skills and safety), we attended the opening ceremony, and headed back to the cabins in the dark around 9pm.   It rained hard all night.  The wind blew the rain in and we had to put garbage bags over our sleeping bags because they were getting wet.  The bunks were "girl size" so my feet stuck out the side of the cabin a good 6 inches if I stretched out.  If I curled up on my side my knees hung over the edge of the little bunk because it was too narrow.  Oh well, better than a tent given the storm, I suppose.  I'd given the girls a detailed packing list, which included what NOT to bring, such as any electronics.  The moms, however, had to have theirs.  (Not me, I just brought my camera). 
I'd brought a pack of cards, but apparently they weren't necessary for the adults!
I was glad to see our girls and another troop playing a game together. 
At night 2 teen camp counselors came to our cabin to sing songs.  One of our girls had been frightened and crying for over an hour, so these teens sang the most beautiful Celtic lullabies, and soon the whole cabin was asleep except for me.  I hadn't brushed my teeth yet, and couldn't tear myself away to go do so because the songs were so lovely.  Later we were serenaded by 3 owls.
A all bundled up, since it was in the high 30s at night, and DAMP.

The next morning the girls set up their "stations" for the competition in the cook shelter.  We were lucky to get it.  The other troop was assigned the fire ring, but of course our troop insisted the other troop come under cover and share with us.  It was too wet for them to get a fire started in the fire ring. 
The girls review their assignments.  For 4 hours the girls would be on their own with three judges, and during that time they would be expected to start 2 different fires, make veggie pastry in a box oven, chicken casserole in hobo packets, and grilled sandwiches in pie irons.  They'd finish the meal with chocolate cake in a dutch oven.  The judges would watch their every move, especially how they worked together and problem solved. They'd also have to demonstrate first aid, knots and lashing, leave-no-trace, knife skills, 10 essentials for hiking, cleanliness of their cabin, thoroughness of their clean-up, and more.
Troops being assigned their judges.  Our troop was last to be paired with their judges, so there was a lot of tension for them! 
Off they go!  They had two older teen counselors and an adult leader for judges. 
Leaders and parents were banned from the competition area, so we hung out in the lodge.  Had it not been so rainy, we might have gone hiking.  Instead, I caught up on my mending.  Others read, knitted, and napped! 
We returned to the campsite in time to witness the last minutes of their competition.  The girls were lashing while a judge looked on.   
After the competition we spent the afternoon with the girls, baking fresh bread in the box oven, working in the camp garden, and celebrating the fact that the sky had cleared and the sun was out!   One thing the girls spent hours doing was whittling with their pocket knives.  For many of them, A included, having a knife was a new thrill and responsibility. 

Fresh baked buns and cocoa on a cold afternoon! 
We made good use of the kettle, and were happy to have a propane stove in our shelter (some locations didn't have them).  I'd brought my favorite coffee, filters, sugar, and a drip cone from home to fresh brew my own coffee.  I even brought cream in a Sigg stainless steel bottle.  The other moms laughed at first, but then came running when I offered to share.
Over the weekend we got to have 3 meals in the lodge.  It was typical camp fare, and the usual procedures were followed: saying "thanks" (the PC term for prayers), family style serving, a hopper for each table, scraping the plates after, and each table singing songs and cheers in turn.  For A, who'd never had the true camp experience, it was pure bliss.  She was so excited to be there, despite the bland food. 
Soon it was time for the awards ceremony.  The competition is open to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders.  It was our first year, but some troops were back for the 3rd time and prepared to win big.  What kind of hokey award would our girls end up with?  The "Nobody killed anybody" award?  The "Didn't burn down the cook shelter" award?  The "Didn't give the judge food poisoning" award? 
As expected, the overall (grand, second, third place) awards went to the older troops who'd come several years before.  Then the theme awards were given, followed by the "consolation" awards (like "perseverance," i.e. "didn't prepare but didn't storm off crying").  Above, A is turning to look at us leaders when she realizes the troop who is being awarded the excellence in outdoor cooking is hers.  We were all surprised to win it our first year trying. 
I guess all that practicing in the rain and cold, starting back in November, was worth it!

Winter Wanderings with my Girl Scouts

 

Despite being winter, the girls are still active outdoors with Girl Scouts.  Above, we're on a winter hike to Rattlesnake Lake.

 
The views in winter are quite stark in places.  There's not much wildlife to spot, but the girls make a good effort anyway.

 
Since there weren't any real animals to be seen, a park ranger donned an elk antler and told a story about how the antlers and grown and shed each year.

 
Another ranger talked about bear safety...

 
Then a ranger wearing a skin came running into the room...

 
But Mishka the bear dog got him safely corralled so no kids were harmed.

 
Lots of fun, hands on activities... here the girls make plaster casts of animal tracks.

 
The girls at their "rededication" ceremony in January.  They were supposed to have this in October, but no one wanted to volunteer to run it.  I'm a believer in Girl Scouts, but our service unit is so disorganized and poorly run that it's a real challenge sometimes.  Troops are disbanding rapidly and disillusioned leaders, parents, and girls are giving up.  Very sad!

Meanwhile my two troops chug along.  Here the Juniors (and little K, the tag-along) takes another stab at outdoor cooking.  The girls assemble the box oven.

 
Fire safety and fire starting is reviewed.  See that charcoal?  Instead of briquettes, we accidentally got mesquite chunks, which burned hotter and burned nearly everything on the menu.  Lesson learned!

 
We used a charcoal fire, a wood fire, and a propane camp stove, and cooked in a box oven, dutch oven (above), foil packets, and in a pot.  As a leader, since we get no support or script from the service unit, it was like the blind leading the blind the first time we did outdoor cooking.  This time was better, thankfully.