OM - Hooray! Hooray!

I have neglected to write this post because I don't have any pictures!!!  Grandpa has the pictures and for whatever reason I can't get them onto my computer from the disk that he gave me.  So weird.  Some of the pictures worked and others didn't. 

So.

Most people know that last weekend we went to Santa Rosa so that Hannah and Brynne could compete in the regional Odyssey of the Mind tournament.  The state of California is divided into 8 regions.  Most of the schools from our region are in Santa Rosa, but this year Fort Bragg sent four teams to the regional competition.

Brynne's team had a long-term project called "Le Tour Guide".  In this problem Teams will create and present an original performance where a classical character acts as a Tour Guide. The tour will make three stops including one that will be a team-created location. During the tour an inanimate object will show signs of life, the Tour Guide will give the wrong explanation about something, and will give a creative explanation about why it is important to guard and secure a worthless item. 

Brynne's team did a fabulous play that included singing, a unicycle, and a tissue (worthless item) that has Einstein's "boogies" on it (which makes it valuable for it's DNA).  Pretty funny stuff.  They got first in both the long-term and the spontaneous problems.  Her team placed FIRST in their division and is going on to the state competition on the 26th.

Hannah's team had a long-term project called "Extreme Mousemobiles".  This problem requires teams to design, build, and run vehicles that use mousetraps as their only source of energy. The Mouse Mobiles will travel a course that has segments with different challenges. The team can choose from assorted tasks such as driving through a tunnel, raising a flag, hitting a target, changing direction, making a delivery, and will also perform two team-created challenges. The running of the Mouse Mobiles will be presented in a performance with a team-created theme.

Hannah's team actually had a hard time with their long-term problem.  Part of the competition also involves a  spontaneous problem which the judges explain at the competition, and the team has a limited amount of time in which to solve the problem  So in the long-term project Hannah's team got third, but in spontaneous they got first.  They get points for both problems and when the points were totaled, her team also placed FIRST in their division and they are also going to state later this month.

Brynne's team did great overall.  Hannah's team was superb in spontaneous (like, incredibly good - they had the best score by several hundred points), but just okay in the other problem.  So it will be interesting to see how both teams do at state.

After state comes "world" which is held in Maryland this year.  I'm kind of hoping for third.  Good enough to feel special, not so good that we have to think about traveling across the country if we choose to continue.  (Hannah's team placed third last year at state).

Interestingly enough, one of the other Fort Bragg teams tied for first, and the other one placed second in their divisions so ALL FOUR teams from our town are going to be at State.  It was a Fort Bragg sweep!