Let's Debate ...

Well, here it is late Saturday evening after some very full days. DS#1 started his very first debate competition last night and made into the quarterfinals. Way to Go!!! Of course, that meant getting up early this morning and getting him back to the site of the competition by a little after 8:00 so he would be ready for his 8:30 debate. Like most of these things, it started a bit late, and he came up against one of the strongest opponents. While he lost that debate, it was fairly close and the judges (all high school students) did a very good job of telling both he and his opponent what they could improve on. DS#1 also participated in the "impromptu speaking" portion of the competition today. I thought he did very well, though I am simply a proud papa that doesn't really know how these things are graded/scored, etc. We don't know the results yet because we left right after his final round.

We are very proud of him, he chose to do this contest on his own and this is his first time participating in a contest like this. I know that he was nervous about it, but he went ahead and challenged himself without his parents trying to push him in any way. I have never been to a debate contest, I didn't do debate or theater or anything like that in high school (or middle school) and I have to say that I think something like this is valuable for anyone. No matter what a child might be interested in as a career, the ability to think quickly and speak in front of people is valuable.

On to a few other bits of news. DD did not want to do her dance recital today. She was sick for dance class on Wednesday and was very hesitant about going. We aren't certain she is fully 100% anyway and going through the battle to get her there was simply going to be more than we could handle. I did go by and talk to the dance instructor and tell her why DD wasn't there. She understood, of course, as she is only 6. I guess it was really supposed to be just an informal thing for the girls to dance for their parents and then have a nice little party afterwards.

We left DS#1's competition after his final round in impromptu speaking in order to get home so the family could get ready to go to "Santa's Railroad Wonderland" at the Texas Transportation Museum. We figured DS#3 would be thrilled, and, well, let's just say he was pretty much in a speechless daze as he stared at the various model trains and when we rode on the train that they have there. The lights were merely bonus for him. DS#2, as is typical for him sometimes, didn't want to go, but after we were there, he seemed most hesitant to leave.

Well, tomorrow is another day (which, technically, starts in about a half hour) so I better get a bit of sleep before the Sunday morning donut run, followed by church, followed by, WAIT, hold on, a free afternoon... Wow, you just know something's going to happen with that don't you?