I was absolutely amazed that I got the building permit.  I figured they would come up with some sort of ordinance or something but they didn’t.  Then what came next was even more surprising.  I don’t know how it got all over town like it did but there are churches that have called with volunteers to help with the construction and even donating some money to buy the supplies.  Several people in the community are donating used refrigerators, stoves, furniture and just about anything else you can imagine.  I can’t explain what that has felt like.

I have a long list of supplies and will be heading out to Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores to make the purchases I’ll need.  I was told that if you talk to the manager and they have things that have a scratch or whatever and it’s going to a good cause, they will cut the price a lot.  I just hope what I heard is right.  Man do I have a list of building supplies!!!  But you know, even if they don’t give me big discounts on damaged items, they still have the best selection and prices in this town.

With the economy as bad as it is, I was so afraid that my son would not have a job when he got out or be able to find a job.  Luckily the carnival that he was working for said that they would be glad to have him back.  Now I don’t have to worry that he will end up on the streets homeless.  So very many people that have never been homeless before are now looking at the possibility of becoming homeless or have become homeless because of losing their job and their home too.  Foreclosures are everywhere and it’s not looking like it will get any better anytime soon unfortunately.

President Obama is trying to find new ways to jump start the economy with stimulus packages and bail out packages for banks and major car manufacturers but what about us.  The stimulus package is supposed to help each state create new jobs to ease the unemployment.  I sure hope that it works that way too.  Everyone is suffering to some degree between gas prices raising and falling only to go right back up, groceries costing more and money being stretched farther than ever before and even attempting to stretch it farther than possible a lot of the time.

All of us coaches and mentors decided to get together and have a Christmas party for our Lego team.  It’s a Lego Christmas party and what a party it was too.  We all chipped in together and got each of the kids a nice Lego set like the ‘Indiana Jones’ sets or the shark attack set.  I can’t remember what the proper name is for the sets but the kids loved them.

We have set up to meet once a month all year long until the announce what the next challenge will be for next years competition.  They we will dive in head first into the project and hopefully do better next year.  Each of us adults involved is trying to drum up mentors, money to help with projects, and even food donated for our meetings.  I figure if Dominoes will give us pizza once a month then Pizza hut will another month.  Can’t let the competition beat you out on doing something good for kids education, ya know.

Well I feel so much of the Christmas spirit this year that I know in my heart it will be full of love and joy.  Those are far more important than any present you can give.

Well the State Tournament was today, ALL DAY LONG.  I had no idea what to expect but the kids were real pros because all of them had been in at least one competition before this one.  In fact, the team, or what was left of it from last year, won the best teamwork trophy the year before.  What an honor for them.

You have to remember these kids are 9 to 15 years old.  They’re learning how to do research because they had to do a presentation on something they learned about possibly solving or helping stop global warming.  They’re learning how to work together as a team.  They’re learning problem solving.  They’re learning to be cool under pressure and how to present an idea they have developed.  A lot of adults don’t have those skills and yet they are all very important skills to succeed in the world today.

They’re programing a robot that they themselves built usually from their own design.  That’s engineering. They’re not just ‘playing with Legos’, they’re building skills that will follow them through the rest of their lives and help them excel in what ever it is they decide to do. I learned so much from these kids, far more than they learned from me.  One main thing I learned is that I have to do more research into being a good coach because I really want these kids to do far better than they did this year.

This was a tough year for them.  They first of all lost their sponsor which was a local college and also meant they lost a place to practice.  The professor that started the team with the backing of the college, chose to pay himself so the team could go on.  They lost 5 team members, a coach and 3 mentors which had been the fathers of some of the kids that quit.  Then a local church donated a place for the kids to practice, and three mothers stepped up to coach the kids.  I came in as a mentor but only the last few weeks before the competition.

I wish I could have known about the team earlier.  The mother that coached these kids did a great job and we are all planning a much better year with meetings once a month, field trips for the kids, and anything else we can come up with to keep them interested and excited about what they do.  One mother is looking into food sponsors for the meetings.  If she can get one pizza place to donate pizza one month, I bet their competition will donate another one.  Pretty smart, huh?  I’ll let you know what we’re up to next.