Dayton, Ohio Roadtrip

Winter just seems to fly by with the holidays and work and a new semester school routine.  Usually once President's Day roles around, I have a few days I can get away, so William and I have done a few trips alone due to John traveling.  This year we drove to Dayton, Ohio, with the plan of the National Museum of the United States Air Force as the highlight.   I had scoped this out over the summer when researching Global Entry interview locations.  Ultimately we went to Des Moines, but this museum had such glowing reviews that I knew we needed to go!

We left town after school got out on Thursday afternoon.  It was dark and a little rainy as we drove through Indiana.  But the traffic is always horrible between here and Indianapolis, so that was nothing new.  We (mostly me) listened to NPR and then All Quiet on the Western Front during the ~5 hour drive.   I thought William was listening to the book with me, but I think he was headphones and/or sleeping (or both) in the back seat!   Good for him; that's what I would do if I weren't driving!

This museum was amazing.   Reminded me of the Udvar-Hazy Center, which is part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, located near Dulles Airport in Washington D.C.    First of all, NMUSAF is free!  It has adequate parking as it's located in a series of hangers at Wright-Patterson Airforce Base (but you don't have to go through any special security to access).   And it wasn't crazy busy.   The docents gave guided tours in each of the four buildings (arranged chronologically) or you could self-tour.  We spent about 4 hours and only left because we needed lunch.   Our family could spend days there exploring and reading about and discussing everything.

World War II era is always a favorite topic.  But "early" history here includes hometown heroes, the Wright Brothers, including a bicycle that pre-dated their aviation careers.

Several Presidential aircraft were on display including the Air Force One that LBJ was sworn in on and carried President Kennedy's body back to Washington, D.C. from Dallas.   The planes were set up to walk through but had plexiglass blocking off the seating and operational areas.   While it was neat to be onboard, it was incredibly claustrophobic for me walking down a narrow center aisle with physical barriers (although clear) encasing me.    The planes were also much smaller than current day commercial aircraft which contributed to that feeling.   But....history, so I couldn't not do it!  

After quick lunch, we also hit up Dayton's art museum.   It was located in a really cool building and had several interesting exhibits and signature pieces in its collection.  We spent about 90 minutes there before calling it a day and picking up cupcakes from a spot I researched via Food Network.  Like any great mother-son trip, we wrapped up the evening with carryout pizza and dessert in our hotel room while watching Food Network!  (Travel Channel and History Channel also acceptable choices!)

Somehow, I had not been near a Starbucks at any time prior to our Dayton-departure, and I finally found one near-ish off the interstate heading home.  I went ahead and got two to makeup for lost time!  On our way home to we stopped to have lunch with cousin Jake.  While the boys caught up, Bailey and I enjoyed pets in the sunroom.   We had trouble getting out of Indianapolis due to some interstate exits being closed but after driving in circles for an extra half an hour, we were finally on our way home!  We got home Saturday evening so that William could play in a volleyball tournament on Sunday, which is now the story of our lives!

Super Bowl Champions - Again!

How Bout Those CHIEFS!   Before the super celebration, there was a lot of emotion!  I planned for us to host a Super Bowl party for friends and neighbors and show off Kansas City beers and cuisine.  As with prior parties, the rules is upstairs TV for more casual watchers and downstairs TV for serious football followers.   I actually put myself in that second camp, so when some of my good friends had a conflict with kids sports and couldn't come, I cancelled the entire party.  I didn't want to be stuck upstairs hosting the party and not get to see the game!   I know I could have relied on those good friends to help themselves to things, but the ratios were getting skewed.  LOL.

Instead we made too much food for just three people to eat, but we ate most of it anyway.  I enjoyed Boulevard Brewing Co. beer in the first half.   Since we were eating, we did watch the game upstairs since no one was talking over it.  But after half we need to shake things up!  William lost interest and disappeared, John switched into his Mahomes jersey, and I exchanged the Tank 7 for Don Julio tequila.   John and I watched the rest of the game in the basement and did our part to get them to that victory!

It worked!   I have to admit I was all in on the Kelce Bowl story.   That was really fun and now I enjoy their podcast, too.  It's crazy how hard it is to enjoy the party aspect of the Super Bowl when you're invested in the game.

Math Contests and Scholastic Bowl

All Saints has a long tradition of participating in the local "math circuit."  There are a few local high schools that host math competitions during the late fall/winter for the 7th and 8th graders.   I think it's part academic exercise, part recruiting tool.  I'm good with both!  William was able to participate in all three this year:  Montini High School, Marmion Academy and St. Francis High School.  Below is the team and sponsors pictured at the Francis competition. 

Separately, there is a parent that hosts "Math Club" that is affiliated with the MATHCOUNTS organization.  The school administers the local exams and this parent hosts the kids for several months of Sunday evening practices to get ready for the regional competition, which was held virtually last year due to a snow day (boo!) and this year is at Benet Academy (William's high school).   This parent's boys have advanced to the state and even once the national level, and so is really invested in keeping the program alive.  I really like that William and a group of kids that like math can hang out and eat pizza together and learn logic problems throughout the fall and winter while John and I do the grocery shopping or whatever other errands we have to wrap the weekend!  For the past two years he has made it to regionals, but we don't expect him to advance to state, so tomorrow should be the end of the math team season.

For the first time in a number of years, the school participated in Scholastic Bowl, which I was really excited to see!  I was thinking of "Scholar's Bowl" and the buzzer rounds of my youth, but this ended up being a written test competition.   It was also hosted at Benet, so at least the location was convenient and familiar.   William's team placed 1st overall for 7th/8th and several of the other All Saints teams placed first in specific subjects like Math or Science.   So a nice outing!    When we went to Benet's Open House the next weekend, we learned they do have a traditional Scholar's Bowl team, and I really hope William chooses to participate!

Welcome to Benet

William's high school is a semi-selective private school (accepts about 75% of applicants for a class of ~350 kids).  More than half of his 8th grade class will be going to Benet.  And to my knowledge, none who wanted to go were not accepted.   But it's still an official process to apply in the fall by submitting middle school report card, Iowa basic or other standardized test scores and taking the HSPT, the High School Placement Test, which is the standard Catholic high school entrance exam that is administered the first Saturday in December.  Results for the exam - as well as admission decisions - come in early January.    The exam is used as the basis for placing kids in freshman honors math, history, English and science.    The math and languages department have further testing in May if you want to test out (and receive credit) for certain math and language requirements. 

In February, the school had Welcome to Benet, which was a combination of pep rally, open house and a light orientation.   We met a few teachers; learned about curriculum (somewhat); and could drop in on activities.  Like most Catholic schools, the event was held on a Sunday afternoon so that the entire family could attend.  This is probably my favorite part of the Catholic school system; no Tuesday at 10 a.m. meet and greets that working parents cannot attend.

       

We sat in on a Scholar's Bowl practice session which I thought was fun.  I hope William chooses to participate in this extracurricular when he gets the chance.   I also enjoyed taking a photo of the art that the Ceramics class had created which was on display in one of the hallway cases.     

The library and tutoring center is in one of the newer parts of the building.  The school was founded in 1857 and the building has had a few additions.   Some of the wings are easier to get to than others!   

We are excited that such a well regarded school is less than 15 minutes drive.   And even better that the our local public school district will run a bus route for the kids who go there!

Not sure the below picture fits, but I guess I wanted to remember how perfectly displayed William keeps his Legos at this stage and age.

Disney New Year: Magic Kingdom and a Long Travel Day

On our last day in Orlando, we had another day at Magic Kingdom planned.   But I really wasn't ready to leave our beautiful resort.  And so, yet again, I did not follow my own advice about being to the parks before they opened.   We pulled up around 10:30 and found terrible crowds.   It was definitely worse than the 30th, or it just felt like it because departure day is not a very festive day.   After a line in the parking lot and a line to load the ferry and a line for Big Thunder Mountain railroad, we finally boarded our first ride at noon.  Our priorities for the day were BTMRR,  the Walt Disney World Railroad around the park, Tomorrowland Speedway and Buzz Lightyear.  And we didn't get to ride Buzz because we ran out of time.  When deciding whether to leave my savannah that morning, I definitely didn't consider the ferry wait.  Or that Buzz would be a 70 minute wait versus 40.  Those two made it a pass for us.   Oh well...another time.  (Side note:  that was our very first ride at Disney World ever!  Everyone else was racing for Space Mountain, but we had a 3 1/2 year old so we rope dropped Buzz Lightyear :-) )   

We got some good views of Tron from the railroad and the speedway.   Unfortunately the People Mover was closed while we were in a good spot to ride it, or that would have offered additional views.  We hope it's open by our next trip.   I had to take a picture after I parked my car since it lined up with the victory circle.   Each of us drove our own, and I got to be in the lead car.  William said I went too slow!

The Photopass line was longer than I liked on the way out, but William humored me for one more with the toy soldiers than I love so much!

We got to the airport in time for our flight to be delayed three hours.  We got home to cold Chicago around 1 a.m.    John and I went back to work (from home) but William has a reprieve from school until next Monday!   And then it's just a 4 day school week (in service Friday) followed by a 4 day school week (MLK holiday).   But I honestly don't care.  With an older kid it's nice to not have to make a lunch or get him up for school.  I can sleep in an extra 30 minutes before my work day, and he doesn't need anything the rest of the day.  If I'm lucky, he'll make some eggs around lunch time and deliver them to me!