M.A.R.S.

Maniacs Attempting Robot Science is the name of our group! Yes!, the Roberson's have joined in the mad scientist of our town and fellow homeschoolers to undertake a momentous opportunity and build a Robot for the BEST Robotics competition. The group consist of kids from 9 on up to 17! We have taken on the new challenge of the theme for the 2008 challenge of "Just Plane Crazy". Apparently the robot will need to resemble something of a plane and our objective is to build a robot that will move something from somewhere to another somewhere and place the something there! Clear as mud? (Yes, I know mud isn't clear).

The Roberson's have consented to take on this challenge and joined the MARS team. We will have a few more meetings before the kickoff day. The kickoff day will be topsecret until we get the project. A few of the team, mainly the older ones, will drive to the distribution area and pick up the box that will contain our top secret assignment. They will drive home and meet all of the team and we will party, scheme, plan, and plot our way to making the best of the BEST Robots! We will have six weeks from that time to complete our robot, our display, and our speech. This contest is amazing because it contains so many levels of the kids intelligence. They learn engineering, planning, organizing, decorating, marketing, speech writing and making speeches and so much more. They also are coming up with their own T-shirt designs, which my children have already made two or more revisions of their idea for the T-shirts!

Oh, and did I mention one of the scores they receive is in the category of Spirit! Yes, the chant, "We've got Spirit, yes we do, we've got Spirit, how about you!" comes to mind. Yet again, did I happen to tell you who is in charge of the Spirit? Have you guessed by now? Yes, it's ME! I'm the mom in charge of helping the kids display our spirit in a way that brings us the best score! You ask me how? I don't know yet, but my mind is going to the movie Remember the Titans when they come in vocalizing their warm up by a dance and a song! Can you see me, the Baptist Preacher's wife dancing and singing my way to the BEST competition! Too funny, I know, but it is just a thought. I'm sure whatever the Lord leads me to do, it will glorify Him!

So are you ready to join us on our journey to the Robotics world! Come along and I will journal for you our new adventure! Yes, our school seems to be going well and we are having fun! (I'll keep reminding myself of that when it gets really hectic during this 6 week adventure.)