A Boy and His Deer

Welcome to a wonderfully wintry Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is December 15th. Congratulations! You have made it through half of December (and we'll just ignore my math here, for the greater good of the celebration.)

Half of December, I say? That either makes you go "Yay!" or "Yikes!"

If you're in the "yay" category - yes, Christmas is coming soon, but hold your horses (especially if you're a practicing Christian). It's still Advent. Take some time to relax and enjoy a cuppa  - the festivities and whatnot will come soon enough. 

And if you're in the "yikes" category - fear not! Take some time to relax and enjoy a cuppa! I'm guessing you're an expert procrastinator and this isn't your first rodeo. You'll figure out how to get it all done and what you don't - ah, well, there's always next year.

Need a good Advent story to read to the kiddos? Who's Coming to Our House has been in our family since the oldest was a wee babe. "Who's coming to our house? Someone, someone, says mouse!"

We're loving Jan Brett this time of year. She has a BRAND NEW winter story that just came out in October called The Snowy Nap.

We've enjoyed Brett's wonderful compilation, Christmas Treasury which has both winter and Christmas stories. The illustrations are so richly detailed, I STILL see new things and I've been reading this book to my kids every winter for the past fifteen years. (Psst! Jan Brett books make a great gift!)


Batman had his holiday program this week. Organizing a large number of toddlers is like herding cats and my applause was just as much for the teachers as it was for the kids.

The toddlers filed in obediently behind their teachers, looking adorable in their frilly holiday dresses and three-piece suits. Parents leaped to their feet, jabbing at their cameras and uploading photos to their Facebook faster than Santa's helpers could pass out the little jingle bell bracelets made with red fuzzy pipe cleaners.

As the concert commenced, children looked to their teachers, synchronizing movements and mouths as best as their attention would allow. Some kids sang while others mumbled or shouted. A few just stood there, drilling the toe of their fancy shoes into the riser as they looked out at the audience, scanning for a familiar face. Spotting such a face, one little girl abruptly parted ways with her classmates, ran down the center aisle and hugged her mom before returning to the performance, smiling sweetly with absolutely adorable dimpled cheery cheeks. She was so doggone cute, you just couldn't get Scroogy about it.

Sweet angel voices sang of 5 Gingerbread Men as they splayed chubby little hands, counting down the demise of the infamous cookie hero. One kid accidentally jingled his little bell bracelet into the face of the little girl next to him which sent her down the risers.  During We Wish You a Merry Christmas, random kids hopped on each "wish" and as their volume escalated, so did their hopping, little ones springing from the first riser to the floor, then from the second riser and ending in a grand finale - one giant leap from the third.

The potential to perturb was paramount, but really, one couldn't scold. The kids weren't being naughty. They were being joyful!

After the concert, Batman and his 1st Grade sister and I made cut-out cookies in the shape of hearts, dogs, moons, of course, batman cookies, because a holiday celebration of any kind wouldn't be complete without a batman or two.

Last Saturday our newest driver took to the highway - his first long-distance attempt as a legal permit-carrying learner. If ever you want to know your child's real personality (you know, under all the hormones and moodiness that come with being a teen.) put them behind the wheel and go for a drive. You'll find out pretty quick if your kid is a Worried Walter, A Freaking Out Fred or a Cool Joe.

We were heading east on Highway 11 on our way to Northome for the Lego League competition. We left the house at about 6:15 in the morning. Still dark, the road relatively empty, the first lesson was about staying in his own lane.

"Line yourself up with the tire groove on your side of that ridge in the center of your lane," I counseled, absolutely sure that's what my own Driver's Ed teacher told me nearly 30 years ago.

Or was it, line yourself up with that ridge in the center of your lane?

A half hour into our travels a deer jumped out. With an oncoming car nearing quickly, rather than put on the brakes, my son maintained speed and barreled through, staying the course (and in his own lane) as the deer slammed into our front fender on my side (the passenger) and blasted our side mirror off. It all happened so fast, I don't know if he made the best decision. Instead, it's more accurate to say I was happy with the outcome. Everyone was safe (including someone else's kid who was riding with us). The car had a few crumpled spots on the fender, my passenger door and the backseat door. The mirror was a goner, yes, but the lights still worked, the tire was intact, the alignment felt good, the ride was still smooth. The passenger opened just enough to slip in or out, but it worked. We carried on our merry way to the competition.

My oldest was a Worried Walter. But Kid #2?

Cool Joe.

Kids' Corner

Northome Regionals

So, if you don’t know this, I’m in FLL—First Lego League. First Lego League is an organization made by FIRST to help people around the world in different ways. A few years ago, the theme for Lego League was Trash Trek. The next year was Animal Allies. Last year it was Hydro Dynamics. And this year’s theme for FLL is Into Orbit. The mission is to improve the physical or mental health at the International Space Station—better known as the ISS.

The FLL team that I’m on is team number 34305, Lego the Woods. Last year in Lego League, my team got all the way to the State Competition; the highest rank in competition before Worlds. There are three parts of Lego League: Robot Game, Project, and Core Values. The Robot Game is where you program an EV3 Robot with Lego Mindstorms to get the robot around a board with missions to do. The Project part is where you study and create a solution to the problem that you are faced with, which, as I already mentioned, is to improve the physical or mental health at the ISS. My team’s project is about improving the mental health of astronauts by sending handwritten letters instead of emails. Finally, Core Values deals with how the team works together and how they cooperate.

So just last week I had a Lego League competition in Northome, MN. Our robot was messing up. We had a lot of unanswered questions on Core Values. We thought we weren’t going to pass to the next level. But then, our team decided to switch robots with our other robot. And then things got a whole lot better. In our next robot run, our team scored 117 points; almost double our last score and quadrupled our first score. That probably got my team to pass the competition. So, yeah. Our team is going to the next level of competition: Sectionals in January in St. Paul. I was happy.

Until next time,

David

On This Day

Historic Highlights (credits)

2009 - Maiden flight of Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Considered to be one of Boeing's most fuel-efficient airplanes, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has suffered from problems associated with its lithium-ion batteries.

1978 - US recognizes China
30 years after the creation of the People's Republic of China, President Jimmy Carter announced that the United States would formally recognize the communist country starting January 1, 1979. The announcement also called for the severing of relations with Taiwan, a position that was quickly reversed under protests.

1939 - Premier of the Gone with the Wind
The award winning film was adapted from the Pulitzer winner Margaret Mitchell's book by the same name.

1933 - Twenty-first Amendment to U.S. Constitution comes into effect
Ratified on December 5 of the same year, the amendment repealed the prohibition on alcohol in the United States which had come into force on January 17, 1920, when the 18th amendment took effect.

1791 - U.S. Bill of Rights becomes law
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution of the United States are known as the Bill of Rights. They became law after Virginia ratified the amendments.

Happy Birthday to the Bill of Rights! Here's a quick reference list, FYI.
Amendment 1- Freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly; right of petition
Amendment 2 - Right to bear arms
Amendment 3 - Limit on quartering of troops
Amendment 4 - Protection against unreasonable search and seizure
Amendment 5 - Protection of Rights to Life, Liberty, and Property
Amendment 6 - Rights of Accused Persons in Criminal Cases
Amendment 7 - Trial by jury in civil cases
Amendment 8 - No excessive bail or fine; no cruel or unusual punishment
Amendment 9 -  Certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people

Amendment 10 - Undelegated Powers Kept by the States and the People

Happy Birthday to You!🎶 

1986 - Junsu, South Korean singer-songwriter, actor

1979 - Eric Young, Canadian wrestler

1928 - Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian/New Zealand painter, architect, designed the Kuchlbauer Tower, Waldspirale

1907 - Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian architect, designed the United Nations Headquarters, Cathedral of Brasília (And NOT the inventor of the Oscar Mayer Weiner or the song.)

37 - Nero, Roman emperor

Remembering You

2013 Harold Camping
American broadcaster, author

2011 Christopher Hitchens
English/American journalist, author

2010 Bob Feller
American baseball player

1966 Walt Disney
American animator, director, screenwriter, producer, co-founded The Company

Regardless of where you land on the like/dislike continuum of Disney, et al; I gotta give the guy credit for the sheer size and magnitude of the impact he had on American culture.

1950 Vallabhbhai Patel
Indian activist, politician, 1st Deputy Prime Minister of India

Wannaskan Almanac Regional Social Calendar

Saturday, December 15th
CREED Annual Christmas Bake Sale, @ 9am-12pm, Blessed Sacrament Church, Greenbush
Scandinavian Holiday Open House, @ 9am-4pm, En Liten Svensk Shoppe
All Seasons Market @ 10am-4pm, Four Seasons Center, Roseau
Gift of Giving @ 10am-2pm, Roseau City Center
Holiday Tea, @ 1-3pm, Warroad Senior Living Center
Community Christmas Cantata, @ 7:30pm, Warroad High School Mini-Theater

Sunday, December 16th
Holiday Special Stamping Class, @11am, Aunt B’s shop, Roseau

Monday, December 17th
Body Chisel @5:15pm, Sangha Yoga Studio
Vinyasa Yoga (Candlelight) @ 6:00pm, Sangha Yoga Studio

Wednesday, December 19th
Hot Yoga, @ 4:30pm, Sangha Yoga Studio

How ever you choose to spend your day, make it a great Saturday!

- Kim

P.S.  Today's blog language and playfulness was inspired by my WA peeps, Wannaska Writer and Chairman Joe. Yup, you betcha, but ah don tink I'll evah get dat Bahston accent dowun.