The New Cool

This last week I had the opportunity to go with Macey to yet another world robotics competition to support my bother in law Amir, my sister Emily, and their robotics team the "DPenquineers". Together, Emily and Amir have created and implemented an amazing robotics program at Dos Pueblos High School, my alum. It is an AMAZING program! It even landed Amir the McArthur "genius"award this year which was HUGE considering he was the first ever teacher to have won. Can you believe that!? It was $500,000 bucks, and a huge honor! I can't imagine what that would feel like to just be nominated let alone win. Unbelievable! Along with this incredible award, a book was written this year about Amir and this program that he and Emily created. The book is called The New Cool: A Visionary Teacher, His FIRST Robotics team, and the Ultimate Battle of Smarts. I loved it, and finished it in just a few days. The rights of the book have been bought by Disney and might possibly be made into a movie. Crazy huh!? I am related to a celebrity! HA! It was so fun seeing Amir get asked by these kids to sign their book...It was so cute!Anyway, it was a great week! DP didn't go all the way as I expected them to, but just like sports, one mistake can cost you big in the end. And it did. I have to say though, they had by far the BEST robot in the entire place. They so should have won it all. It was an incredible machine! I didn't get great pictures since I was with two kids for most of the week, but I was able to get a few.DP is the black one on the bottom right.

The Pit

Because Emily needed to be helping with the team, I came in order to help out with Aliya, my 20 month niece. We had so much fun exploring the city.

Here at the metro where we started and ended our days. I love city living and not having to deal with cars. Walking everywhere was SO NICE!Here we are at Forest Park at the St. Loius History Museum. They had an entire exhibit on the World fair of 1904. One of my all time Christmas movies (which isn't really even about Christmas) is Meet me in St. Loius. This very fair was a big focal point of the film, an a big part of the song that Judy Garland sang:

Meet me in St. Louis, Louis,

Meet me at the Fair

Don't tell me the lights are shining

Anyplace but there

We will dance the "Hoochie-Koochie"

I will be your "Tootsie-Wootsie"

If you will meet me in St. Louis, Louis,

Meet me at the Fair.

I couldn't stop singing it as I was walking through the exhibit. It was kinda funny, but the kids liked it. (I think!)

Here we are at the St. Loius zoo. It was awesome!

The bears.
Again, my pictures aren't great at all, but like I said, I kinda had my hands full. It was a great week, and I am so thankful and honored that my sister let me come and watch her little one. Aliya is SO cute, and so smart! I loved getting to know her better and I loved getting to be a part of something so incredible. Oh did I mention I saw Morgan Freeman?