A Brainy Beauty and the Brainy Beasts

My Saturday was spent being a brainy mom.  I do not drive my children around to non-stop soccer games, no, I drive my beautiful daughter to an academic contest.  And, she rocked.

Darby, who is not into joining or competing in anything, is on an academic bowl team.  This did give me pause.  I know what it is like when trying to get Darby to perform up to her potential - she balks.  But, because of the care and consideration of a beloved teacher, she agreed to be on the academic team.  Ten boys and two girls.  Darby does not seem to mind this so much, and apparently she does have some competitive bones in her body.  Her school performed so well - they go to the regionals this winter, so we will have lots of opportunities to funnel more knowledge into her until then.

After witnessing the academic bowl this weekend, I have a new appreciation for mathletes.  You would not believe how hard the math questions were, and they have to be answered in a couple of seconds.  There was this one genius that seemed to always get them right, unfortunately he was representing a school from the other side of the county.  Darby's team did very well, but I don't think they have Rain Man in their group.

When they would start reading a question that I knew that Darby would know, I would get so anxious for her.  I want her to buzz in every time, but she is a little more cautious than that.  Thankfully, she did get the opportunity to score some points in language arts.  That little chapter she read in the second grade kicked off her success, and since no one else knew it, she accumulated 20 more points.  But the ones she missed!  AAARGH!  These students could use me on their team when it comes to the miscellaneous trivia questions.  Based on what happened on Saturday, I am glad I hung a U. S. map in her room in the first grade, I am glad I invested in good, quality literature, and I am glad we read history books out loud on our road trip to Oklahoma, because she used all of these resources for the academic team questions.  Darby, you rock.