Speech and Debate Tournament #2

Reminder:  I write this blog for family and friends.  This is going to be one of those Proud Mama bragging posts!  I thank God for the skills that He has given the children.  Bear with me as I share how blessed we were!

Thomas collecting his plaque for winning Rhetorical Criticism

This tournament was our home tournament.  Almost all the parents were working hard to run the tournament.  My job was ballot check-in coordinator.  I worked in the judge quiet room.  There was a group of us that went over the ballots the judges completed to make sure all the i's were dotted and the t's crossed.  One of the things that results from this job is that I get to see EVERY ballot so that I know how the kids are doing even though I can say nothing.  I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.  It does raise my stress level to watch the judges sitting there trying to decide whether our kids had won or lost.  It was a great tournament for our club as well as our family!

Thomas and T-Bob were Speech Sweepstakes Participants

Thomas and T-Bob  each competed in three different speech categories.  This is called 'sweepstakes'. For the last four years, winning sweepstakes has been Thomas's goal.  T-Bob did make the final room in his informative speech on basketball,  although he did not place.

Thomas was so excited that he finally won speech sweepstakes!  This is a major achievement.

I have to admit that this brought a few tears to the eye of this proud mama.  Thomas managed to handle this well and was a graceful winner.

Thomas won 5th place in debate speaker awards

 Thomas won 5th place in the debate speaker category.  This was his personal best in the debate speaker category.

Thomas and Mikayla won the debate tournament

The other major award given at a tournament is debate tournament winner.  Thomas and his partner Mikayla won the final round against their friends Caleb and Rachel Boyer.   It was so great to receive their awards from our coach and club. Very few things are as sweet as winning your home tournament.

Here are the four teams that placed.   Thomas and his partner rocked this tournament.  To win both Sweepstakes and the Tournament, as well as first place in a speech event  is very amazing.  The only disappointment was that my DH wasn't able to be there and share the moment.  He was with his family.

One of the things that I really love about our league, is that it is open to setting up special categories for special kids to 'compete' with the rest of the kids.

This is another very sweet special lady.  When my DH had to fly out of town to be with his Dad, Carol took over and performed his jobs.  That was such a blessing.  It allowed things to go smoothly at the tournament.  She is so easy to work with.  I learn a lot from her.

So, I do not know what Thomas will do for an encore.  This tournament was rather an epic experience.  He continues to work hard and aim for victory in the next tournament which is only a couple weeks away.

Debate Tournament #1

Our family, has only recently started doing basketball as part of our 'lifestyle'.  Previous to this year, we have only really done Church, family and Speech and debate.  We have done Speech and Debate for the last four years through a Christian homeschool league. (CCO/CCA).  It has been so good for our family.  We love it because it is something that our whole family can be involved in.

T-Bob 

 I have found that as a home school mom, that the children make about two academic years of progress for every year that they do debate.  It really helps to fill a lot of the holes in their home school education.  It is a tremendously in depth course on government. (We do team policy debate), research, logic, and writing.  It is like writing an in depth research paper. The best part about it is that the kids love to do it because they enjoy the competition and want to do well. I could never assign them such a project without them being overwhelmed and upset at me.  However, in our family, they would be seriously disappointed if we told them that they couldn't participate in speech and debate.  The older children are able to continue their participation by judging the debate and speech events.

Susan Miller

 I love the people that work with speech and debate.  They are some of the most ethical and sweetest people you would ever want to meet.  Susan Miller is a queenly lady.  She is the tournament director of one of our home tournaments.  She gently guides and encourages all of us who are helping out.  She keeps things on track but you never see her lose her cool.  She keeps track of all the little details without hovering.  That is a gift!  Even when she has to correct you she does it in a kind and loving way without exhibiting any impatience.  THAT is a real gift!  Everybody who gets to know her and work with her feels blessed.  We are so fortunate to have a director like her.

Thomas won second place in Poetry Interpretation

 The speech side of the tournament involves three categories of events.  The first are the interpretive events.  They change from year to year.  This year they are poetry and dramatic duo.  The speaker chooses a poem to interpret or a dramatic piece to do with a partner.  Thomas is doing the 'Pied Piper' poem and T-Bob is doing 'Herve Riel'.  Elizabeth competes in the JV division and is doing the poem 'Curfew Must not Ring Tonight'. The pieces can be up to ten minutes long.

Thomas won first place in Impromptu Apologetics

The second set of events are the impromptu events.  There are three choices here.  There is 'Impromptu' where the speaker is given a quote and then has two minutes to give a five minute speech.  Another event is Impromptu Apologetics.  In this speech event, you are given an apologetics question (Ex. How can a good God allow suffering in the world?) and then you have three minutes to put together a seven minute response that must be presented conversationally to the judges.  The third event in this category is Extemporaneous Commentary.  This event involves being given a question re an international, national or economics issues and the speaker is given thirty minutes to research and gather evidence and then they have to present a seven minute 'newscast' style speech.  The third category is the Informative events.  The one event is informative, wherein the speaker gives a ten minute memorized  on any subject they wish.  T-Bob is doing his speech on basketball.  The other informative event is rhetorical criticism. This is also a ten minute memorized speech.  Thomas is competing in this  event.  He is evaluating whether Snowden is a hero.

Sweepstakes Competitors

Sweepstakes is when a young person presents a speech in each of the three categories.  T-bob and Thomas are both doing this. Each speech must be given three times over the course of a tournament.  It is a very challenging thing to do.

Thomas and his partner finished fourth in debate

In debate the resolution they are debating is "The US federal government should reform its counterterrorism policy(s) for the domestic surveillance of US citizens."  It is a super current topic and changes almost daily.  It keeps the kids on their toes and requires them to stay on top of the news. Thomas and his partner did well.  They made it to the semifinals where thy lost to the team that won the tournament.

Here is our club.  They are a fine group of young people.  I really enjoy my time with them. 

Go Theo!

Thomas Rolls to the Finals

Speech and Debate is a major activity for our family.  All the children still in school participate.  Speech is for the younger ones and debate is for the high schoolers.  This year that means Thomas.  He loves debate!!!

This year Thomas is back with the same partner as last year.  They work well together.  They spend long hours producing their affirmative case and finding evidence to use when they are negative.
This year the resolutions is that "The US federal government should reform its counterterrorism policy(ies) for the domestic surveillance if US citizens".  This topic is definitely on the front burner of the news and is constantly changing as new evidence comes out.

Thomas and his partner are now advanced debaters and have learned a lot through the last couple years.  They were undefeated going into the finals.

Rounds Start with prayer between the teams.

They faced a tough team of advanced debaters.  It was very ironic as both teams have  similar cases.
The negative team had a lot of arguments and evidence against them.  They had discussed and worked together on their cases on tuesday night at the club meeting.

Cross examination... Go Mikayla!

It was a very closely contested debate.  Their was a panel of five judges for the final round.  Normally, there is just one judge per round.

Abbie chilling 

The final round is done before the whole club.  After a day of debating a lot of people are tired and wanting to relax.  This day had been more stressful than usual even.  After the first round of debate, (There are five.), the electricity went out.  Most of the rounds were moved to rooms with windows to utilize natural light.  The round I was judging was put into a dark hallway.  The emergency lights were on but they faded to nothing after an hour.  Fortunately, I had a flashlight and headlamp with me.  I keep them around as I use them to go check outside on the critters at night and it is DARK in the country.  I gave the speakers the flashlights so they could read their notes and I used the headlamp so that I could take notes.  The lunch/break room was pitch black except for the cell phones and a few little flashlights.  The coach went out and got some battery charged lanterns so we could see to eat lunch.  The electric was out for over four hours!  Finally, the utility truck came out and switched the breaker on the pole back on.  I think it was the single digit temps that stressed it.

Thomas, looking sneaky during cross examination

 This was a great debate round.  Both teams were educated and there was a lot of 'clash'.  That is a good thing.  It means that the negative team understood the case and was able to argue the issues. This is a lot of fun for debaters. That doesn't always happen.  It is kind of like boxers.  They would rather fight someone who will fight toe-to-toe than one who dances around the ring and won't engage.  Both teams left smiling.

My DH came for the final round and brought us Chipotle for dinner.  He is a big debate fan as well.  It appeals to his intellect.

The final round participants

How did it go?  Perfectly!  In our club there is a 'jinx' associated with winning the club's Round Robin Tournament.  The winner of the Tournament doesn't usually win a tournament during the season.  This has been true for years!  Nobody knows why.  Thomas was happy that they lost 3-2.  It was super close enough to not be an embarrassing lost, but a loss none the less to avoid the stigma.  LOL.  One of the judges was someone that Thomas highly respects and considers a mentor.  This fella is a highly successful debater on the high school and college levels and is now in law school at OSU.  Anyway, on his ballot, he gave Thomas and his partner the win, so all was well in Thomas's world.

 This is the third place team Nick and Rebecca did a great job also.  If you think of it, pray for Rebecca's family.  Their house was severely damaged by fire a couple weeks ago.  It is hard on the family to lose so many family treasures.  All the boy's Legos were melted as well as their clothes burned.  They are rebuilding.  They are currently living in a motel until they can arrange more permanent temporary housing.  They are doing well, but it is still a stressful time. Their homeschool books were stored in plastic totes downstairs, so they survived just fine.

Our first 'real' tournament will be in two weeks.

How To Get a Great Deal on Legos

I've found that Legos are quite a hot item among homeschooling families, but where do they get them? Sure, they get a few for birthday presents, but if you're a big Lego fan, you'll notice that some people have many high dollar sets. Where do they get all those bricks? Well, speaking from experience, Probably the biggest sources are GARAGE SALES, Craigslist, and various deals at the local retail shops.

Now the next big question. How do I get a good deal on legos?

Craigslist-If you go to your local Craigslist website, and type in the key word Lego, you will come up with quite a few results Which, at least in my area are mostly video games. However a few of those leads will bring forth the results you want and lead to Lego bargains. If you think that the Legos in the ad are overpriced respond anyway. A lot of the time they are willing to haggle or barter.

Garage Sales- Recently garage sales have had more overpriced Legos. Most of the time, if they want to actually get rid of the stuff, they will come down in price.We have a few "professional" garage sales in our area. 90% of the time these people will not haggle, so if you're on a tight schedule, don't waste your time. If you're having trouble finding any garage sales try the classifieds in your local newspaper or craigslist.

Store Deals- How do you find deals in your local store? ONLINE. There are so many websites out there telling about good deals on Lego. As with all websites many of them are junk, so be careful and get a good content filter. The one I use is Toys N Bricks. I have found its information to be reliable and even though you have to become a member to view parts of it and participate in contests. I have gotten no spam in my 9 months of membership(Though it might just be because I use Gmail) If you get advertisements from local retail shops such as ToysRU and Walmart you might find some good deals there too. If you are a Borders rewards member (It is free to join), that is another good way as they send out many 33 and 40%of coupons that you can use on Legos.

I hope this information was helpful,

-Thomas.

Junior Date Night

Our son Thomas, gave me three coupons good for a date night for Christmas. I love it!

Last Friday night my DH was out of town, so Thomas and I decided it was a good opportunity to sneak away for our 'date'.

It was a lovely night and so we went to 'Five Guys' and picked up burgers for dinner and took them down to the lake.

Thomas is a charming conversationalist so it is always pleasant chatting with him. We watched the birds fly through the trees and listened to their calls. We observed the people walking their dogs and decided who had a dominant dog, and who ruled their pack well (from things we learned from Cesar Milan videos and books). We had had a late start on our date due to the extensive sour kraut project, so it was nearing sunset when we finished.

We walked down to the beach and watched the gentle waves against the sand, took pictures, and watched the sunset.

It was a beautiful evening.

Have you ever read the book 'The Five Love Languages'? I found that book really helpful in understanding our marriage and its occasional challenges and in raising our children. It is fun to identify the children's primary love language. Then you can speak love to them in a language they understand. Is there any doubt that Thomas's love language is 'quality time'? You betcha. It really works that mine is that as well. I would say that within our six children that at least four of the languages are represented. I am not sure what Elizabeth's is yet. The rest I know. I am conscious of them as I try and make sure they all feel loved and accepted in our family.

Can you identify your children's love languages?

1. Words of affirmation

2. Quality time

3. Acts of service

4. Physical Affection

5. Giving Gifts

How they show love is usually how they feel loved. Just something to think about.

~Mom

Some Family Funnies

Yesterday as we started our long pilgrimage to Amish country, JoAn started sifting through the front of the van. She was relieved to find a real dearth of CDs to listen to. She commented, "We didn't bring any music or anything to listen to."

From the back seat Thomas piped up, " You brought me!" Yep, we got to listen to him for most of the day.

Story 2

My Uncle in Canada had a bone scan on Friday. It involved injecting a lot of radioactive isotopes. They were warned about airport security. They weren't planning on flying so they didn't give it another thought. Today, they were driving down to ND to fill up their gas tank (American gas is less expensive.) As they were crossing the boarder their usually friendly boarder guards suddenly were in a state of 'red alert'. Apparently, he had set off the radioactive sensors from inside the car. He had to prove to them that he wasn't a terrorist. My uncle is an almost 70 white haired 'old guy'. :) Fortunately, they got it worked out and they could continue on their way. Glad they let him back into Canada.

~Mom

King of Clean - A Manly Man

Thomas is my 'King of Clean' He is efficient and thorough when it comes to getting a job done right (when he's motivated). I really appreciate this about him. He has his daddy's efficiency when it comes to work. He is a willing worker especially to escape boredom or to earn a reward.
I rarely have problems with his quality of work.
The other day Thomas came into the family room and announced that the children's toilet was blocked and wouldn't flush. I asked him what happened and he said with some embarrassment that he had 'deposited something in there'. My mind immediately went scatological, and Mr. Boots and I told him to get the plunger and use that. Mr. Boots even gave him precise instructions in how to get something to move along. (Spoken from experience, perhaps?) Thomas came back several minutes later and announced that the problem was worse and the obstruction had only scooted further in. HMMMM. Thinking this an odd statement, I asked him what the precise nature of the obstruction was. He told me that the end of the toilet brush had fallen off and was now stuck in the toilet. I asked him why he hadn't said that in the beginning and then told him that he needed to go and immediately fish it out. "With what?" He asked. "With your skinny arms." I replied. He wasn't sure about that. I told him that numerous studies had concluded that the inside of toilets were more pristine than many ice machines and to get to work. He stared at me and went off shaking his head. He could tell by my tone of voice that there was no point in arguing.

He rolled up his sleeves. ( See how nice a job he had already done cleaning it?)

And went fishing. Reaching down and in as far as he could until...

Success was obtained.

I really am not sure how he managed to break off the brush or how far down he had that thing to get it stuck, but I am sure it was rarely cleaner.

Maybe those cleaning books I have assigned my children (boys and girls) to read are paying off.

~Mom

Thomas's Tale

The children have once again been writing in class. Today I am going to feature the inimitable Thomas's tale. The children were given two phrases from a book we are reading together and then were told to put it in a story. I will italicize the phrases in the story below. Enjoy!

One day John heard the sound of a small engine across the brown water. He looked up to see what it was. It was then that he saw the granite boulder the size of an elephant and the shape of an egg coming straight towards him. He screamed in terror and started to run. It was uncanny how it seemed to follow him. When he turned right, it turned right, and when he turned left it turned left. It gained on him every step that he took until it was only a few feet behind him. He finally reached a baobab tree and hid behind it. He thought he heard a mechanical noise and he saw a camera emerging from the top. The camera pointed straight towards him and the ball started again. He heard the tree splinter behind him and he started to run again. He made it to the road just as it reached him.
Optional ending #1: Squish, splat he was flattened thinner than a pancake.
Optional ending #2: As he reached the road he saw a vacant car with the keys in the ignition. He jumped in and started the engine. He raced off in a cloud of dust outracing the robot, for it was a robot sent to kill him. It still chases him to this day. So, if you see a man with a granite ball behind him, you can be sure it's John.
The End