This was the BIG weekend for our sweet Sydney!  She not only competed in the Louisville Regional Science Fair but the very same day competed in the Governor’s Cup State finals for Future Problem Solvers.  I can’t remotely tell you how proud of her we are.  She is one amazing kiddo.  Where to start…

On Saturday we got up bright and early because we had to be at UofL for the Science Fair by 8:30.  I got her there and as we were swinging through the drop off lane I noticed that everyone was in Sunday clothes and Sydney was not.  In fact Sydney was wearing holey kneed jeans!  I shrieked, “Sydney!  Was this Sunday best?”  She looked around her at the other kids getting dropped off and in a panicked exclaimed, “Mom the papers didn’t say anything about dress!”  What could we do.  We were already there and its not like there are any clothing stores open on campus at 8am!  So into the science fair we went ripped jeans and all.  She set up at her booth and as all the kids arrived we found it amusing to see that all of the South  Oldham kids were in jeans…the ONLY kids in jeans I might add!  Ah well.  We will know for next year.

They announced judging time so all the Parents were asked to leave.  I spent the morning upstairs in the walkway over the train tracks in the SAC.  It brought back memories of waiting for Todd to get out of class.  I spent a lot of time in the breeze way.  Kinsey used to love watching the trains go right under her feet.   At around 11am kids began to trickle out of the room for lunch.  I texted Sydney and asked her if she was allowed to go to lunch.  She said that she hadn’t been released yet and that she was sure to starve before relief would come.  (Melodramatic much?)  After an hour of waiting and what was surely ALL of the other participants released I texted her to go and ask someone if she was allowed to leave for lunch yet.  She did and their answer was NO.  She was being judged as a finalist and needed to stay.  Thats right…the Mentos and Coke experiment was a FINALIST!   She didn’t place in the top three (those were the cash prizes) but I think its pretty awesome that her little project was considered a finalist in this HUGE science fair.  CONGRATULATIONS SYDNEY!!!!

Well we had to leave the science fair before the award ceremony at 3pm to get to the Galt House Hotel for the State Governor’s Cup Future Problem Solvers Championship.  We got there right on time and in Sydney went.  In case you were wondering that meant more sitting and waiting for me.  I think its so odd how completely exhausted you can get just sitting around waiting all day!  Odd isn’t it?

That was Saturday and we were back at the Galt House this morning at 8am for Individual FPS competition.  We had to stay at the hotel all day…lots more waiting…until the Awards ceremony at 3pm.  After 2 hours of awards we were the last category being awarded.  And our little team placed 10th!!!!  They got a big trophy and everything!   Out of more than 50 FPS teams competing at State after winning their Regions our girls were 10th.  I think thats pretty darn AWESOME!  They desperately wanted to be top 4 as the top 4 teams go on to the International competition this summer.  But something tells me that this won’t be their only shot at it.  CONGRATULATIONS SYDNEY!!!!!

Here is Sydney and her team with the Governor!!!

One added piece of awesomeness for the day.  It was the 25th anniversary for the Governor’s Cup Competition this year.  And before the awards ceremony they showed this little slide show of the competition through the years.  Well all week long we have been hearing Grammy and Todd talk about his days at the GC Competition in Quick Recall.  So I turned to Sydney and said, “Wouldn’t’ it be awesome if your Dad’s picture popped up in this!”  And you know what?  IT DID!!!  TWICE!!!  There he was in all his middle school cuteness sitting behind a Quick Recall table in heavy competition.  It was so awesome!  What an awesome legacy.  When I told Todd about it though he just said that he was glad he wasn’t there.  He thought it would be embarrassing.  🙁  Well I think it was AWESOME!  Not embarrassing one bit.