Please be warned. This post is shameless mommy bragging time, about the one letting me brag. The other didn't want to be recognized for the accomplishments of this year. His are also many. His words allowed are few.
Today we celebrate OYT, Our Youngest Teen, who just finished 8th grade. Last night we attended a picnic and slide show to commemorate the occasion. I was too far away to get any pictures, but OYT did let me take these and tell you about them. I am grateful.
One of my favorite qualities of this young man was also recognized by his peers and today he received this peer-chosen award.
He is also most definitely a scientist, which they also recognized.
Here are his two latest achievements. This machine is a combination of two "simple machines" as per the group project. They combined a pulley with a wheel and axle to construct the "Nifty-Lifting Machine." Attach your object to be lifted to the hook, turn the PVC crank, and lift your thing, with a lot less force.
He also took a class called "Instrument Design". This idea came from his wobbling a piece of poster board one day and turned into this:
Turn the crank, the thin plexiglass wobbles (he explained the difference between how the two pulleys work and how the load is distributed, etc., but let's leave it at "it makes it wobble") and produces a really, um, interesting sound. Interesting to engineers. And to teenagers. To writer-mothers who've had to listen to it...for a while...I'm really OK with knowing how it sounds. From memory.
I can't ignore his artistic side though. He had three pieces in the art show this year.
"Place Setting" where he had a picture to copy.
Love his attention to detail.
This gift, which he had planned for another occasion, he couldn't use because it was kept for the show. Most of you know my sunflower obsession. I think he did a great job. It's glass, and the dirt is hardened concrete, so this thing is going nowhere unless on purpose.
I'll close with this. His third piece from the show. I think you've seen that he certainly knows how to do what he instructs.
~Tina, proud mom, who thanks you for bearing with her
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All pictures by me.
Did you SEE my gorgeous new header? It's by Jeremy, all things digital, my admin, my bro, my dear friend. Thanks, J, for the AMAZING new artwork.
