pictures you're DIing to see!

This past weekend the girls had their "DI" (destination imagination) tournament. They have been working on this since October so it was the culmination of a lot of work. As most of you know I manage Hannah's team so it was a big deal for me too. The kids had a great day and as luck would have it the weather was beautiful so the kids had a chance to play outside. Hannah's team did very well (as you will see). Sophie's team was not competitive but they really did a fantastic job and were extremely cute!

Sophie was on the primary team. The primary team is not competitive. Their challenge was to write and perform a skit that included a number, something to go through and the person who goes through that something has to change when they go through it and they had to make a prop out of newspaper and duct tape. Their play was about two little girls who got seperated from their parents and the girls travel to find their parents. Sophie was one of the girls. They go through a tunnel which is the cardboard box in the rear of this picture and when they do their hair color changes. They go to a waterfall, which was played by our neighbor Nathan you can see him next to Sophie. The number was 100 bubbles that they see at the waterfall. It was a very cute skit. We were very proud of Sophie! 

Sophie's team is introduced by "Reggie" the primary challenge guru who comes from Pennsylvania just for this event. 

Sophie does some fine acting 

OHHH! Sophie's hair color has changed! 

the team is proudly finished. 

Before Hannah's team performed they ran around outside to get rid of some of their energy. They were playing on top of a hill. I love this picture of the kids jumping up. Unfortunately, one of the team members is missing from this shot. 

Hannah and Sophie enjoy some fresh air between events 

This is Hannah's team right before their performance. Their challenge was to build three devices. One device, the delivery device, has to send balls 14 feet through air or on the floor without touching anything else. The kids opted to make a pin-ball like device. The second device, "the receiving device", is merely a hole that the ball has to go through, the smaller the hole, the more points for accuracy. The third device returns the ball to the first device, thus it is aptly named the "return" device. For this the kids put together some PVC pipe and used gravity and a vacuum to get the balls. The competition was tough and their were eight elementary teams includeing teams of fifth graders. Our team proudly came home with a third place ribbon!! 

The team is being questioned by the appraisers before they go out onto the "stage". 

In this picture the kids are introducing themselves to the audience. The people in the hats behind them are the judges, know as appraisers in the DI circuit. They wear the silly hats to be less indimidating and for the most part that works. 

In this picture the kids are setting up their device 

Hannah is doing her job of sucking the balls out of the return device with a vacuum. You can see the boys shooting the balls. 

In this picture you can see the teams whole device. The boys are operating the pin ball like shooting device. The red object is the receiving device and the PVC pipe is returning the balls to the delivery device (Hannah is collecting the balls out of the PVC pipe) 

A proud Hannah goes up to accept her third place prize