Monday, October 29, 2007

20th Annual WVU Pumpkin Drop

The WVU student section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) hosts the annual pumpkin drop and raises money for the Ronald McDonald House from the entry fees. Originally eggs were dropped, but now it is pumpkins who make the 11-story fall.

You have to design a container/device/contraption of some kind to hold a pumpkin that will hopefully keep said pumpkin in one piece. The ultimate goal is to have your pumpkin survive the fall AND come closest to the target (a hand-drawn Jack-o-lantern painted on a white tarp). This year we worked on the project with several other homeschooled kids in the area (Monongalia Area Homeschoolers). My kids and I did two other drops in previous years and ended up with a smashed pumpkin both times.

We were the first ones in line (thanks to one of the homeschool moms in town who arrived early), which was great because it poured down rain the entire time we were there. And let me tell you, it was cold and miserable. I am not a duck. Our pumpkin survived it's fall, but ended up too far away from the target to qualify for any prizes. We didn't care about that because we were just happy the pumpkin made it. The kids are already planning next year's design hoping to get the pumpkin closer to the target.

The building the pumpkins were dropped from (that's the launch board way at the top)


Sydney in her froggy raincoat


Dylan trying to keep dry


Tucker (red pullover) with his friends getting ready to take pumpkin up

The aftermath of the first few pumpkins...we left early, so couldn't get a picture after all pumpkins had been dropped

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

A Bunch of Hot Air


Hot air balloon

What a busy month we have had already! The annual Mountaineer Balloon Festival was this past weekend. Friday was kid's day, with free admission and free rides for the kids (only $5 for me to get in).

Before we went to the festival, though, we joined up with other Monongalia Area Homeschoolers for United Way Youth Day of Caring, sorting clothes and food at the local Christian Help Center. While our family is not religious, this group does a lot for the community by helping the poor, homeless and elderly with basic needs (food, clothing shelter). They also have a Christmas toy drive and help people whose homes have been destroyed by fire.



Sorting food in pantry

Sorting food in pantry



The younger kids sorted and bagged food in the pantry. The older kids helped to sort through kids clothing, putting them into various piles based on size and type. They had to pick out any stained clothes which are recycled. I wish my boys put as much care into their clothes at home as they did in the clothes they sorted out there!


Tucker (right) and a friend sorting clothes

Tucker (right) and a friend sorting clothes


At the balloon festival, it was so hot (very unusual this time of year) that we avoided the rides for the most part. There was lots to do, including shows put on by the Carnegie Science Center and Ogleby Good Zoo. There were two big tents set up with several race cars on display and cars would rev up from time to time. The Raptor Center had several birds on display, including a small screech owl the volunteer allowed the kids to touch. There was also an entomology exhibit with local insects and bugs (some of which the kids could touch, including a tarantula!).

While at the festival, the boys got to try paintball. Dylan decided not to go in the arena after finding out the paintball pellets hurt when they hit you, so he did the target shooting instead. Tucker opted for the arena and got hit once right at the end, getting a painful-looking welt on his shoulder (but a big grin on his face despite it...and he wanted to go back in again!).


Tucker's paintball boo-boo

OUCH!


Hot air balloons

Hot air balloons


Hot air balloons