TOYchallenge over!!!

Last saturday was the TOYchallenge competition at Qualcomm Stadium. Each team had nine minutes to display their game and answer questions. Everybody got something (a jobs in engineering book and a certificate). Everyone on the winning team got a round trip ticket to anywhere in the continental United States. The top teams in each category got a trophy and a game, and the honorable mentions got medals. We didn't get anything, but I didn't think we would.

Belmont

Last week we went to Belmont Park, a small amusement park on the ocean. It only has a few small rides, but they are fun and there are a lot of games. They have one big wooden rollercoaster, The Giant Dipper, and a few small thrill rides, like the Beach Blaster (which rocks you back and forth while spinning you), and Chaos (where you spin on a giant wheel). It was really fun, and we won some prizes from the games. They also have an endless wave that you can surf on, but it was closed when we were there.

Joshua Tree

Last Friday my Dad and I went to Joshua Tree National Park. On the way there we saw a wind farm that had over a thousand wind mills. We stayed at a place called 29 Palms Inn. It was separate adobe houses with cool names. We stayed in the Dark Room. When we got to Joshua Tree, we saw thousands of Joshua trees in rows that went on for miles. We went on two short hikes, one through Cholla Gardens, which had hundreds of cacti, and one through a sandy canyon. It was really fun.

Homeschool

Here is a video I made about my cat.

Palomar

Yesterday we went to Palomar observatory on Palomar Mountain. It is seventy-five miles from San Diego, and my dad biked all the way. You can't actually go inside the main room where the telescope is. You have to go around it in a room with a glass wall. It is a lot smaller than I expected, but it is really cool.

Pittsburgh

I am looking forward to going back to Pittsburgh. I miss my friends and house. Our apartment here is too small and nobody is visiting us for a while. One of the only things I don't miss is the weather there. In the summer it is too hot and it is too cold in the winter. We are going to be back at just the right time.

Goliad

I am doing a report on the massacre at Goliad during the Texas revolution. While I was in Texas, my grandfather took me there. There is a huge fort, Presidio la Bahia, that has a chapel in it. My grandfather got married in the chapel. During the Texas revolution, the Texians surrendered and were brought to the fort. They were all killed, even though they surrendered.