Home from MSU, part 3

Or the conclusion...

Day 4

Saturday was a free day.

After breakfast we watched the finalists in the junior division put on their skits.

Then Hannah and I were on our own. A day to do whatever we wanted to do until 7 when the Variety Show started. We went back to my hotel room so I could put on my swim suit because when Hannah was asked, "what do you want to do today" the only thing she said was swim. We ran into some of the other kids in our team at the pool too. I didn't swim long because I had no desire to jump off the diving board repeatedly. I think that means I am old or something like that...

After swimming and getting rid of the wet stuff back at the hotel we walked to lunch. Hannah wanted Chipotle. (Isn't she a smart kid with great taste?) Then we ventured about. Bought some t-shirts, drank some chai, and headed on over to the campus museum.

Sometimes it's ok to touch.

Cool display!

I find textiles everywhere I go.

We wandered back through the garden. A botanist talked to us about the plants and showed Hannah a sensitive plant that shuts down the leaves when touched and he showed us a tree that's been around since the time of the dinosaurs. So cool! It looked like a mix between a deciduous tree and a pine tree.


Then we went back to the dorms. All we did was walk, walk, walk. On to dinner, then on to the show!

The variety show was awesome. Not only are these kids smart they're also talented. Let's see there were dueling violins, a tissue paper fashion show, a ballet dance accompanied by piano, lip singing to the Back Street Boys, MLK's I had a dream speech, and even a guy in drag singing I feel pretty. There were many more too. My favorite by far though was the sock puppets singing Bohemian Rhapsody. It was awesome.

Sock puppets.

Fashion show.

After the show the kids, all dressed very nicely, went off to the dance/social. Sunday would be the last day.

Day 5

Award Ceremony time.

All the parents checked out of the hotel bright and early (7 effing 30). Breakfast, thankfully the last, and then off to the awards. As you know we didn't win but a few awards were snagged by other teams in NJ. We had a great time all in all. I truly hope these kids get a chance to go back!


The rest of the day was spent traveling.

I loved how the fountain in the airport reflected in the water.

All that was left after a long bus ride was a long wait until the flight was supposed to leave, a new flight since our plane lost a navigational radio on the runway, and finally touch down at EWR after 11 pm. The kids all had school the next day too.

Thus concluding a kick ass trip to MSU with our FPS team!