Knowing Bob - Item Two

Next top special item sitting on my desk it a picture of my kids.



This was from Easter a couple years back. You can tell because Daniel still has the "poof" hairstyle.  We were trying to get a nice picture and they kept messing around and I snapped this black and white shot and loved it.  This shows them in their normal goofiness and I love them for it. 

With Daniel away at college we don't get the four together as much, but Daniel surprised us last night by stopping by for about five minutes on the way from Harrisonburg to VA Beach for a Young Life retreat and to see him hugging on his brothers made my week.

So here's to Daniel, Rachel, Nicholas and Patrick.

My kids

I truly love my kids and I enjoy things more when the entire family is together.  This summer, there have only been a handful of days when this has happened.   We have had weeks with no kids.  There have been weeks with just Rachel.  Or Rachel and Daniel.  Or just Nicholas and Patrick.  Or just Patrick, Nicholas and Daniel.  A multitude of kid combinations.

At the end of July, there came one weekend when everything aligned and we were all together for 2 days.  Nicholas and Patrick had been fishing for 2 weeks with Lisa's folks on the Eastern Shore.  Daniel finally made it home from being a camp counselor on one Friday night, so that Saturday morning Lisa, Rachel, Daniel and I traveled down to the Eastern Shore to spend the weekend with them.

Here are a few pics of my goofy kids together.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ranked 8th in the World

Decoded Destiny placed 8th in the world in their competition at Global Finals last week in Knoxville.  I'll update blog later with details, but wanted to show the youtube video of Patrick (and Nicholas' voice in background) from channel 8 news in Knoxville.

Decoded Destiny - DI Champions

Destination Imagination is an amazing, yet unfortunately not widely recognized, program where students learn and experience creativity, teamwork and problem solving.  This is the second year Nicholas and Patrick have participated, and it has been a wild ride so far!

The Decoded Destiny DI Team

In DI, students set up teams to compete in a challenge.   There are various challenges in which they can compete.   This is completely student led.  Students decide what they want to do and put it all together themselves.  There is an adult coach who can rein the kids in when needed and help pull them in to focus if need be, but the adult cannot offer suggestions or ideas to the team.   It's all kids!!

Nicholas and Patrick and five other 5th graders put together a team named "Decoded Destiny" and selected the Triple Take Road Show challenge.  In this challenge, the students had three goals. 

• Use three different Storytelling Methods to tell the same story to three team-chosen Pretend Audiences
• Portray the Travel Methods used to move your Traveling Road Show between different Pretend Audiences
• Integrate a team-created Technical Spectacle into one presentation to a Pretend Audience

They would be judged on such things as playwriting, theatrical presentation, storytelling, storytelling relevance, special effects, innovation and design process, construction and teamwork.

Well these kids were astonishing.   They worked together since last November and put together a simply fabulous program.   They competed in regionals in March, winning the competition.   This past Saturday, they competed in the state competition and placed second in their challenge!!  We (being students and parents alike) were thrilled.  Not only have they done an amazing job so far, this placing qualified them for the Global Competition.   

Wow.  Students from all over the world will descend on Knoxville, TN the week of May 23rd for this competition.   Being in TN, it is fairly close for us, but there comes a hefty price tag to compete.   We have only a month to come up with the hard cash.   So we are scrambling to plan some fundraising and I am trying to figure out how to cover our expenses.  But the kids worked hard and this is a great opportunity for them.   So we are planning ahead for a Knoxville trip and competition, staying for 4-5 nights at the University of Tennessee.  I am so incredibly proud of all of these students!!!!!!!

So Go Decoded Destiny!!!  Let's pull out a global win!!!!

NOTE:  If you want to help this team go far and would like to make a monetary contribution to the team, please let me know.  Every little bit will help get them to Knoxville.

The Boy Wonder!!

I ran across some pictures of Patrick dressed like Robin, the Boy Wonder for school!
Always some action at the Wrights!!

Parenting happens best on a Thursday: Tip #1

A new feature at Tales from the Isle of Naboombu is my weekly "Parenting happens best on a Thursday" blogpost where I will be giving some very random parenting tips from my vast 18+ years of experience.  I understand that all my readers are now excited, as well as somewhat leery, so without further ado....

Tip #1:  Develop a continuing story with your kids that can flourish over the years.
Establish the characters.  Set the general tone.  Let it thrive over time.  Always have a cliffhanger.  The result will be a comfortable time with your kids where they will be looking forward to spending time with you to discover the continuing adventure.

Daniel listening to Dad tell a story.

For us, I started with Daniel when he was a little tot, continued on with Rachel and progressed with Nicholas and Patrick.  I reckon I will be continuing these adventures with the grandkids one day.  I fully expect my kids to share these tales with their kids. 

It always starts as follows: 

"And now, for your bedtime pleasure, the continue saga of, the adventures of, Gwendola and Gerard.  Once upon a time there was a boy named Gerard and his sister, a girl named Gwendola.  They had a kitty cat named Cheek and a puppy dog named Popalopagus.   When last we left our heroes..." and then we discover how our heroes handle their current peril.

The Wrights have followed these adventures of Gwendola and Gerard for about 16 years now, as they have saved the world numerous times from various nefarious threats, met many new and glorious friends as well as adversaries and explored both real and imaginary places across the globe.

And there is always something new.   When last we left our heroes, we discovered they had younger twin brothers who had disappeared (a surprisingly new and risky plot line, to introduce siblings).......  Maybe tonight, we'll see what happened to them!

So parents, here's a great bonding tool that will last a lifetime.   Develop your story.  Do not believe the lie that you are not creative.  Just start talking.  It doesn't have to make a whole lot of sense and there can be recurring themes over the years.  It just makes it goofier.  And a great way to connect to your kids.

Giving back!

This year, Patrick and Nicholas and their class at Echo Lake Elementary decided to give back to the community. One of the things they have done so far was to spend some time one Sunday afternoon at Beth Shalom retirement home.  Several of the classes met there and did a program for the residents.  They sang some songs and then all the students interviewed someone. 
I went with Nicholas while he did his interview and it was so much fun.  The lady we spoke with was delightful.  She had a problem hearing so her daughter helped some.  Nicholas got to ask her about her career and what school was like when she was little.
What a great way for our kids to stop thinking about themselves and think about others!

The Bethlehem Experience

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people . Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2: 9-12

We went to the Bethlehem Experience tonight, which was hosted by Cool Spring Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, VA.  This interactive experience took you back to the night in Bethlehem when Jesus was born.  The church was transformed into Bethlehem, including a marketplace with people selling their wares, blacksmith shop, inns, and a jail among others.  We got to interact with those in Bethlehem, although Patrick was a little embarrassed when I joked around with them.  

It was an added blessing to see my good friends from college Debby and Danita, and their spouses Paul and Brent who played Joseph and a Roman guard.  It is always inspiring to see my friends who have remained so grounded in their Christ relationship and are serving Jesus with their talents so faithfully.

A great reminder that this season is not about serving others, or giving gifts, or family and friends...although all these things are good.  The season is all about Jesus.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Christmas is a big deal at the Wright house!  Lisa truly has a thousand bins of Christmas stuff - wreathes and Nativity scenes and snowmen and Santas.  And it grows every year!  This year we brought it all out and it was a weekend deal to "get decorated for the holidays."

We headed out to Hanover Pines Christmas Tree Farm in Beaverdam, VA to cut down our own tree.  They have a terrific set-up there where you take a hayride out into the woods and are dropped off to start the search.  Once you have found your tree and cut it down, they hoist it up on the back of the wagon and take you back to the office, where they shake, bind and tie the tree to your vehicle, all while offering free hot chocolate and hot cider.   A great deal!  We picked our tree out pretty quickly this year.  It's only about 10 1/2-11 ft. tall, a little shorter than our usual 14 ft. tree, but it is one of the prettiest we ever have had.

The whole family, including Daniel home from college, decorated the tree to the sound of Christmas music.  Lisa put on the lights, as usual because she is the only one with patience for it, and the rest of us hung our collection of 1 million (it seemed) ornaments.

A fun holiday tradition, as we start to prepare for the celebration of our Christ's birth!

Richmond Light the Night Walk 2010

Last Saturday night was the annual Richmond Light the Night Walk, which raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  

 

When I was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia back on May 11, 2006, things changed forever.  For awhile I wasn't sure how to become involved in helping others with this disease, until one of my nurses told me about the Walk.  Since then, I have raised money and walked for 4 years, organizing my team "HE Lights the Night", which gives glory to the fact that only through the grace of God can anyone be healed.

Saturday's Walk was in Carytown and due to a lot of conflicts, only Patrick and Nicholas walked with me this year.  It was an awe-inspiring sight to walk down Cary Street, which had been blocked to traffic, with thousands of others carrying a lighted balloon.   White balloons are for survivors, red for supporters and then gold in remembrance of a loved one who did not survive this horrific disease.

It's a night of encouragement for all who have been affected by blood cancers, and I encourage everyone to get involved in this inspiration event!

Bobby Wright's 2010 Light the Night support site

 

My goofy guys

Sometimes I just love to watch my twin boys, Nicholas and Patrick, interact.  At times, they can just be plain mean to each other, I guess from just being around each other so often.  But most of the time, I think they are best friends.  They are so different in so many ways, but one thing they have in common is that they can both be as goofy as their dad.  And I love that.

The Wrights invade JMU!

Last weekend was Family weekend at JMU, so of course we were there.  It was so much fun to see Daniel in his element there.  He has really made Madison his own.   Lisa and I also enjoyed returning to our alma mater.  Walking the campus brought back so many memories of our time there. 

The weekend was low-key, mostly spending time with Daniel.  We did, thanks to tickets from our good friends Kim and Vinnie Paladino, go to the football game.  It was a blast, even though we lost in the last few seconds.

Saying good-bye to Daniel was easier this time, as I feel confident he made a good choice with JMU.  Go Dukes!

Happy Birthday Nicholas and Patrick!!

My baby boys turn 11 today!!!

Trekking around the world to West Virginia

This year we hit up the Adam Hamrick family reunion in Clarksburg, WV over Labor Day weekend.   This is for my aunts and uncles and cousins, and with my mom being from a family of 14 kids, there are a lot of them.  This is the first time we have made it and I decided to make it a long trip.

We left on Wednesday and made our way to Harrisonburg for the night.  We got to spend a quick dinner with Daniel, who had just started classes that week.  He had a business class that night so we did not have much time, but it was so good to see him.

Thursday we trekked over to Seneca Rocks, doing Seneca Caverns and ending up in the Bright Morning Inn bed and breakfast for the night.

Friday we were supposed to do some White Water Rafting, but it was canceled due to river being so low, so we ended up visiting Canaan Valley and Blackwater Fall before heading to Clarksburg that evening, where we hooked up with Mom at my Aunt Fay's house.

The big day was Saturday.  I so love spending time with my family.  We hung at a park in Clarkburg, had a meal and then did an auction to raise money for next year's reunion.  What an excellent day.  The only downside is that ever time we get together with the family like this, I miss Dad so much.  I know how much he loved to be here in West Virginia with everyone.

We ended the night at my Uncle Nathan's and Aunt Francis' for a wienie roast and then headed back Sunday morning for home.