Dear Kid,

Happy Saturday, Kiddo.

Last night was the Homecoming football game. Our heroes brought home a resounding victory and Pi went 5 for 5 on PATs. She also got to take 3 kickoffs (a first for her) so that was really exciting. The band played, the court was crowned, and the crowded cheered. The coaches were so pleased that they canceled today’s practice so it was a rare and welcome day for sleeping in.

A Duke University coach was at the game watching Tinashe (who will be playing for them next year) and spent some time talking to Pi. He did not offer her a full scholarship (just in case you were curious). In fact, that might be as close as she ever comes to a football scholarship (or being a Blue Devil).

Hamilton (who we played last night) also has a girl on their football team. We believe she is a kicker although we didn’t see her warm up kicking and she didn’t play. Pi said she really likes playing a team that has a girl as part of the squad. “Most of the teams are like ‘Huh? A girl?’ but they were like ‘Cool. A girl.'” One of the Big Blue even gave her a high five after one of her PATs.

Today is Prep for Homecoming Day. And Get Yard Work Done Before It Rains Day. And possibly even Do Some Housework Day although I wouldn’t really bet on that one. Not sure I’m feeling up to doing battle with the Dust Dragons.

In technology news, a company called Boston Dynamics has invented a robot called WildCat. With a top speed of 16 mph (yup—it can run a mile in under four minutes) it is not the fastest robot on the planet, but it’s much faster than I am (unless there’s a really good sale in sight). It’s surprisingly big and looks like something out of Star Wars when it runs. I have no idea what its Grand Purpose is. Video for your viewing pleasure.

In other technology news, the Curiosity rover is still acting like a tourist, taking photos and sending the images back to earth. Apparently word of the government shutdown hasn’t made it to Mars. Given the state of things in Washington, Mars might be a dandy place to be right about now.

Hope the regatta is going well.

Love, Mom

Dear Kid,

First time under the lights as a Varsity player and Pi went 5 for 6 (nerves got to her on the first PAT) helping Sycamore to a 41 to 7 victory over Walnut Hills. At one point she went out for a PAT and the student section started chanting her name. That was cool. But not nearly as fun as her coming into the house and dancing around chanting “I started in a Varsity game.”

There was an incident (the school’s terminology) at the game when a railing gave way in the student section. Several kids were injured but my understanding is that none of the injuries were serious. It was very weird to see the entire student section sitting down. After a while they moved most of the students to different areas of the stadium.

As usual, Dad wandered rather than sitting with me during the game (although he spent the entire pregame with me, so that was nice). I ended up sitting with a family that recently moved here from the Netherlands. They had never seen a football game (American football). We had a really nice time together.

The team has their pre-game (and I assume all other) meetings in the team room as the locker room is problematic when there is more than one gender on the team. It’s a small-ish room and Pi was telling us how cool it was when the players all bellow “huuh” and the sound echos around the room.

Only when she said tried to grunt the “huuh” it sounded like a dying duck. Dad tried to teach her how to grunt like a boy properly.

“Huuh!”

“huuuhhhh?”

“Huuh!”

“Uuuuhhhhhhhoooooooooeeee”

“Like you mean it”

“Grrrr”

“Not grrrr. HUUUH!”

“Grruuuuhhhh…”

“No teeth. Just Huuh!”

Pi rolls her lips over her teeth like she has just taken out dentures. “ehhhhhhehhehehee hee hee hee.”

By now we are all laughing. Except Booker who was getting concerned that Something Wasn’t Right.

“Try bringing your arms down like you’re doing the chicken dance. Huuh!”

Flap, flap, flap. “Aaaaaooooooohhhh.”

“No, just once. Huuh.”

“Haaaaaaoooooh.” Then she fell off her chair because she was laughing so hard.

The girl can kick. But she can’t grunt. Yet.

Love, Mom