AJ is Coding (as in software)

AJ wanted to "color" last night. That's code for "Papa, will you play with me." Last night's play was coding a game. A real game. That you can play right now (if it works). So, you bet, I'm in!

He logged onto a school-related website called Scratch (MIT.edu). There, using follow-along instructions in a book he had, he was able to build an asteroids-like game and see it come to life in bits and pieces until done. And the code was legit. Creating variables, setting values, changing values, looping (repeat-until), etc. Best form of teaching code that I've seen.

You move the Griffin up and down with your mouse trying to avoid the asteroid
and the dragon. The asteroid and dragon are moving from right to left,
starting out at different speeds and changing speeds at different rates.
If you manage to avoid them, they start over at the right.

Fresh Snow

It's been a bit like clockwork. We get a dumping or two of snow, then some warm days, some even warm enough to go to the pool. Then snow again. Well guess what, we were at the pool Saturday and last night we get a fresh dumping of snow. Lynn and I went over to the club for breakfast this morning (love their signature potatoes) and I couldn't help but take a few photos.

That's Pikes Peak far right.

We were swimming there on Saturday.

Wikiup

I stayed beyond library time at School in the Woods today because AJ wanted me to see his wikiup. And here it is!... Those are two of his wikiup-mates.

AJ reveals the Corn stash. Corn is currency.

Mixing clay.

Bonus shot. Sandy wondering what happened.

Back to the Future

The musical theater version is in production! Can't wait. Some production photos are here. And here's Trevor and I at a movie-themed space conference in Los Angeles, 2007.

If You Had To...

A Facebook question today: If you had to marry your partner where you first met, where would you get married? Turns out for us, it would the place we actually did get married: Village U.P. Church, Prairie Village, KS.

It did not look exactly like this back then.
But I did help paint that steeple once.

Wisping Snow

Mr. Weurth, the headmaster at School in the Woods (SITW), a real fave of AJ's, told his naturalists (that's how everyone at SITW refers to the students) that any time they see something interesting he wants them to tell him about it. At least that's what AJ told me this morning when he saw the snow wisps blowing across roads and sidewalks. AJ spent quite a while outside in single digit wind-chill temps to observe this phenomenon. I'm sure Mr. Weurth got an earful this morning!

Snow Squall

Last night when I went to bed, the weather forecast was pretty clear for the upcoming week. No precipitation and temps in the 50s by this weekend. Imagine my surprise when the weather alert went off (on my phone) this morning saying there would be a "snow squall" in an hour! And there was! The short definition: a moderate to heavy snow storm that comes up quickly, lasts a few hours or less, and may or may not produce any accumulation." Ya just never know...

There's a couple miles of road straight ahead you can't see. Whiteout.

Same spot about 90 minutes later, from a distance.
That's the same highway down there as pictured at top.