24 Challenge

 A little over a month ago, Dude came home and said he had tried out for a 24-challenge competition. The school is only allowed to send 5 kids per 4th and 5th grade from each elementary school in the school district so you had to try out and then sign a letter of intent. I had never heard of this before, but it is a math-geek event and that seemed right up his alley, so I was game. Getting my kids involved in any extra-curriculars makes me feel like I am not super failing at parenthood, so I was especially happy to support him. But then he refused to practice and it made me kind of angry at how little dedication he was putting into something he had agreed to do, to me it was like signing up for a soccer team and then never practicing and expecting to show up on game day and do well. it just didn't compute and I tried helping him see that he would reap what he sowed.

A few days before the event I learned that Dude was not technically on the team, but had made it as an alternate, therefore he would need to be there early in the hopes that someone else didn't show and he would be able to take their spot. They didn't, and he easily got to play. Over three rounds of initial competition, he ranked, first, second, and second at his tables of four. He claimed that morning that he had said a prayer asking Heavenly Father, not to win, but to at least not do awful. We both felt that prayer had been answered.

Dude pre-tournament (super enigmatic as to how he is feeling)

Dude posing with the rest of his 5th grade team.

After the three rounds they tallied up the points, and he made it to the semi-finals. Now, instead of 4 kids at a table, there would be 6, and instead of trying to make the four numbers on the card get to 24, they had to get them to a random number chosen by the proctor before each new card. He still managed to pull off 3rd place at his table, not enough to get him a trophy or a place in the finals, but a respectable showing nonetheless.

He was actually pretty bummed about getting third because, he claimed, he was one card  from getting second, but considering how little effort he put into practicing before hand, the fact that he was an alternate, and he only learned that this was a thing a month or so ago, I was really excited for him. After we talked about it some more and got a celebratory jamba juice into him, he decided he was excited for his 3rd place ribbon after all. I mean, he got a shirt, a medal, and a jamba juice out of it. Good job dude for trying your best and doing something new.

I didn't even have to cajole him to smile.