"Timis County shares its name with a tributary of the Danube and is located in the western part of which European country?"
A seventh grader in the National Geographic Bee not only knew the answer, but luckily had more generous sponsors than myself who awarded him with a $25,000 scholarship and a trip to the Galapagos Islands.
When asked the secret to his extensive knowledge of world geography, he answered, "Reading cookbooks."
What the heck? Reading cookbooks?!
I've got a few of those. Hmmmm....I wonder what good tidbits of geographic knowledge I can find in mine....
Oh wow! Here's something fascinating in Rachael Ray's 30 minute meal cookbook:Mexico is south of the border.
And to think, all this time I thought that was Romania.
I should have three of my five kids on full scholarships in no time.
I'm getting out all my cookbooks for Andrew to read too. Maybe he can go to college when he's ten. How else will he know where Mexico is?
ReplyDeleteThese prodigies on both the Scripps Spelling bee and this Geography Bee are amazing young people. As I watched the winner (a young girl fron India via Olathe, KS), I was stunned at some of the words she spelled. Words that I had never ever heard in my extensive reading over the past century. They memorize Greek and Latin root words and have a stunning work ethic-spending hours and hours a day over a year in preparation.
ReplyDeleteAnd they always seem to have driven stage dads and moms-who push them very hard.
So, you better get out your laminator and cover those poor cook books you have as they are gonna get a lot of use and abuse.
Remember that you were once a Spelling Bee champ-along with at least a couple of your siblings to include Aitch and Tim.
Hey Dad-I came in third in my spelling bee. I think that's close enough to call me a champ too. thank-you very much! Of course, I can't spell worth a darn anymore thanks to spell check.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed!! and behind!! Better start buying all those cookbooks I see at the garage sales!!!
ReplyDeleteYour blog makes me feel like such a good mother. What kind of kid reads cook books???? The kind that doesn't have fun, like ours do. Of course the cook book kid got the scholarship, soooooo. . . . I forgot where I was going with this.
ReplyDelete