Last night we had our Destination Imagination 6th grade team party, celebrating the team's hard work in the regional tournament this past weekend held in the bustling metropolis of Lubbock, Texas a hundred miles south of us. This year both Megan's team and Alex's 3rd grade team did the Improv Challenge, which, thankfully required no props, sets, costumes, or anything else big and fancy. In previous years, we felt a little out of place with our small props, all completely handmade by the kids, when faced with the more magnificent backgrounds and extras created by other teams who'd lug them to the tournament in U-Hauls, buses, and dirigibles. I'm not saying adults helped out these other teams, a thing that is strictly verboten, but every year when I see these detailed monstrosities of fancy, all I say is "Really? That's made by kids?"
The teams did well, but neither came in first place, which would have propelled them to the state tournament in Dallas (although Alex's team came within two points of being first - a stunning and amazing thing for their first year of competition!). That's all fine and good because I think everyone needed a little DI break, even if the kids on Megan's team have now started asking how early can they start working for next year.
Back to the party. The best part of having the kids all together without the stress of the tournament lingering over them are their conversations over pizza. Cy, one of the two boys on the team had these words of wisdom:
"Once I broke my tooth at school. I was eating school-brand pizza, and it broke right off! Watch out for that pizza."
School-brand pizza breaking teeth? Now that's something they can do an improv routine about.
I'm going to use that next year.
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