Maps and Geo Bees

{ IKEA world map }

I have maps on the brain these days. It started when both Will and Lexie made it through the first two rounds in the National Geographic Bees at their respective schools. We got to watch Will answer some highly challenging questions in the final oral round to become the school champion. Today, as his reward (!), he got to take a 70-question test to try to qualify for the state competition. I asked him how it went. “It was difficult,” he said. “But I liked it.”

Meanwhile, Lexie tied for third place today at the middle school. She missed a question about a location that no one could pronounce. Kind of a bummer, but what can you do? There’s probably a valuable life lesson in there about things not always being fair in life. The girl who won really knew her stuff, so all’s well that ends well.

A few years ago, Andrew made it to the state competition in Madison and tied with a bunch of other kids for 11th place. I remember all of us parents in the audience looking at each other, like, these questions are hard.

Thanks for letting me ramble on about this. I’m proud of them and I love maps, so it’s a fun combination. My kids like maps, but I think it’s all the reading they do that helps them at the bees.

If you have a map lover in your life, here’s a great gift idea: The Global Puzzle. Will’s teacher was kind enough to lend us his to work on over Christmas break. The puzzle even has country-shaped pieces.

I have my eye on the giant map that I spotted on a recent trip to IKEA. It’s huge—six feet by four or so—and not cheap ($149), but I think it would look cool and be so inspiring on a wall in our someday-to-be-finished basement.

[Do you remember Stephen Wright? I tried out an old joke of his on the kids: “I have a map of the world. It’s life-size.” It took a second, but they got it.]