science olympiad

At the boy's elementary school, the 5th and 6th graders participate in a Science Olympiad.  They are randomly paired up with students from both grades and get to choose a team name.  SJ's team name was the Orange Octopus and Bob's team name was the Scientific Squirrels.  When they initially got their teams, SJ was very upset.  He had mostly girls on his team and he wasn't placed with any of his friends.  I told him that he would be fine (my reassurance wasn't convincing him though). 

They participated in the Science Olympiad two weeks before school was out.  It was a two day event where the teams go to various science themed events.  At the end of the first day, I had several teachers walk up to me and tell me how well SJ did.  He even willingly held a girl's hand when they were doing a team building activity.  One of his teammates (a 6th grade girl) said that SJ did "awesome".  (If only you could have seen how happy my face looked!)

I was so proud that he was able to do something that normally would make him so uncomfortable.  My husband had volunteered for the first day's events.  He was able to see SJ, but Bob's team didn't make it to his event. 

The second day, SJ had some difficulty with some of the events, but nothing that derailed him.  He was concerned that he didn't do well and wasn't going to get a medal.  I told him that if he tried his hardest then we would still be proud of him.  I reminded him that Bob's team didn't win any medals last year.

When I picked him up at the end of the day on awards day, he was very sad.  I immediately thought he didn't win any medals.  That was not the case, however.  His team had won a bronze medal.  He was so upset that he didn't win a silver or a gold medal.  I told him that he should be happy that his team won any medal.  Bob said the same thing.  He cried a little longer and then hung his medal on the wall in his room. 

He is to this day grumpy about that bronze medal.  Every time he brings it up, I remind him that everyone wants to win silver or gold.  I also tell him that I am sure some of those students who didn't win a medal would love to have his bronze.  Just saying.