As you may remember my daughter’s brain is grappling with mathematical concepts - you can refresh your memory here.
As you may not know my brain sometimes struggles to stay awake around three in the afternoons, especially after a large lunch and a morning of teaching.
“Daddy, the thing in maths that I never understand is twenty divided by zero point two five is eighty.”
I was asleep on the sofa.
“Oh, sorry.”
I was awake now, the pleasant dream lost and out of reach.
As usual in such moments I reach for a food analogy, last time it was fruit this time I tried cakes.
“Ok imagine you had twenty cakes and you were going to divide it between quarters of people, er, no think about…..”
I wished I were still asleep.
Luckily her brain reacted.
“Oh, I remember, you said something about no oranges.”
The other day she went to see a film - Dear John, with a few he’s-not-my-boyfriend-just-my-best-friends. I was invited, vaguely (I had the money) but after reading the blurb I was pretty convinced I would be physically sick so I decide to stay at home.
Apparently it was brilliant, “the girl falls in love with a boy who has to go off to war and he gets shot but doesn’t die but goes to hospital for a long time and she can’t wait so marries his best friend who dies of cancer whilst the boy ends up in a wheel chair living with his dad who never says anything except on the day he dies and they kiss at the end”, breathe.
I’m glad I stayed at home.
“While he’s away she writes him loads of letters, like 33 or something and….”
33?
Why 33?
Every week I could understand (52), every day I could understand too (365) and I would even understand every other day (3 er 162, 3, er – well you get my drift).
But, 33?
“Daddy?”
I love that, I’m so happy it’s not Dad. She doesn’t hold my hand anymore, doesn’t link arms even when we walk and has told me not to sing my silly Good Night song anymore, but I hang onto that “daddy”
‘Ok look, if you have 20 oranges and divide then by 10 what do you get?
“2”
“And by 5?”
“4”
Wow, something does happen at school.
“And by 2?”
“10”
“So what’s happening as the dividing number gets smaller?”
“The answer gets bigger! ....... Mum, look, imagine you’ve got……”
Oranges are perfect.
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11 comments:
Azzurri - OUT!
:-(
The French being out means that the whole of French society is now being questioned, the President is involved, integration is being questioned and a few fascist ideas are surfacing.
In Italy?
The ususal -- disaster, scandal, humiliation, finger pointing though Lippi has taken all of the blame on himself. Lots of tears. The Mafia has also been mentioned.
G-8 began today. Cameron, Sarkozy, Berlusconi arrived safely -- the latter two are very glad to get away from the soccer and strike messes.
Am taking Friday off -- can't wait to watch Brazil et al -- best distraction from the thousands of policeman. I live just a block from Toronto's biggest park --High Park -- where there are many police on all-terrain vehicles, bicycles, horses, etc. -- and we're about 4 miles from the epicentre of the action so you can imagine what's going on downtown.
[Sweet photo of Minnie]
Mx
Well the Brazil/Portugal match was a bit of a damp sqid. JAPAN FOR THE CUP!! I say.
Japan!?
I'm going with Uruguay, or America.
Though i hope it's Argentina - i've covered all bases there.
Oh dear. It's the usual scenario again with Engerland v Germany! It'll be another rollercoaster match, I'm sure! Shame about Italy.At least I won't have to choose anymore.
Janet they always say that if you want to win the world cup you have to be able to beat Germany.
Just wanted to say I loved the oranges story. With teaching like that, she'll be doing calculus in no time.
Thank you Vicki, these oranges or the previous ones?
Her costume looks like it's out of Shakespeare in Love!
I agree Anne, and what a great film that was eh?
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