My New Puppy

Don't get all excited now, we don't have a new addition. Yesterday, Little E told my dad that we were going to get a doggie. And not only were we going to get a doggie, she already had the name picked out.
'What name?' asked my Dad.
'Lightswitch.' answers Little E
'Lightswitch?' replies Dad
'Yup, Sam Lightswitch.'
We hadn't discussed getting a dog, but I like the name she's picked out. I'm thinkinga bout going with it.

We also got Big T the gear he wanted for his Pinewood Derby car. He picked out some pirate themed stickers that are actually for the regata boats, but he liked them because they have cannons. Why cannons? Well, he's going to put those on the wheels to shoot at the other cars. He picked out orange wheels for his car also, and has decided to paint it brown, to be more like a pirate ship. Once it's done, there will be pics.

The Math

Big T's parent/teacher conference went well. Overall, he's doing fine. Just needs to work on his neatness, just like his dad. We saw a little bit of the math that he's doing now and here's a sample problem for the first grade now: 7+X=16, solve for X. Seriously, he's doing algebra. In the first grade. He's solving these problems by creating seven hash marks on one line, and then on the second line, making as many as he needs to to make it to 16, then counting the hashes on the second line. His answers are correct, but his methodology is apparently wrong. They want him instead, to subtract 7 from 16 to arrive at his answer. The idea being that this will help him realize that there are 'Number Families' that are able to live in harmony with one another in addition and subtraction problems. Which he actually does know, because we saw another test where he's given three numbers and has to create two addition and two subtraction problems from them. So, given 2, 8, 10 he figured out the four problems correctly. Also fun for the first graders is the new math standard that they have to know by May. They are two timed tests, one addition and one subtraction. They are sixty questions each, all with answers at 20 or less, and they get three minutes to do each test. So three minutes for sixty addition problems and three minutes for sixty subtraction problems. Needless to say, he didn't complete the test, but the more interesting thing to me is how he takes the test, he doesn't start up at number one and work his way through, he just seems to pick out questions at random and answer them. I guess we'll have to work on that.

On another note, Little E had her 'Holiday' party yesterday, there were five menorah's in her classroom and only one Christmas Tree. I don't get it. But the class did get to meet Santa and she told him that she wants a Barbie house. I was just happy she didn't freak out with Santa, because she hasn't wanted to approach him at the malls. But I guess it's safer with her parents and her trusted pre-school teacher there.

I'll end on a joke I overheard at her 3-year-old preschool class while they were enjoying their party. It's a 'Ding-Dong' joke, I guess because people don't knock on doors anymore because of the doorbells.

Boy 1: Ding-Dong.
Boy 2: Who's There?
Boy 1: Banana.
Boy 2: Banana who?
Boy 1: Banana cracker!!!
Boys 1 and 2: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

I didn't get it, but apparently, it was hilarious.

To West Texas

The last few weeks have been kinda busy-ish. Along with the rest of the nation, we've been decorating for Christmas, and as such, we had to rearrange some of the furniture. I didn't fall off the house while putting up the lights. And more recently, the kids have been creating their own ornaments. They are doing this because Big T needs to take a few over to the old folks home for Tiger Cubs. They're going to be singing Christmas Carols for them on Saturday and taking some special ornaments for their tree. So since the extent of my craftiness is cutting paper snowflakes, I did some online researchery, and discovered a couple easy to make things for him. Also I did the classic candy cane reindeer. So last night Little E made a little snowman also. I'll get pics posted, but some other time.

Along with the Christmas, I've been helping my cousin with his documentary, well not really with the documentary, but the site for it. Check it out at gothedistancemovie.com. Tell your friends. It's being entered into film festivals, but I don't know how that's going yet. And it's possible that he'll be able to get legal clearance to use some music by Explosions in the Sky. And he also found out that to gain rights to use 3 minutes of music from Danny Elfman from the movie The Kingdom would cost $15,000. Yes that's fifteen thousand dollars. For three minutes. In a documentary for a non-profit.

So with that is regular life as well. Last week, I got the first disc of the DuckTales series from Netflix. I thought, along with my wife, that the kids would like it. The second episode of the first season involves Donald going to Egypt and being chased by a Mummy. This caused great concern in poor Little E. I guess at the age of 3, these things are very serious and can come get you at any time. I didn't realize how traumatic DuckTales would be for her, so we didn't finish watching it. It took a few days for her to stop saying that she didn't like the 'mommies'. She still doesn't like the 'mommies', and if they're in Disneyland the next time we go, she's not going to take a picture with them. So if you see these 'mommies' watch out. I had to relocate her nightlight in her room in order to gain more luminescence. It wasn't bright enough where it was, and now it's like having a regular light on in there all night. But she's sleeping fine, so I'm not going to mess with it.

Also I just took this online test and was so satisfied with the results that I decided to post them here instead of Facebook. Also, I don't really post anything on Facebook anymore, I've become more of a lurker/commentator. Which really plays to my strengths.

Which Friday Night Lights Character Are You?

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The Teacher

When did Big T's teacher get more credibility than me? It all started innocently enough when his teacher asked the kids to not bring in backpacks due to the lack of space to store them. So unless you rode the bus or went to daycare, no bag was needed. That was fine. I told him one day that if he wanted to take his bag he could. His reply was that Mr. Riley says we don't bring backpbacks unless we ride the bus or go to daycare. So fine. I'm good with that, he listens to his teacher and all is right with the world.

But he came home with some of his math homework the other day and had two questions marked wrong that I was pretty sure were right. They had to do with patterns and circling the correct answer. The two options were ABAB or AABA. Simple enough right? Only two options. He circled ABAB, which was right. The other question was similar, two options ABCABC or AABAAB, only one of two options could be right. He circled ABCABC which was right. These questions were marked wrong because he said Mr. Riley said the answer to the first one was to circle AB and not the ABAB, even though there were four shapes and only two options. The second one was marked wrong because he circled both ABCABC instead of just one ABC, even though, again, there were six shapes in the pattern. The two options of ABAB and AABA were seperated by a space with no space between the four letters. I told Big T that those were the right answers that he circled, and he was adament that he got them wrong because Mr. Riley said so. That he was only supposed to circle the first part of the pattern and not the whole thing. I tried to convince him that the answers were correct the way he originally answered them, but to no avail. Now I have access to the teacher editions of all his books due to my job. I checked the official answer sheet this morning, and lo and behold, I was right, and so was Big T, the first time. I now have proof that his teacher marked these two answers wrong when they shouldn't have been. Well, actually Big T marked them wrong because they correct their own papers. But I won't say anything. Why? Well, he's only in first grade and I don't feel that it's really worth fighting about. You gotta pick your battles, right? And besides, now I know. And knowing is half the battle.