StevenLaura

I recently had to return a piece of electronic equipment to the manufacturer for replacement, and I just got the new item in the mail. My extensive knowledge of economics lent me comfort as I figured that this profit-maximizing firm would find the most efficient way to ship the item back to me. Capitalism = little waste. That's what I teach my students. So consider this an experiment.

E helpfully agreed to serve as my model:

The package seemed large, given the object, let's see if you agree.

Wait, a second package in the box? Bubble wrap no less? Well that is one safe object.

Wait, there is packaging in the bubble-wrap mailer that was in the box! Well now we have gotten to the end, right?

Nope, there is a tiny plastic container in the packaging in the bubble-wrap mailer in the box! Well the thing was safe, anyway.

And we finally come to the object. An SD card. No, wait, a Mini SD card. E is somewhat confused that so small a present would come in so large a box. I am confused too. E asks: "Daddy, is this efficient?" (OK, she didn't, but it would have been sweet if she did.)

My four year old, E, made me a card for my birthday. She loves to write letters, but she doesn't always intend to make words. Often she'll just write a bunch of letters down, and then AFTERWARDS she'll figure out what it says. That's what she did this time. S had the girls in the arts and crafts room in the basement most of the morning so that I could sleep in. While he took my 2 year old to the potty, E snuck up the stairs, snuck into my bedroom, and handed a very blurry eyed mama a card. "Happy birthday momma!" she said, "I made you a card. It says... ... Fumpy." I looked, and there, in large letters on the front of the card, were the letters FUMIMIP. Which, I guess, spells "Fumpy." Which is about how I felt that morning. Older and much frumpier.

What a fabulous way to wake up -- a thoughtful card, AND a reminder not to take ourselves too seriously.

They saw four rabbits and six ducks.

They also saw a lot of fog.

S explained that fog was a cloud. E and K saw that there was cloud all around them, just out of reach. They walked across the lawn trying to get into the cloud. Then they turned around, saw daddy, and said, "Daddy, now YOU'RE in the cloud. Let's go walk to daddy so we can be in the cloud, too." Sadly, as soon as they got to daddy, it seemed the cloud had moved just beyond their reach yet again.

E kept referring to the fog as "a dust of cloud."

"Just like when the Berenstain bears land on the moon," she said, "there was a dust of cloud there, too."

Thing is, I thought it looked like just a dusting of cloud on the horizon as well.

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K spelled her name for me today. She does this a lot, and it always goes like this:

"I'm K-I-M-I-A, 2. That spells Kimia." She knows that two is how old she is. She always holds up two fingers when she says two, right after spelling her name. She also knows that she will soon be three. Why she throws it at the end of her name, I'm not sure. I think it's "just in case." You never know what adults are REALLY asking for.

She also practiced spelling "life" today. Because it's her favorite cereal. She explained to me this morning that she doesn't like coffee, but "Life cereal is my FAAAVORITE."