Soggy Chips

Oh, I really can't let this week pass without relating one Thanksgiving story. I just can't.

I was sitting at the dining table with my three-year-old nephew Rambo (not his real name. His mother has given all her children online nicknames, so I'll stick with it). We were both munching on chips. Because, that's what you do when you're waiting for dinner, you fill up on snacks.

Rambo dunked his chip in his mother's salsa. He took a tentative bite, and decided that the salsa was too spicy. Or something. He didn't like it.

Not that I blame him. I'm not a fan of salsa.

Anyway, I figured he'd put his chip down and eat another plain chip. But no. He explained to me that he was going to "wash off" the salsa...in his water cup.

This did not sound like a good idea to me, but I was fascinated nonetheless. Rambo is not one to take well-meaning advice. I thought about explaining how the salsa would now be in his water. I thought about how he's a bit clumsy (well, he's 3). Instead of saying anything, I just watched.

Rambo dipped his chip carefully in the water. He pulled the chip out to take a bite...of water logged chip. He made a face.

Yeah, I could have told him that would happen.

But instead of going to the other chips in his bowl, he lifted his water cup, and he somehow ended up pouring a bit of water into the bowl. (3-year-old. Clumsy.) Making all the chips now soggy.

I waited to see if he'd go for the other chips. It was at about this point that he lost interest in the chips. He left the table and went to do other things. Ah, the attention span of a three-year-old.

He never did taste the salsa-flavored water.

Geometry Intelligence Test

It took them a while to get me a class set of geometry textbooks. But once they were in, I found that it was easier to not use them. I had sort of a rhythm going. (Don't worry. We were using workbooks they already had.)

But then one day I needed to use the textbooks. So, we passed them out. But because of the way the day was configured, I wanted the books collected and put back at the end of the period.

The shelves were neatly arranged. Five books would fit on each half of the shelf. (I'm so glad I took a picture of this. I can't describe accurately what the configuration should look like, but I can show you easily.) The geometry textbooks are the blue ones. The red ones are the algebra 1 books.

At the end of the period, I had a student from each row return the books. I explained that there should be five books in each slot. And they managed to put everything back where it went. Except for one student.

One student was out in the restroom when it was time to put back books. When he returned, he had a book to replace. He went to the back bookshelf...

I watched. I wondered if he would figure it out on his own or if I would have to explain.

He looked at the shelves. As his was the only book not put back, there would be one slot open for him. Sure enough, he found the one section with four books and put his book there.

And I didn't have to say a word.

I was impressed. It's good to know that the geometry students can figure it out without my input. I hope this bodes well for the rest of their school year.