Pink Slip

Pia issues a ‘pink slip’ to Sammy for being angry this morning.

Watch Your Diet / What’s Your Diet

Six-year old Sammy likes to tell on Daddy.

Whenever he sees Daddy putting Maggi seasoning, or ketchup, or mayonnaise on his food, he calls out to Mummy: “MUUUUUMMMMYYYY … Daddy’s putting too much sodium on his fooooood.” 

He knows Daddy (like all adults) must watch his sodium intake. 

One day, at lunch, Daddy pours oyster sauce on his food:

Sammy: MUUUUUMMMMYYYY…. Daddy’s putting oyster sauce on his food.

Daddy: Just a little bit, Sammy.

Sammy: Mummy says sodium is bad for you

Daddy: That’s right.  What is sodium?

Sammy: Sugar.

* * *

The Flush

Nothing is more frightening than a flushing toilet.

Well, maybe some things are.

Dominic is eleven, and like most eleven year olds (ha ha), the sound of the toilet flushing terrifies him.  Before flushing the toilet he opens the door and gets ready to scramble away.  When everything is ready and the coast is clears, he presses down on the flush, then scampers away.

If he has to go late at night, when everyone is asleep, then the running is zoomingly fast.  During daytime, it’s more like a hurried walk, keen to get away from the scene of the crime as immediately as possible.  

When we asked him about this a year ago, he said he’s afraid that a witch will appear in the mirror when he flushes the toilet.  Makes sense.

* * *

Nothing?

Sammy has discovered a useful psychological tool to force Daddy and Mummy to act.

Sammy: Daddy, Achie hit me.

Daddy: (reading) Uh-huh.

Sammy: So…, NOTHING?

Daddy: What?

Sammy: So you’re going to do NOTHING?

Another day.  Sammy had a painful tummy.  Daddy couldn’t do anything except wait for it to pass.

Sammy: So, NOTHING?

Daddy: What?

Sammy: My tummy is painful. So, you will do NOTHING?  You’ll just let me die?

* * *

How to Build a Bridge

The children were watching ‘The Librarians’.  In one scene, the heroes came across an old wooden bridge spanning a wide river, near a waterfall.

Domu: How did people build a bridge across that river?

Sammy: (serious) I know, first they build the bridge.  Then when the bridge if finished, they build the waterfall.

* * *

The daily miracle of being alive

On most school days, by the time the children have waken up, Daddy has already gone off to work.

One day, Daddy was working from home.  He was at his computer while the children were having breakfast, unaware that Daddy was home.

Sammy: (suddenly noticing Daddy was home) Daddy!  I didn’t know you were alive!

* * *

To Infinity and beyond Grade 4

Domu thinks a lot about maths.  Recently, he had been thinking about whether zero multiplied by infinity is 0 or infinity.

While having lunch with the family:

Domu: Daddy, I think I know if zero times infinity is 0 or infinity.

Daddy: How?

Domu: Zero divided by zero is infinity because you can put an infinite number of zeros in zero.  So 0 / 0 = infinity.  If you multiply both sides by 0, you get 0 = infinity * 0, so infinity * 0 = 0.

Pia: (baffled at what the heck Domu is talking about) Daddy, will I be talking like that when I’m in grade 6?

* * *

Sammy’s Homework

Sammy’s very eager to learn.  He’s 5 years old and already knows how to multiply and divide and do basic algebra. Examples of Sammy’s homework:

 

Fractions

Sammy was working on his math problems.  We think his answer to the fish problem is reasonable:

* * *

Setting of the Story

Sammy read a story book from school.  Mummy was testing Sammy but Sammy could not understand the meaning of ‘setting’:

Mummy: Sammy, where was the setting of the story?

Sammy: What do you mean “setting”?

Mummy: Where did the story happen?

Sammy: Seriously, what does that mean?

Mummy: I mean, where were the characters when the story happened?

Sammy: In the book!

* * *

Drawing – 11 Days of Christmas

Pia made some nice drawings about her 11 days of Christmas (she wasn’t able to finish the 12th)

 

Pia’s Drawing–3rd Day of Christmas

 

Pia’s Drawing – 2nd Day of Christmas