2014-10-31: Halloween

Nigel's costume this year: a famous flying hot dog! (Or a fearless flying hot dog, depending.) Mom sewed the hot dog, Nigel added pink wings to the back, and Dad contributed some aviator's goggles. It was awesome.

The idea came from a Jack Prelutsky poem and song, We're Fearless Flying Hot Dogs, which Nigel and Dad have laughed at for months now: "... the delicate essence of flight." :)

2014-10-30: I'm Doing It

A quote from Nigel this evening:
I'm going to finish my goal. I'm doing it, by golly, I'm doing it.

2014-10-30: Smoking Questions

After walking past someone who was smoking a cigarette, Nigel asked Mom how long it would take for someone to be poisoned by the smoke. While discussing the effects of smoking, Nigel observed one benefit he had thought of from smoking, that people who smoke would get to take more breaks to go outside.

2014-10-25: Learning to Tell Time

Nigel and Dad have spent three out of the last four nights learning about telling time for Midnight Math. Nigel is now able to read an analog clock as long as the minute hand is pointing at one of the 5-minute marks. Soon to reinforce the idea of narrowing in on the exact minute.

2014-10-14: More Quaint Sayings

Nigel has picked up a number of quaint sayings. Tonight, it was: "It is easier to get into said pickle than to get out of said pickle."

2014-10-12: Shark and Aging

Nigel has gotten the idea that 100 years of age is the limit for humans. During story time tonight, Nigel told Dad that Shark (the stuffed animal) will exceed his limit, which is 15 million years old, and will live to be 15 million and one! However, he also said that Shark will die the same time he (Nigel) will.

2014-10-12: Cuisinaire Rods Problems for Dad

This evening, while Dad was cooking dinner, Nigel saw the Cuisinaire rods and started giving math problems to Dad. Dad then asked one of Nigel: What is the smallest rod that three of will make more than 10?

Nigel's initial guess was the 5-unit rod, saying, "Two fives make ten, so three fives must be more than ten." Well reasoned, but then Dad reiterated the question and asked if any smaller rod would work. It didn't take Nigel long to try the 4-unit rod, which he then thought was the answer. Dad asked him to check the 3-unit rod, and Nigel quickly established that the answer was definitely the 4-unit rod.

2014-10-05: Heaven or a Haunted House

Nigel's friend Tyson was over to play this afternoon, and someone brought up the idea of what happened when someone dies. Tyson insisted they went to one of two places, which he described similarly to the common representation of "heaven" and "hell". Nigel said they either go to heaven or to the haunted house at Disneyland to be a ghost. Perhaps this idea came from his Aunt Blaire...