2015-08-30: Multiple Borrowing Midnight Math

Dad tried to stump Nigel on multiple borrowing problems during Midnight Math tonight. Multiple borrowing didn't throw him, in fact he seemed excited to show Dad how he could do it. They talked it through, and Dad was able to show him a shortcut to multiple borrowing. (What is one less than the whole number you are borrowing from, so do all the borrowing in one stroke, rather than each place value one at a time.)

As an aside, doing math before bedtime stories has proven to be a useful tool. Nigel is a bit fresher that way, and stories are more relaxing for him than math.

2015-08-21: Spotting Dad's Tracks

Dad and Nigel went to Olympus Hills Park today and explored around on the dirt trails that have been carved out. At one point, very observantly, Nigel noticed Dad's shoe prints in the soft dirt, indicating they had come that way already. (Dad was wearing fairly distinctive shoes, separating his toes and leaving a very unusual print.)

2015-08-15: Birthday Party and Sleepover

Nigel and Dad attended a birthday party at Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Ancient Life today, for Nigel's classmate at Dancing Moose, Ben. Ben's father had previously helped to put on an astronomy night at Dancing Moose along with a friend of his, Dad, and class 7's teacher, Miss Laura. Ben had helped Nigel rebuild his 3-D globe puzzle when Nigel brought it for show-and-tell one day, but dropped it in the hallway outside the classroom.

Ben, apparently, is a big dinosaur fan, and really enjoyed the party activities. Nigel also quite enjoyed stomping around on dinosaur stilts, making a trilobite fossil, eating cupcakes and ice cream, assembling a custom dinosaur and excavating fossils in the sand areas with the other attendees, and playing in the erosion exhibit with Dad, which the two of them stayed late to do by themselves. That is Dad's very favorite part of that museum, and is apparently one Nigel really likes, as well, as they played happily there for a few hours after the party ended. (Yes, really, a few hours.)

Realizing how late it had become, Nigel and Dad finally left the museum to go meet Grammy, who was hosting Nigel for a sleepover. Nigel ate macaroni and cheese at Gram's house, then stayed up late watching TV and reading stories.

2015-08-08: Biking to Smith's

To get dinner tonight, Dad proposed Nigel ride his bike to the grocery store, thinking he could ride all the way to Walmart while Dad jogged beside him. At first, Nigel was reluctant, especially when Dad told him it would be about a half-mile round-trip. Dad talked him into trying it, and off they set. When reaching the corner at 900 East, however, Dad asked if Nigel wanted to go only to Walmart or all the way up to Smith's. Nigel easily chose Smith's, and they took off up the hill. Dad lent some pushing as they ascended, but Nigel pedalled hard as well, with one break in the middle.

Just north of the storage units facility, there are a few dwellings that time seems to have passed by. Two long dirt and gravel roads lead down to these aged houses, with reasonably steep slopes to each. Nigel really wanted to ride down one, and Dad decided that would be okay to try. It turned out to be quite the ride, as about six feet down the slope, the pavement gave way with about a two inch drop; a drop which sent Nigel fishtailing just as he was really picking up speed. Nigel held it well, though, riding it out and skidding to a stop at the bottom, sliding the back end out as he locked the rear wheel a couple of times. Dad was probably more nervous than Nigel, however, as Nigel though the ride was great and wanted to do it again!

They continued up the hill, and Nigel had no trouble riding all the way to Smith's. They stuck his bike in a shopping cart, got items for dinner, then headed back home with Dad struggling to keep up while Nigel cruised down the hill. Who's effort was greater would be a tough question to answer, but Dad suspects his own.