2014-12-23: Bath Time Activities

Today's bath time activities: Dad making up a story about characters from the Monkeyball games, and watching and racing water droplets down the inside of the tub.

2014: Razzleberry from the Tropics

A song, by Nigel, inspired by the jar of Tropical Razzleberry Preserves in the refrigerator:
Razzleberry from the tropics
Razzleberry preserves
Razzleberry from the tropics
Razzleberry preserves

[...]

(Editor's note: See Nigel or Dad to hear it properly. Simplistic notation follows.
Notes:
FFFFGGFD
BbBbBbBbGBb

Beat:
....--..
....-.

)

2014-12-16: Don't Squeeze the Pigs

Nigel cares a great deal about animals and really wants them to be treated well. He generally avoids eating meat partly out of concern for animals, though it is also partly a taste preference, as he eats ham and deli meats occasionally. He wants to have a farm with cows and chickens and pigs, but does not want the pigs to be squeezed to death for their bacon, an idea which must have come from a combination of the video game Hay Day, in which pigs get squeezed in some sort of steam sauna to harvest bacon (but are uninjured in the process), and having been told that in real life, pigs are killed by what he calls the "baconating" process.

2014-12-15: Letter Intersection Points

In place of Midnight Math the past few days, Dad and Nigel have been discussing the formation of letters. Handwriting has been among the most difficult aspects of school for Nigel, and Dad wanted to help by talking through the formation of the letters. Getting the proportions right and beginning from the traditional places have been the most challenging for him. In the past, some of Mom and Dad's approaches to teaching handwriting have met with resistance and frustration from Nigel. This one seems to be going over quite well, though.

Dad has been drawing three lines across a white board: solid for the top and bottom, and dashed down the middle. He and Nigel decided to call the lines "top", "bottom" and "road". Next, Dad slowly draws a letter, saying the name of each line anytime the letter touches it. For an uppercase 'A', that sounds like, "Top, road, bottom; top, road, bottom; road," for the left vertical line, right vertical line and the horizontal connector, respectively. This has given each portion of the formation of the letter very specific targets to reach and has immediately produced correct vertical proportions for all letters yet covered (A-F). Lacking horizontal targets, Nigel's 'C's were initially very skinny, as were the horizontal components of his 'E's and 'F's. A few times through with each has helped, though having more specific targets for those lines would help even more.

After writing each, to help commit each to memory, Dad asks Nigel to close his eyes and tell how to make each letter by saying those same words out loud.

2014-12-15: Nigel Objects to Child Labor Laws

On the way to school, Nigel asked Dad about kids working at jobs. Dad told him a bit about child labor laws and happened to mention that some countries don't have laws preventing children from working. Nigel was disappointed to hear that he couldn't get a job, and said he would like to work at a hotel in a country where they allow kids to have jobs, and work at a time when Mom and Dad are coming to stay. He also said that he would really like to work at the Grand America hotel and have Mom and Dad come to live there while he was working.

Also from this morning's conversation, Nigel would like to live in a mansion.

2014-12-14: Christmas Tree Cookies

Dad has brought to the family a tradition of putting gingerbread cookies on the Christmas tree as ornaments. Mom has embraced this idea as an addition to the other decorations she likes to use. Nigel particularly enjoys this tradition as he sneaks bites from the cookies throughout the season, paying no attention to the age of the cookies. By this point, the only cookies remaining are those hung too high for him to reach, and on the occasion a chair or ladder happens to be near the tree, even those are not safe.

2014-12-13: Lucia 2014

The family celebrated Lucia again this year, making Luciakatten (saffron bread shaped like curled cat's tails, with raisins) under Mom's direction. This year, Nigel added a special creation: a Lucia snail. When the cats were finished baking, they ate them with dinner, by candlelight. Mom made fried rice and Dad provided some sparkling black currant juice to drink. Afterward, Nigel said, "Outstanding dinner! Outstanding juice, Dad!"