2015-10-29: Paying Attention to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Nigel and Dad have been reading From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E. L. Konigsburg, for stories recently. This is a book Dad and Grandpa read together many years ago; one Dad has fond memories of. Being a long book, aimed at late elementary kids, Nigel's attention span has lasted for fewer than a dozen pages per night. This has only served to build even more drama into the story, though. 

Tonight, Dad was reading while he thought Nigel was lying down in bed, then found out Nigel was looking through the frog washcloth book while listening. Dad had just read one of the most significant paragraphs, in which Mrs. Frankweiler gives the kids permission to search her files for information, and he was concerned Nigel hadn't been paying attention, so he asked what Nigel remembered. 

Of the eleven sentences, Nigel remembered all but one, actually quoting more than half of the 125 words verbatim. Dad concern was completely groundless.

2015-10-25: All Hallow's Eve Carnival

Nigel and Dad had an eventful day today. After spending the morning taking care of things around the house, they attended an All Hallow's Eve carnival, dressed in Star Wars costumes. (Mace Windu for Nigel, Count Dooku for Dad.) The carnival was quite well done, with a potions table, where kids assembled colorful, fizzy, bubbling drinks spiked with pieces of dry ice, and a variety of other games and activities.

2015-09-20: Encountering Feelings of Embarrassment

Nigel really enjoys playing imaginative games. He and Dad sometimes play fairies together. Today, though, when Nigel wanted to play fairies and Dad wanted to go to a park to take advantage of the nice weather, Nigel was initially excited about the idea, but quickly changed his mind, saying, "I don't want to go to the park to play fairies. I think I will feel embarrassed."

They tried to do both, playing a different game at a park, then playing fairies at home later.

2015-09-14: Amazing Dad

A message sent from Mom to Dad this evening:
"Watching you play together is awesome! You are an amazing Dad!"

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.