Zero, My Hero

On the way to work this morning Spencer was expounding on the importance of zero. The number. The concept. He remarked that we could not have gotten to the moon if we did not have zero. I do not understand specifically how zero makes space travel possible. And yet, I was reluctant to ask him how zero helped us reach the moon. I am pretty sure he expects me to know the answer and he expects me to have the ability to explain it to him. After a minute, I began to feel guilty. I thought I should try to explain. A little. I began, haltingly, by stating that zero as a concept is important to math (hoping he would not ask me why). I went on to explain that math skills were involved in designing rockets. Spencer took in those remarks without a direct reply, commenting instead that zero was also important to the invention of new technologies. Ok. Now I am stumped. I do not know how zero is involved with designing anything. Luckily, that was all Spencer had to say on the concept of zero. His next comment was "oh, that's a very lovely patio" as we drove by what I can only assume was a house with a very lovely patio.

Mmmm.....Crab Icecream

In the days preceding Spencer's sixth birthday, he communicated to me that he wanted to go out for a special birthday dinner. This special birthday dinner would take place after a sleepover with the cousins, a trip to Chuck E Cheese and a picnic with the family. He wanted Chinese food. I agreed. Subsequently he changed his mind. Apparently he loooves crab. It is soooo good. Plus he wants to try clams. I have no idea where all of this is coming from. But I would like to encourage it. Michael was more than a little concerned until I explained to him that seafood restaurants do in fact serve foods other than seafood. He was still skeptical. So could I order a hamburger or chicken? Yes. And would it be made out of seafood? No. It is reasonable, I thought to myself, that the boys would not understand that a seafood restaurant does not serve seafood exclusively. I was pleased to have cleared this up for them. I then suggested that we would be able to get something yummy for dessert after our dinner. "Like crab icecream?" Spencer asked sincerely. No. I suggested bananas foster (I guess I am still disappointed I did not get it on my birthday). Michael then inquired how they would make bananas foster out of seafood.

Math Test

Michael was very proud of himself yesterday, and rightly so. The principal of his school announced over the P.A. system yesterday that Michael was the only student at the school to get a certain high score on the standardized math skills test given for each grade.

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day, the boys were very sweet and had made me a number of presents. I thought they were so lovely, I have included pictures of some of them below.


This is from Spencer. I do not know how to turn the image. I would accept help.

Michael made the above picture and poem for me. He also wrote the "Bat Hunt" poem below.

Spencer also gave me a geranium seedling in a pretty pot that he made and many pictures of flowers that he drew.

Michael also gave me a coupon book. It says "Thank you Mom for... Making my lunch every day, correcting my homework sometimes, for washing my clothes. You deserve a break!!!" The book then contains coupons, including:

Back massages

Letting me sleep until 9:30 a.m.

Helping fold the laundry

Trying not to annoy Spencer

Helping to unload the dishwasher

Letting Luka in and out

Drawing a picture for me

Helping me make a meal

They are very sweet boys.

pictures

Isn't it Unusual?

Spencer asked over dinner if I wanted to hear "an unusual story." Of course I would. He then proceeded to tell me the O. Henry story, The Gift of the Magi. When he finished, he asked, "isn't that unusual?" He meant "ironic," of course, which Michael was very eager to point out.

When I Grow Up....

Michael took a break from eating his dinner to remark in an offhand manner (can I say "offhandedly"?) that when he grows up he wants to be an author or an editor and live in New York. The City you might ask, as I did. No. Upstate. In the winter, Michael went on, he would move down to Tallahassee, Florida (a place we have never been, nor about which we have spoken), where he'd have a second house, and there he would study animals, primarily cats, bats and owls.

My initial reaction was surprise. It seemed to me to be a lot of thought, detail and planning for someone Michael's age. Of course when I was Michael's age I had a friend who wanted to be a dolphin when she grew up. And I was still entertaining the possibility that I could speak with animals and was hoping to some day turn into a good witch.

My next thought was, why not a doctor? I have never pushed this idea, but I do not understand why it is not more appealing to the boys. Clearly, though, Michael is not particularly interested in a medical career. He told me he would think more about becoming a doctor, but he is leaning toward no. Perhaps I looked disappointed, because he then capitulated (a very little), suggesting that maybe he could "be a doctor in his spare time." His words. I explained that one could not realistically be a doctor only in one's spare time. What about a geologist, he asked? I said yes, that sounded reasonable. So doctor is completely out.

Michael's last remarks were that perhaps he would like to become a teacher. If he went that route, he would like to teach fifth grade and he would like for the children in his classroom to call him Mr. W.

As you might expect, Spencer has plans as well. First though, and of special importance to him, was the issue of where he would live if Michael was dividing his time between New York and Florida. He suggested to Michael that they could live together in New York (sweet), but Michael said that brothers do not live together (crushed). Spencer, ever the pragmatist, then asked Michael if they could get separate houses on the same block. Michael did not think much of that idea. He thought it very unlikely that both of them would be able to find a house at the same time on the same block. Upon further reflection, Spencer decided that I would be lonely if both Michael and Spencer moved away, so Spencer said he would stay here near me. That decided, he move onto his professional aspirations. He said he would like to be a doctor, a gold miner or a teacher. If he taught schoold, he'd like to teach kindergarten or first grade.