Learning from your kids
You can always learn things from your kids. I find out about all kinds of stuff when we sit around the table to eat. Son 2 and Daughter are high school math-physics majors (yes, you start your major before college) and they are always talking about apexes and “E” and other things of vital importance.
Wife has been reading one of Dave Barry’s more dated books on computers and she told Son 2 about one of his stories: an exploding whale in Oregon. I’m sure you’ve heard of it, but it was news to me. Of course, son 2 immediately googled for the OFFICIAL whale-exploding site and, between bites of sloppy joes at lunch (described in our kids’ English as: “It’s been a long time since we haven’t had those”) he gave us a blow by blow account of the video-documented fiasco.
Needless to say, the re-telling of the story by Wife and Son 2 were more interesting than the online video. When eyes shine and words get swallowed in laughter, you know you’re enjoying an unforgettable moment with family, even if it was at the expense of an 8 ton whale and an engineer’s pride.
Thanks for stopping by.
February 28th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
Poor whale! But good family time….
February 28th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
A million thanks for providing all of my classes with their lesson intro for the day. Nothing says “math” better than an exploding whale.
Oh, and it’s “e”…not “E”.
February 28th, 2006 at 5:13 pm
Steve beat me to it … that it should be “e” and not “E.” The one time I could really let my math skills literally shine and the math teacher has to beat me to it. Such is life! (Actually I don’t have a clue what “e” / “E” means. I think the uppercase E has to do with my last name and, if so, I going to sue the math people for name infringement.
Otherwise (in the words of Billy Wilson) a nice bite of chocolate for me this morning.
February 28th, 2006 at 7:25 pm
Oh brother! I can’t believe Steve and Greg actually corrected you.
My kids have been talking beyond my understanding for some time now. I’ve learned to accept it. I just smile and nod and say…”cool” or “I’m proud of you, honey.”
February 28th, 2006 at 8:16 pm
I couldn’t download the video due to our School District’s filter. Go figure. Don’t want the little buggers viewing exploding whales!
The kind of experience you described with your family are so precious as we see our children grow older.
February 28th, 2006 at 8:25 pm
Catching up on posts, i’ve decided to give up whale for Lent, Sounds like your kids would like to give up Sloppy Joe for Lent, and for you math geeks, I gave up worrying about e/E for Lent 20 years ago, but in my piety, I decided to make a day equal a year, so I’m not allowed to mess with e/E for another 20 years.
btw - there are some great sociological studies concerning the size of the kitchen in new home construction, and its correlation to family “issues”.
February 28th, 2006 at 8:50 pm
For the record, e is a number approximately equal to 2.817 and is used in exponential functions and natural logarithms.
For the other record, I’m happy to have a kitchen of any size at all.
February 28th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
I think I’ve experienced un-natural logarithms … what exactly is that?
March 1st, 2006 at 1:31 am
Nothing says family time around the table like billowing blubber.
March 2nd, 2006 at 1:23 pm
I love it when my dad laughs. He doesn’t stop until he’s crying and he’s got the handkerchief out wiping his eyes. It will always be my favorite memory of him. Actually that sounded like he was gone - he’s not - he’s 90! I love to laugh!