Geniuses

The girls both tend to be pretty smart kids and awfully absorbent learners, and I don't mean to suggest otherwise when I make this tongue-in-cheek comment, but: sometimes they can be SUPER dopey.

Julia had a completed math packet in her school folder this afternoon, with all but one problem given a bright purple check mark.  The one outlier had a purple "see me" written underneath it, and upon looking at Julia's first (erased) and second answers, I can certainly understand why.

Here is the math question: "Kavya has 8 stamps.  She puts one stamp on each envelope.  How many envelopes does she put stamps on?"

Julia apparently thought this was some kind of complex mind-game of a question.  Her first answer, which is faded from erasing but still completely legible: "3 stamps on 3 envelopes."

Beyond the fact that this answer would yield nine stamps, and Kavya has only 8, Julia clearly thought "she put one stamp on each envelope" meant "she put three stamps on each envelope." 

ME: Julia, what made you think the answer was three stamps on three envelopes?
JULIA: I dunno!  I was CONFUSED.  Like, they didn't tell you how many ENVELOPES she has, so I thought you're just supposed to come up with how many she has or something.

It appears that seeing the teacher helped clear things up for Julia, although her answer still doesn't quite provide mathematical satisfaction.  Above the erased answer is a new answer, so the question now reads:

Q: Kavya has 8 stamps.  She puts one stamp on each envelope.  How many envelopes does she put stamps on?
A: All of the envelopes.


Let me help you out, Julia.  THE ANSWER IS EIGHT.


Madeleine has had her own moments of daffiness this evening as well.  During dinner, she tried to get off the hook about eating her zucchini.

MADELEINE: Mama?  Do I have to eat TWO things I don't like?
ME: You have to eat ALL your vegetables if you want dessert.
MADELEINE: (sighing heavily) Okaaaay.

No sooner had she finished her vegetables and sausage, but NOTHING ELSE ON HER PLATE, than she was ready to gobble up some cookies.

MADELEINE: (leaping down from her chair) Uh, MAMA?  (running into the kitchen) After my dessert, can I still eat my couscous if I'm still HUNGRY?
ME: Honey.  You need to eat your couscous BEFORE dessert.  You need to actually eat your whole dinner before you have dessert.
MADELEINE: (returning to the table) Oh!  I thought you said I just had to eat all my vegetables!


Furthermore, this evening in bed, after we turned out the lights, I asked her what lullaby she wanted, forgetting to have her say a prayer first.

MADELEINE: Uh, hang on, Mama.  First I have to say my prayer.  (putting her hands together) One, two, three...
ME: Wait, what?
MADELEINE: Oh!  (bursting into giggles) Whoops!  Thank you God, for making me, thank you for my family, Amen.
ME: What happened?
MADELEINE: Oh.  I just got so USED to washing my hands.

At least she remembers to count to twenty, as I've taught her, while she washes her hands.  Now we need to work on differentiating OTHER activities in which her hands touch each other from hand-washing.

With their laser-sharp focus on what they're doing and their complete understanding of life, these kids are gonna rule the world some day.