Friday, February 19, 2010
Chinese New Year Valentine's weekend
No pictures from the past weekend, but we were busy having fun. On Saturday we went to long lost cousin's house to make dumplings and eat hot pot. On Sunday we went to the Kennedy Center to see Peter and the Wolf. Girl Geek enjoyed laughing at the antics of the mimes and the musicians.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
I have created a monster
Anyone in the US who has watched the news recently knows that the Washington DC region has been slammed with historic snows this week. Anyone who has a young child knows that being stuck inside for most of a week leads to Child Bouncing off the Walls Syndrome. Anyone who knows Geek Girl knows that she loves to read, but even she gets tired of reading the same books over and over again for a week.
We had a brief respite from the storms late Tuesday afternoon, and we decided to take advantage of it. Geek Girl and I walked to the library in town and picked up a bunch of books. I suggested to Geek Girl that she might like to try reading some mystery books since she likes figuring things out. Sighing commences, along with the other signs Geek Girl gives off when she's thinking "What-ever, Daddy, you're such a dork."
With a bit of help from the friendly librarian, we picked out a copy of Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Sleeping Dog. I should have had some warning of what was to come when she immediately tried to figure out why a sleeping dog should be mysterious: "Daddy, dogs sleep a lot anyway, so what's the big deal? I know, maybe the dog has been sleeping for a long time, and Encyclopedia Brown has to figure out why. Or maybe..." We stopped off for hot drinks and a discussion of what the mystery could be before heading to the local hardware store for a sled and then walking home through the first stages of another snowstorm.
Well, folks, I have created a monster: Geek Girl is hooked. The first night, we read and tried to solve four mysteries together; the next day, we had to read and solve four more. She has since finished that book by herself. Yesterday, Mama Geek and Geek Girl went to the library and picked up four more Encyclopedia Brown books - and Geek Girl has devoured three of them already. "I like them so much I can't wait!"
Last night, she told us that the next book she writes and illustrates will be "about an animal detective that solves mysteries for its friends". She drew sketches of the cover of this new book, featuring Detective Hoppy the Rabbit, whose nemesis (all good detectives need one, apparently) will be a tiger.
I've created a monster, but a good one.
We had a brief respite from the storms late Tuesday afternoon, and we decided to take advantage of it. Geek Girl and I walked to the library in town and picked up a bunch of books. I suggested to Geek Girl that she might like to try reading some mystery books since she likes figuring things out. Sighing commences, along with the other signs Geek Girl gives off when she's thinking "What-ever, Daddy, you're such a dork."
With a bit of help from the friendly librarian, we picked out a copy of Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Sleeping Dog. I should have had some warning of what was to come when she immediately tried to figure out why a sleeping dog should be mysterious: "Daddy, dogs sleep a lot anyway, so what's the big deal? I know, maybe the dog has been sleeping for a long time, and Encyclopedia Brown has to figure out why. Or maybe..." We stopped off for hot drinks and a discussion of what the mystery could be before heading to the local hardware store for a sled and then walking home through the first stages of another snowstorm.
Well, folks, I have created a monster: Geek Girl is hooked. The first night, we read and tried to solve four mysteries together; the next day, we had to read and solve four more. She has since finished that book by herself. Yesterday, Mama Geek and Geek Girl went to the library and picked up four more Encyclopedia Brown books - and Geek Girl has devoured three of them already. "I like them so much I can't wait!"
Last night, she told us that the next book she writes and illustrates will be "about an animal detective that solves mysteries for its friends". She drew sketches of the cover of this new book, featuring Detective Hoppy the Rabbit, whose nemesis (all good detectives need one, apparently) will be a tiger.
I've created a monster, but a good one.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Another storm, another snow day...
The latest storm has started. No school tomorrow. I'm actually not sure there will be school at all this week. We haven't been near any of the schools so we don't know if they've been dug out. Our street is passable, but no one has dug a path from the sidewalk to the curb for kids to board the bus.
We're not sure how the school district will make up for the snow days. They could add days to the end of the school year, extend the school day, or eliminate the once a week early dismissal. I guess they need to figure out how many days will need to be made up. And it's only February, but sign-ups for summer camps have already started. I guess we need to figure out our summer plans.
Good news -- Daddy Geek and Girl Geek went to the library for more books and the hardware store for a sled. Now we can go hunting for some good sledding hills.
Note: Geek Girl read to herself for over four hours today! Now she's reading Encyclopedia Brown with Daddy Geek and enjoying solving mysteries.
We're not sure how the school district will make up for the snow days. They could add days to the end of the school year, extend the school day, or eliminate the once a week early dismissal. I guess they need to figure out how many days will need to be made up. And it's only February, but sign-ups for summer camps have already started. I guess we need to figure out our summer plans.
Good news -- Daddy Geek and Girl Geek went to the library for more books and the hardware store for a sled. Now we can go hunting for some good sledding hills.
Note: Geek Girl read to herself for over four hours today! Now she's reading Encyclopedia Brown with Daddy Geek and enjoying solving mysteries.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Whooooosh!
The Gorillapod is very useful for taking pictures out in the field. However, it can't prevent nature from disturbing your picture.
Okay. This is better.
Our street is light commercial, so it has been pretty well plowed. However, we saw one residential side street that wasn't going to see a plow until Wednesday. I guess this was a good winter to live in an apartment building with a garage.
Okay. This is better.
Our street is light commercial, so it has been pretty well plowed. However, we saw one residential side street that wasn't going to see a plow until Wednesday. I guess this was a good winter to live in an apartment building with a garage.
The Trumpet of the Swan
We got Geek Girl three E.B. White books for Christmas. She finished Charlotte's Web in two days. Stuart Little in about two hours. And recently she just finished The Trumpet of the Swan.
And here's her artistic interpretation. Did you know dry erase markers also work on glass?
And here's her artistic interpretation. Did you know dry erase markers also work on glass?
New Toy
Daddy Geek was excited to find a Gorillapod in his Christmas Stocking.
When he pulled it out of his stocking he asked Geek Girl if she knew what it was. Her reply? "Something for you to whack me on the head with." We're still laughing. And no, he does not whack her with the Gorillapod (or anything else).
The Gorillapod was very useful for documenting our Christmas Day walk around Roosevelt Island. No more precarious balancing of the camera on random objects.
When he pulled it out of his stocking he asked Geek Girl if she knew what it was. Her reply? "Something for you to whack me on the head with." We're still laughing. And no, he does not whack her with the Gorillapod (or anything else).
The Gorillapod was very useful for documenting our Christmas Day walk around Roosevelt Island. No more precarious balancing of the camera on random objects.
Waiting out the storm
The North American blizzard of 2010 has come and gone. Other popular names were Snowmageddon, Snowzilla, and SnOMG. Geek Girl went to school at the normal time on Friday. Small flakes started falling around 10 am. Geek Girl was sent home early on Friday. And then the flakes started sticking. Daddy Geek was also sent home early.
Saturday morning we woke up to about 20 inches of snow. Daddy Geek and Girl Geek went for a walk. Here they are waving to me from outside the building.
And here are some souvenir icicles they brought home for me.
School has already been canceled for Monday, so this means Geek Girl will have to go to school on Presidents' Day. Daddy Geek will have to work tomorrow, the question is whether it will be at the office or home.
Saturday morning we woke up to about 20 inches of snow. Daddy Geek and Girl Geek went for a walk. Here they are waving to me from outside the building.
And here are some souvenir icicles they brought home for me.
School has already been canceled for Monday, so this means Geek Girl will have to go to school on Presidents' Day. Daddy Geek will have to work tomorrow, the question is whether it will be at the office or home.
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