The Mom Weekly Volume 24: January 9, 2024

Note: I love this “from the vault” so much. Nearly 15 years after this was written, we are all much more numbers and financially literate than back then. But much of that could be because of the good start we had! I really enjoyed teaching math.

From the Vault Math Problem of the Day (June 2009)

We have G is for Googol from the library right now, and I think I am going to purchase it. It is really a neat exploration of numbers.

After reading the first part of What’s Math Got to Do with It?, (also from the library), I see the value in really giving playing around with math another try. The author, Jo Boaler, hasn’t convince me to give up the idea that it is important to know your basic facts really well. I still think having a solid grasp of those—addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals—is important, but I do see where we could have a little more fun around math.

So I decided on a “problem of the day.” What’s Math Got to Do with It has quite a few ones, with sample solutions, in the back of the book, and I thought I’d start there. In the meantime I was reading to Max a page a day in G is for Googol and hoping other people would listen in, and when I read about binary numbers.

Homegirl jumped up and we did some work on it on the dry erase board in the kitchen.

So cool!

The question was:

“Would you rather have a penny a day, doubled each day, and the next amount doubled, for a month, or $1,000,000?”

Max, of course, wanted the million bucks. But Homegirl (Ideagirl is in bed with a fever) understood and remembered from One Grain of Rice that we read years ago, that it was better to choose the penny.

So she decided to count out the doubled rice until as long as she could easily. Here is her set-up, labeled by day and amount of grains of rice. Notice her handsome rice-counter assistant. She is so good at inspiring action!

2009 cuties counting rice

Interesting/notable

Label maker—“Why have you been keeping me from this joy for so long?”

On Facebook recently, I asked for advice about getting a label maker, and had so many fun comments about each person’s favorite and how much they enjoy it. As I wrote when I went back to thank everyone after I got this one, “Just coming back here to say that I got one and it is SO MUCH FUN! Why have you all been keeping me from this joy for so long? I want to label everything.”

J3 suggested that I label the label maker, and so I dutifully did.

The Four Phases of Retirement

The Four Phases of Retirement—(TEDx conference, Surrey) Interesting!

Superchick

Dad and I listened Superchick on a recent drive on Spotify. Such fun music, and a lot of good memories.

Some of my favorite songs:

What are you doing this weekend?

The Mom Weekly schedules to post on Tuesdays. One of the reasons for this is to encourage you (and me, too!) to think about weekend plans. All too often, I have let that go until Friday, and then it’s hard to get people together, or make plans for coffee, or figure out when you go to Mass (other than the default, which is what we typically do).

So, now that it’s Tuesday, what are you planning for the weekend? I’m going to suggest trying to cover four “F”s to get ideas flowing:

*faith—when are you going to Mass?

*friends—what friends will you see or connect with?

*food—any fun recipes you plan to try, or restaurants you plan to visit?

*fun—anything interesting you are going to play, watch, or do this weekend? Now’s the time to think it through, and put it on the calendar (even informally)..