8/3/07 Addition

This morning, Gabriel declared, "Mom, you need to learn plusses."

Er...I do?

"Yes you know, plus. Like, 16 plus 16."

Oh. Yes. Of course. Plusses. Which I need to learn. Right now. In between cutting up a mango, cooking oatmeal, and emptying the dishwasher.

"That's called addition, Gabriel. When you "plus" two numbers together, it's called addition."

"It IS?" he answered, fascinated. "So, 16 plus 16 is 22 -- that's dishin?"

Actually, it's 32.

"OK, Mom. So. Now I'll teach you dishin. What is...1 plus 1?" 2, I answered.

"What is 2 plus 2?" 4.

"4 plus 4?" 8.

"8 plus 8?" 16.

"16 plus 16?" 32.

"32 plus 32?" 64.

"64 plus 64?" 128.

"128 plus 128?" 256. "Oh! That's a really big number!" he exclaimed.

"Actually, it's 2 to the 8th, and now we're counting in powers of 2." (Chuckle from the dining room, where Dave was having breakfast.)

"Oh," he said, unimpressed. Julian made a face and the moment, mercifully, was over.

Good thing Gabriel, the future "silver engineer" (the kind that builds roads and bridges), was on the job today to rescue me from my arithmetical ignorance. Look out kindergarten, here he comes!

8/3/07