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fun in fours

Month: June 2012

Knight Study

Tuesday 12 June 2012

"Daddy, can we play chess?" the Girl asks almost daily now. She's learning -- slow steps -- but her enjoyment of the game is most gratifying. Today: knight study.

"Put a pawn at each square this knight is attacking," I say. She forms the circular pattern around the knight.

Knight Study

"Notice," I continue, "that the knight is on a white square but is attacking all black squares." I hope this will help her complete the exercise, but we end up getting pawns on random black squares in a few moments.

I suppose the next lesson -- moving the knight to the edge of the board to show how its power is effectively halved in doing so, proving the old adage, "A knight on the rim is grim" -- will have to wait.

Fascination

Monday 11 June 2012

It’s a good sign: the Girl is utterly fascinated with the Boy. “I want to hold him!” is a common refrain. “That’s so cute!” is a frequent chorus.

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The question is, how long will it last?

Swimming and Resting

Saturday 09 June 2012

We’ve come a long way in the last couple of years. The Girl swims; the Boy is; and I’m still expanding.

Early Summer

Sunday 03 June 2012

We have a new child in the house, and I'm barely updating. I could make excuses.

We're too busy taking walks:

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Backyard twirling sessions have taken up all of our time:

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Testing new snorkeling equipment has eaten into our time:

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We've been busy jumping into the water:

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We've been learning to drive a stick:

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Lots of excuses; none of them convincing.

 

End of the Year

Saturday 02 June 2012

Yesterday the school year ended; I’ll take some pleasant memories from this year’s group.

Last Day Wishes

Another End

Friday 01 June 2012

How many ends can we face? The end of elementary school; the end of a fable; the end of a friendship; the end of a marriage; the end of a book; the end of an evening; the end of a song; the end of a project; the end of a journey; the end of a sunrise; the end of a bike ride; the end of a cigar; the end of a sunset; the end of a relationship; the end of a concert; the end of a line; the end of a story; the end of a caress; the end of a smile; the end of a blog post; the end of a bottle of ginger ale; the end of middle school.

Weren’t we all so broke by endings when we were young? Weren’t we so unable to discern the difference between “the end” and a conclusion?

Today, two hundred and fifty — if not more — eighth graders met another in countless endings. For some who’d lost a parent or a sibling, it paled in comparison. For others, it was a tearful afternoon. Those who don’t know will all learn soon enough.