Nerd Fest 2010

I LOVE MATH! It's seriously my FAVORITE!

Today while I was teaching math to Nicole I came across a chart filled with tricks for figuring out single digit factors of divisibility.  I knew the tricks for 2, 5, 9 and 10 (which is not a single digit...I know.) BUT, I did not know there are tricks for 3,4,6 and 8. SO, I'm going to share the awesomeness with you! You are welcome.

TESTS FOR DIVISIBILITY
a number can be divided by...
2   if the last digit can be divided by 2.
4   if the last two digits can be divided by 4.
8   if the last three digits can be divided by 8.
5   if the last digit is 0 or 5.
10 if the last digit is 0.
3   if the sum of the digits can be divided by 3.
6   if the number can be divided by 2 and 3.
9   if the sum of the digits can be divided by 9 (or if the equal nine with adding all numbers until a single digit. 2439 2+4+3+9=18 1+8=9.)

There is no simple test for divisibility by 7.  LAME!

But how awesome is that?

Othello-the game

Have you ever heard of Othello-the game? Not the Shakespeare Play. Not the town in Eastern Washington.  THE GAME. I love that game! The slogan is 'A minute to learn, a lifetime to master.' As a child, I was convinced that my dad had mastered the game. He ALWAYS won! ALWAYS. Below is a dramatization of a game played with my dad as a child. I would be lucky to have 7 chips my color on the board. He kicked my trash. EVERY. TIME.

3 years ago I had a cell phone that had Othello on it. I played it way too much and actually learned a few tricks by watching the computer play and beat me. I got kind of good at it and was winning on the easy and medium levels fairly often. This weekend I taught Matthew how to play the game. He's really smart at spacial logic and this game is right up his alley. After we played 5 or 6 games he asked my dad if he wanted to play. It turns out Matthew is better than I thought. For the first time in HISTORY my dad was not beat, but TIED in a game of Othello--by a child! 11 years old to exact. I was so excited I called a couple of my brothers to tell them. I couldn't believe it! My dad REALLY couldn't believe it!  Of course my logic was that since I am the one who taught Matthew, I must be good enough to play my Dad too, and at least tie. OK, so I hoped for 15 tiles at the end of the game. He was a little down trodden so he set the board up as the picture below. NOT a dramatization.

 I fixed it and the game went as follows...See the pictures.

Holy Smokes! I can't believe I have more tiles than he does! 

I'm still doing it! I just might be able to have 15 tiles by the end of the game after all.

BLASTED! I spoke too soon. But wait! What's that I see in the top left CORNER? A black chip! WOAH! How did I get a corner? I've never gotten a corner playing dad in My. Whole. Life.

Oh my word! This game is getting better all the time. Yes, it's true, Dad has the other corner, BUT at this point in the game, I am guaranteed at least 20 (TWENTY!) pieces. Could it be possible that I might win? Inconceivable!

HOLY SMOKES! I'VE DONE IT! I BEAT MY DAD!!! (Don't tell him, but I'm not sure how I did it.)

The poor guy is perplexed!

Here is the board with all the white ones removed so show my awesomness even better. 2 days later I still can't believe I won this game.

Do you remember on Toy Story 2 at the beginning when Rex is playing the Zurg video game? Then when all the toys are at the apartment trying to get Woody to come home and Zurg shows up? Rex fights Zurg and ends up winning? At the end of the movie they are playing the video game again and Rex declines playing because he's already beaten Zurg?  I feel like I never have to play Othello again as long as I live. I've beaten Zurg. I love you DAD!

December 7, 2009

This morning Ken took the kids to school for the 2nd time this year.  I thought it may be icy out so I asked him to drop them off and I'd drive myself, then we'd both have plenty of time and no one would be late.  PERFECT PLAN right??  Of course not!  I got to work with plenty time to spare. (Possible pun intended...keep reading.)  Ken called me right as I was walking into my classroom and told me I needed to come get the kids, his back tire blew out.  I immediately said a prayer of thanks that it was his car and not mine AND that it was the work van and not the Blazer.  A tender mercy from Heavenly Father.

I went and picked up the kids, they were 10 minutes late to school and I was 17.  Oh well.  We had good intentions. 
****

Tonight at dinner Matthew had some interesting info for us.  His high was that he is now a cop.  Then he said, 'I have some business to discuss.  I am now a cop.' I was asked him what that means and he said, 'It means that you will now be getting tickets if there are any disturbances.'  I asked him a couple more questions then he finally gave us the details...  If it gets too noisy, we get a ticket. If there are arguments, we get tickets.  If I tell him to practice the piano, I get a ticket.  If Nicole practices her clarinet and it squeaks, she gets a ticket. If anyone blows a tire, they get a ticket.  I asked him who his superior was and he doesn't have one.
****
In other news...
Tonight during the prayer for dinner Nicole prayed that 'Dad's funeral would be nice and a lot of people will attend.' NO, Ken did not die...he is just working a funeral today.

Duncan threw up at school today and we were all glad that he had to go home early.

Our low today is 20 and we haven't reached it yet.

Matthew jimmy rigged the Uno Attack game so that he could use AA batteries instead of C's.  He's a genius.  I worry he'll burn the house down one day.

Both the kids had detention today.  I'm a proud Mamma.

Lastly, I cut Nicole's hair on Saturday and I think it turned out pretty well.  ps, when I say I cut her hair, I mean, Nicole cut her own bangs, unsupervised, and I cut the rest of her hair.

Okay, I said that was the end, but I accidentally uploaded the wrong picture and although I know this photo could be the catalist to Matthew burning the house down, I'm going to show it anyway.  No sense wasting an upload, right?   HAHA!!!

Day 2 of my goal...complete!

More little boy antics...

yes, this balloon is full of water.

yes, those are potatoes in the handcuffs.

My own personal blonde moment.

Today I came home from church sick. Nothing to worry about, I just felt really crappy. I managed to lay on the couch and read my RS lesson that I teach on 3rd Sundays, but I was not able to fall asleep. I figured rest was just as good though.

Later in the afternoon, I was feeling tired and decided to go lay down. I slept for a while and when I got up, I realized that I forgot to take out my contacts. (This is the 2nd time in about 10 days, I'm sure I will learn soon.) Anyway, I went into the bathroom to take them out and the first one came out really easily. I stood in front of the mirror to take the second one out and it didn't come out as easily. Right then the phone rang, so I went to answer it. I talked on the phone for about 5 minutes with my vision half blurred. I went back to the bathroom to take out my second contact but I couldn't get it out. I put in tons of eye drops and the little thing was plastered to my eyeball. I was getting a little bit nervous and I was praying that I could get that contact out, and practically swearing that I'd never wear them again if I got the dumb thing out of my eye. Then my phone rang again. It was Ken, I told him about my calamity, he laughed at me. Back to the bathroom I went, I looked in the mirror to get a good look at that contact. Here comes the embarrassing part...I was trying to get my contact out of the wrong eye. Apparantly my right eye has a ring around the iris that looks like a contact. When I tried to take a contact out of my left eye, it was amazing how easily it came out.

Questions I ask myself now, as my right eye is still bloodshot and sore 3 1/2 hours later...

Why didn't I notice I could see really well while trying to get my 'contact' out of my eye?
Why would I be taking out the contact out of my right eye last?
Was I once a blonde???

I know...special