Fractions make us frantic, a solution to the cat problem and when sleeping kids lie...

So I thought it would be "fun" to do some fractions with Jessie, you know, 'cause I'm insane!! ;D Turns out I can only remember the absolute basics of fractions but I DO remember how much I hated them as a school child! We abandoned fractions for a day or so and I got some advice from my buddies online. This time I told Jessie we were going to take it reeeeeeally slowly. If she didn't get it, then we would work on it, slowly, until she did. It's not a biggie, if it gets to be a worry for her then I'll back off and we'll try again another time but today we had a bit of a breakthrough! ;D I made a few strips of paper, one to equal one whole, one was two halves, another was four fourths, up to 16 sixteenths!This website was super helpful. We played a game with a fraction die that we made, where you roll the die and then use the fraction on the die to cover up the "whole" ... it really helped Jessie to see what each fraction was worth and she caught on very quickly that 2 /16 was the same as 1/8 etc. She asked to play several times and I was so proud of her! : D

This was after one round of the game... see the paper "die"


Playing again..!


Jessie wanted to show me what she'd figured out for herself!

We used dominoes as fractions... she had to show me what the dominoes represented.



two fourths OR one half! We did things such as 5/4 so she could see that this meant one whole and one fourth etc. She's getting it! It's so exciting! ;D


So after solving some fraction problems we decided to tackle another problem....the CAT problem! ;D We realised that if we simply close the door to the upstairs and no longer allow the cats up there then they can't pee on the beds any more!! ; D WOW!! What a concept!!!! LOL!!! It's good too, as we see a lot more of the critters now!! Kitten objects... he sits behind the door and meeeaoooowwwwws at us!! ;D Pah! he had his chance! He's lucky he's not "on the farm" !! :D Bloody cat!

And finally...!! I had a real scare tonight. Jessie had gone up to get ready for bed. Jack and I faffed around downstairs, getting his vitamins, putting on his PJ's and loading the dishwasher etc. I intercomed Jessie and told her that Jack was on his way up and could she make sure the cat didn't come up too. She didn't reply so I figured she was probably doing her teeth and didn't hear me. When we went upstairs Jessie wasn't in the bathroom where I thought I'd find her. I looked in her room, darkness, nothing. I looked in Jack's, mine... nothing. I ran downstairs and searched the place... nope... not there. I went to the basement calling for her at the top of my voice..... nowhere. I went outside and looked as best I could in the dark, trying to think where on EARTH she could be. All I wanted was to hear her voice...I was getting really panicky and Jack was scared, sitting on the couch with his fingers in his ears. I hit the intercom button to Jessie's room again...."Jessie....if you are hiding, come out now. In 10 seconds I'm calling Dad...!!" I was really starting to lose it. I couldn't think HOW she could have disappeared and kept wracking my brain to think if she had said she was going outside or what....??? Suddenly and from seemingly out of nowhere she appeared looking all frantic and scared, running down the stairs. In my panic I yelled at her "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!?!!? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?!?!??" She was in such shock she couldn't respond...!!! It turns out the poor thing had been fast asleep in her bed. When I looked in her room I wasn't expecting her to be in bed, so I didn't see her there. She had been dreaming, had a scary dream and woke up to hear me yelling for her.....!! Sheesh. We were both freaked out by the whole thing!!

I think I'm going to need a stiff drink...!! of coffee probably! ;D LOL