“Okay, I need you to hold this end of the tape measure right here; right here on this mark. While you hold that, I’m going to stretch it out and we’ll see how many inches it is to that mark over there.”
As I set the tape measure down on the block of wood I had put in place a moment ago, I said, “Okay, now come down here and let’s see how many inches it shows.”
As my six-year-old granddaughter moved with a bit of swagger in her little step to where I was standing, I quickly moved to her previous location and put the tape back on the mark. She was close, but still… I moved back to where I started and we both looked down at the markings on the ruler.
“Okay, what number is that?”
She looked. I looked. She continued to look. I waited until the point of frustration, then prompted, “What’s the first number?”
“One.”
“What’s the second?”
“Zero.”
“And the third?”
“Three,” she said. Then, seconds later, “One hundred and three!”
“High five!” I exclaimed, as her face, broad with a smile, looked up at me. “That’s right, one hundred three,” I told her. “That’s exactly what we wanted it to be!”
My oldest granddaughter and I, with a little help from my long-deceased friend Pythagoras, were checking to make sure the corner of the wall for the catio I was building was square.
No, she doesn’t have a clue what the Pythagorean theorem is, and no, she doesn’t fully comprehend what 103 inches means. She is, however, beginning to understand she can use that long springy thing to measure how far away something is. I’ll take that for now, and later we’ll work on the rest. And don’t worry, we’ll wait until at least the second grade before we start with power tools!
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An aside: A “catio,” in case you didn’t know, is basically a fenced room on one’s deck or porch. Yes, it’s for the cats. Do my daughter and her husband spoil their cats? Ya think?
Yet There is Method 
What a great story! This is the best way to learn things and I bet she will always remember how she learned 103.
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I think she will, Chrissy. It was a lot of fun and I’m already looking forward to doing it again!
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You made us see her smile, too. A good picture of learning from experience. She may not understand a lot yet, but she’s building the foundation so she can someday. Even better she’s building a strong and trusting relationship with grandpa!
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Your comments certainly make me smile, Diane. She’s learning by leaps and bounds, and she loves being involved. I kinda like it too!
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I can see her swagger and sense her curiosity and pride – how little ones embrace new things and helping! Life is made of these moments … and pets are meant for being spoiled! Just as grandchildren are. 🙂
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Certainly we don’t know anyone who spoils their grandchildren! Curiosity and pride: That’s exactly it!
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I wish that I had a “love” button for this post! One day, it will be so special when you are able to share this post with her!
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Thank you, Jennifer. I can’t wait until the day when I get to share all of my stories with her–it will be special!
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I definitely did not know what a catio is, Tim, so thanks for the explanation. Your granddaughter must live close by. Mine are 6 hours away and I can’t wait to see them. Thanks for your wonderful story.
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Thank you for your comments, Carol. They are pretty close. I’m sorry yours are so far away–I hope you get to see them soon!
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What a wonderful moment. I love how her understanding develops – and how mine did when you explained what a catio is! She is lucky to have you around as she grows. (And I let mine use a hammer & nails in 1st grade – they loved it & still have all their fingers.)
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It was wonderful, and getting to watch as her understanding develops is a blessing in and of itself. I love that you make stuff with your kids–those are skills that will serve them well and potentially bring them years of pleasure!
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