Skip to main content

The Cape Project

Amanda wanted a "superhero party" for her birthday. I was willing, especially since having my children plan the parties really takes the stress off of me (I hate planning parties). Since I won the actual party at the jumping place, I decided to make nice capes (from Puking Pastilles) as party favors (also much better than more candy or cheap toys). I made 14 capes. I still can't believe it, but I started early and worked steadily, and finished a few days ago. One superhero birthday party, coming up. (Please note: nothing else about the party has a theme: not the cake, not the napkins, nothing else.)

I loved Amanda pretending to be a superhero. She would run and jump in front of me, saying "SuperAmanda, to the rescue! How can I help?" She did seem to think that wearing her cape made her less likely to be hurt, and better able to jump and run and everything. I could tell that thinking of herself as a superhero made her feel powerful.

Today, I noticed that Amanda wasn't talking about being Super Amanda anymore. She kept talking about "wings" and "Tinkerbell". I asked her if she was still a superhero. She said that she was Tinkerbell...

I told her that since she had a superhero birthday party with capes tomorrow, she should keep on being a superhero for one more day. She suggested that maybe I could make fairy wings for all her friends. I must have been pretty clear in telling her no, because she suggested that she could have a "fairy superhero party", and that the capes could turn into wings.

I preferred SuperAmanda to Tinkerbell, but I suppose everything changes. At least it's not Hannah Montana. Yet.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

My hero, Helen Parr

Otherwise known as Elastigirl , a.k.a Mrs. Incredible. She is a stay at home mom ( SAHM ), she clearly feels that what she is doing is important and is willing to give up a lot to do it (remember her comment in the intro: "I'm at the top of my game! Leave saving the world to the guys? I don't think so.") But she is finding fulfillment in leading her family from day to day, in doing a hard job well. She also knows that she is very talented, and that knowledge helps her see beyond the repetitive drudgery of staying home. My favorite scene is from the deleted introduction, where she talks with a "career woman" who is of the opinion that staying home is fine for people who can't do anything else. She responds that taking care of her kid is at least as hard as saving the world, and is valuable contribution to society. The point for me is that someone has to do the job that I'm doing, and it's not something that you could pay someone to do. I see...

Why you should study the history of math

  Why you should study the history of math In the mid 1300s a fad made its way around Italy. Mathematicians would challenge each other to “mathematical duels”. They would post problems for their opponents to solve, sometimes along with their solutions in coded poetry. The winners would get support and funding from rich patrons, the losers would descend into obscurity. One such contest, between Fiore and Tartaglia, involved a new method for solving the cubic. In order to win, Tartaglia worked day and night to find Fiore’s method---unfortunately, Fiore did not do the same and only knew his own method and no others. (*Recall that the formula for solutions to quadratic equations of the form use the quadratic formula, Giorlamo Cardano---physician, philosopher, astrologer and mathematician---convinced Tartaglia to share his method and promised never to reveal it. Then Cardano figured out a more general method, and wanted to share it, but was blocked by his promises. Fortunately (for Ca...

Things that are true

"Axial tilt is the reason for the season." (Picture a globe with the northern hemisphere tilted away from the sun...) I believe this is meant to be an anti-theist slogan, although I would point out that I believe there is a reason for the axial tilt. This is a runner up to my favorite true science picture, the "Gravity Forecast." I linked to this when I was a graduate student, but the site is long since down. Picture a weather forecast graphic, but instead of clouds and temperatures, the 5-day forecast predicts 9.8 m/s^2 down. Even the idea still makes me laugh, perhaps I will reproduce it someday. Luke cut his 4th tooth today (Finally!). So far they haven't caused us too much trouble. We'll see what happens when he gets his canines.