At Mud
Originally uploaded by renfield
language issues
So my almost-six daughter, nearly half way done with kindergarten, has perfectly acceptable English linguistic progress; reading, writing, speaking, listening...only one minor issue: she has the tiniest (and most adorable) of lisps with 'th' sounds, which is apparently quite normal for kids her age, and likely not an issue.
Her Japanese is also fine, though she makes some slightly odd grammatical mistakes (in addition to the typical mistakes you would expect from a five year-old.)
My lovely wife, mother to My Awesome Kids, met with the Japanese teacher and was given a specific example of incorrect Japanese grammar that my daughter uses all the time: incorrect adjective conjugations.
She sticks a 'no' on the end of 'i' adjectives where it is unnecessary. For example: tanoshii-no.
She also sticks a 'no' on the end of 'na' adjectives where it DOES belong...she just doesn't do it correctly. Instead of dropping the 'na' and replacing it with 'no', she just slaps the 'no' after the 'na'.
In other words, she makes non-native mistakes...mistakes that I make. All. The. Time.
Because I speak Japanese to her too much, and my Japanese is not native.
Besides which, in a couple more years I won't be able to help her with her kanji homework either.
So, I am basically ruining my children and I need to stop communicating with them in Japanese.
Like, immediately.
Her Japanese is also fine, though she makes some slightly odd grammatical mistakes (in addition to the typical mistakes you would expect from a five year-old.)
My lovely wife, mother to My Awesome Kids, met with the Japanese teacher and was given a specific example of incorrect Japanese grammar that my daughter uses all the time: incorrect adjective conjugations.
She sticks a 'no' on the end of 'i' adjectives where it is unnecessary. For example: tanoshii-no.
She also sticks a 'no' on the end of 'na' adjectives where it DOES belong...she just doesn't do it correctly. Instead of dropping the 'na' and replacing it with 'no', she just slaps the 'no' after the 'na'.
In other words, she makes non-native mistakes...mistakes that I make. All. The. Time.
Because I speak Japanese to her too much, and my Japanese is not native.
Besides which, in a couple more years I won't be able to help her with her kanji homework either.
So, I am basically ruining my children and I need to stop communicating with them in Japanese.
Like, immediately.
No surprise
Tonchan's mid year kindergarten progress report. "Areas in need of focus" ain't no surprise; my daughter needs to listen to instructions, use her time productively, and listen to others when in a group. Also needs to work on math and numbers.
Her reading and writing in both English and Japanese is coming along great for a bilingual five year old. She is creative, responsible, outspoken, and helpful.
But she definitely likes to be the boss, is easily distracted, and functions at her own pace.
She turns six soon, so I will be cutting her less and less slack; she needs to be able to function appropriately with others, specifically doing what teachers say, being more cooperative and less bossy, and getting things done when she has to do them.
It's all about taking responsibility, of which I expect her to take more and more as she gets older. Don't care if she isn't a math wizard, but she at least needs to understand how to be cooperative, participatory, and reasonably obedient. Don't want to turn her into an order-following droid, but the sooner she learns the world has a pecking order, and where she is in it, the better. Tough reality for a five year old? Nah, better than letting her live in a fantasy land where her every wish comes true and everyone does what she says. She has friends like that from preschool, who are having a really REALLY hard time adjusting to kindergarten, and it will only get worse in elementary school.
I prefer my daughter to learn the rules first and understand how to obey them. Only then will she truly learn when and how it is necessary and right to break them.
Her reading and writing in both English and Japanese is coming along great for a bilingual five year old. She is creative, responsible, outspoken, and helpful.
But she definitely likes to be the boss, is easily distracted, and functions at her own pace.
She turns six soon, so I will be cutting her less and less slack; she needs to be able to function appropriately with others, specifically doing what teachers say, being more cooperative and less bossy, and getting things done when she has to do them.
It's all about taking responsibility, of which I expect her to take more and more as she gets older. Don't care if she isn't a math wizard, but she at least needs to understand how to be cooperative, participatory, and reasonably obedient. Don't want to turn her into an order-following droid, but the sooner she learns the world has a pecking order, and where she is in it, the better. Tough reality for a five year old? Nah, better than letting her live in a fantasy land where her every wish comes true and everyone does what she says. She has friends like that from preschool, who are having a really REALLY hard time adjusting to kindergarten, and it will only get worse in elementary school.
I prefer my daughter to learn the rules first and understand how to obey them. Only then will she truly learn when and how it is necessary and right to break them.
A wee walkabout
took a little walk this morning. 3.5 hours, 17 kilos. Not a bad way to spend a morning.
School To Work
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=208582122114344737111.0004ce04453033af4719a Created by My Tracks on Android. Name: School To Work Activity type: walking Description: - Total distance: 2.64 km (1.6 mi) Total time: 30:36 Moving time: 28:05 Average speed: 5.18 km/h (3.2 mi/h) Average moving speed: 5.65 km/h (3.5 mi/h) Max speed: 11.70 km/h (7.3 mi/h) Average pace: 11.57 min/km (18.6 min/mi) Average moving pace: 10.62 min/km (17.1 min/mi) Fastest pace: 5.13 min/km (8.3 min/mi) Max elevation: 71 m (233 ft) Min elevation: 21 m (68 ft) Elevation gain: 155 m (509 ft) Max grade: 0 % Min grade: 0 % Recorded: 2012/11/09 8:03am
Work to Dojo walk
I think you might be interested in this track: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=208582122114344737111.0004ce02f559f312280df Created by My Tracks on Android. Name: Work To Dojo Activity type: walking Description: - Total distance: 2.02 km (1.3 mi) Total time: 23:50 Moving time: 22:50 Average speed: 5.08 km/h (3.2 mi/h) Average moving speed: 5.31 km/h (3.3 mi/h) Max speed: 10.80 km/h (6.7 mi/h) Average pace: 11.81 min/km (19.0 min/mi) Average moving pace: 11.31 min/km (18.2 min/mi) Fastest pace: 5.56 min/km (8.9 min/mi) Max elevation: 112 m (368 ft) Min elevation: 40 m (131 ft) Elevation gain: 181 m (593 ft) Max grade: 0 % Min grade: 0 % Recorded: 2012/11/08 6:21pm
my first python
Decided to write a simple, stand-alone calculator. In Python.
Uses Tkinter for platform-independent (Tk-based) GUI and re module for regular expressions.
Tried to be reasonably Pythony about it, using tuples and lists and dictionaries etc. as (I think) is typical.
The worst parts were trying to remember regex syntax and formatting syntax; nothing really to do with Python itself. Just rusty on those bits because I don't use them much these days.
The code:
Uses Tkinter for platform-independent (Tk-based) GUI and re module for regular expressions.
Tried to be reasonably Pythony about it, using tuples and lists and dictionaries etc. as (I think) is typical.
The worst parts were trying to remember regex syntax and formatting syntax; nothing really to do with Python itself. Just rusty on those bits because I don't use them much these days.
The code:
from Tkinter import *
import re
class Calculator(Frame):
# dict of buttons
buttons = {}
# track if need to clear display before updating display
to_clear = True
def createWidgets(self):
options = {'width':10, 'textvariable':'self.display', 'bd':1, 'relief':GROOVE, 'anchor':E}
self.label = Label(self, options)
self.label.grid(row=0, column=0, columnspan=4, sticky=W+E)
# labels for calculator buttons
b_text = ["/"] + range(9, 6, -1)
b_text += ["*"] + range(6, 3, -1)
b_text += ["-"] + range(3, 0, -1) + ["+", "=", ".", 0]
# lay the buttons out, making the key layout coords, value a button widget
for row in range(4, 0, -1):
for column in range(4):
self.buttons[(column, row)] = Button(self, text = b_text.pop())
self.buttons[(column, row)].grid(row = row, column = column)
self.buttons[(column, row)].bind('', self.button_click)
def __init__(self, master):
Frame.__init__(self, master)
self.pack()
# to keep the display dynamically updated
self.display = StringVar()
# initialize to something purty
self.display.set("0.0")
# set me up!
self.createWidgets()
# callback when button is click'd
def button_click(self, event):
wut = event.widget['text']
if wut == '=': # calc it!
eval_me = self.display.get()
# if there are no decimals, convert the first number to a float
# this forces floating-point maths
if not '.' in self.display.get():
# find the first group of digits, stick a '.0' on the end of it!
eval_me = re.sub(r'(\d+)', r'\1.0', self.display.get(), count=1)
result = '{: f}'.format(eval(eval_me))
self.display.set(str(result).rstrip('0').rstrip('.'))
self.to_clear = True
else: # track the input
# keep using result if you want to
if wut in ["+", "-", ".", "/", "*"]:
self.to_clear = False
if self.to_clear:
self.display.set(wut)
self.to_clear = False
else: #keep using the result value displayed
show_me = self.display.get() + str(wut)
self.display.set(show_me)
# begin!
root = Tk()
calculator = Calculator(root)
calculator.mainloop()
root.destroy()
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