May randomness

Still young enough for Legos

May is a big month for Nikita because it is his birth month. He, too, received a wristwatch from us, and even got gifts from his chess teachers. He still, however, would have appreciated some Legos. School was eventful for him as well. He was excited about learning how to write an essay, and enjoyed a trip to the Boston Globe. Thankfully, he was well enough (Igor and Ivan were sick) to attend a week-long field trip at the Ferry Beach Ecology School. He enjoyed himself so much that it was all he could talk about for days afterwards. He couldn't, however, read the letters I wrote him (other than the attachments like this one on spurious correlations). Nor did he bring me new jokes like this one he taught me earlier:

20 people at a party all jumped into a pool; 24 heads popped up. How is that possible?
There were 20 foreheads.

Nikita and Igor were out of town during Mother's Day weekend because of a chess tournament (who plans these events?). Thankfully, Ivan more than made up for their absence. He made me two cards and a bead necklace, and even did his homework in the morning so that we could walk in a park with Galina. And in the evening, we went to see "Wizard of Oz" in technicolor plus a vaudeville show. Pleasant surprises included bumping into a friend from gospel choir and the audience filling in lines when the sound went out.

As for me, the end of the semester was less crazy than usual because I didn't have as many obligations at the boys' school. Between the grading and baking for my job (espresso cake for students; biko for colleagues), and Oreo milkshakes and vla for the boys, it was gratifying to learn that three of my former students garnered writing prizes. I also enjoyed the New Adventures of Peter and Wendy (check out this adorable scarf worn by one of the characters!) and these essays:

• how to prevent assault by a child predator
• how colleges can be a better ladder for class mobility
• how one can use math to choose a mate
• why the humanities are as important as STEM (written by an MIT dean!)

I'll end the post with this series of video essays that explain how patience is necessary for genius (for more information on these videos, see these links):