Weighty Matters

During a recent dinner I brought out my little digital kitchen scale to weigh something at the table. I usually use it for baking and whatnot (it really comes in handy for one of my favorite recipes, Almost No-Knead Bread*). When I used it at the table Kiernan immediately became curious and wanted to start weighing things. I taught him how to turn it on, switch it over to ounce mode, and how to use the tare feature. He weighed some of his food. Eventually, of course, he moved onto his dinosaurs. I mean, who wouldn't?

Above you see him examining the results of weighing Parasaurolophus as Amargasaurus looks on. (5.6 ounces, if you're curious.)

Two days ago we were having dinner again, oddly enough, and Wendy starting talking about things she liked about Kiernan. I'm not sure how this started. I think it was part of getting him to talk about his first day of Kindergarten, something that was very difficult to do. He just didn't want to talk about it very much. I thought we had a few years before asking about the school day became like pulling teeth and the total answer to the question "What happened in school today?" was a sullen, "Nuthin'." Oh well.

So I think Wendy asked Kiernan to talk about what he liked about himself for some reason. She asked him to say two things he loved about himself. Then she said two things she really loved about him. I believe they were "sense of humor" and "inquisitiveness". She turned to me to get me to chip in two things I love about him, when he broke into the conversation.

"What are two things you love about---" Wendy started to ask me.

"Sorry to interrupt," said Kiernan, interrupting, "but Albert Einstein says, 'Always keep asking questions.'"

Seriously. It just came out of the blue like that. An Albert Einstein quote. We burst out laughing. It was uncontrollable and totally prompted by surprise and delight. I saw Kiernan's expression change, darken a bit as he started thinking we were making fun or laughing at him. He brightened up when I shifted and started saying how cool I thought that quote was and how surprised and excited I was that he mentioned Einstein.

"Where did that come from?" I asked, incredulous. "Did you talk about Albert Einstein in school today?"

He replied, "No. From The Magic School Bus." Ahhh. As it turns out, one of the MSB books (The Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Exhibition) features Albert Einstein and he tells the kids to keep asking questions.

Wendy went inside to retrieve the little journal we keep on the counter to note the cute and clever things Kiernan says. While she was writing this down, she asked him to remind her what he said exactly. "What was it that Albert Einstein said?" she asked.

"E equals m-c squared," he replied.

To say this kid floors me on a daily basis is to grossly understate the situation. Sometimes I wonder how the heck I'm going to keep up with him when he already can think circles around me. He is so beyond. Luckily he brings me back to earth on a regular basis by throwing little tantrums and pouncing on me. In general reminding me he's a normal kid. As he did in the very next moment after the second Einstein quote when he spilled his milk all over the journal Wendy was writing in.

It was easy not to get upset about that. In fact, I was grateful for it.

E= mc². Honestly.



[*I actually got the recipe from my favorite cooking magazine, Cook's Illustrated. I would prefer to link to the original recipe, but it's behind a subscription wall so I can't.]