Kids say the darnedest things...

[gillianren]

Yes, I've told him that.  I'm trying to tell him that he needs to have a backup life-plan in case being a gamer doesn't work for him, but, you know, seven.  (And "gamer" has stuck for something like a year now.)  If it happens, that's fine, but I need to be certain he's aware by the time he grows up that it might not be a thing.

They have decided they will be Sandy and Zane now.  That was one I was expecting to change faster than it did.

[JayUtah]

Off-topic, but I just want to point out that the software people who score the best in our interviews all come from the gaming industry.  You guys really know your stuff, so be proud.

But yes, e-sports are just as competitive as physical sports.  A second or backup career is essential, as well as very smart financial planning.

[molesworth]

Off-topic, but I just want to point out that the software people who score the best in our interviews all come from the gaming industry.  You guys really know your stuff, so be proud.

<off-topic>
Thanks Jay.  A lot of that comes from the constant quest for more and more performance on the same, sometimes limited, hardware.  It's what makes the job fun, and a real day-to-day challenge.  It's easier nowadays, but 20 years ago there was a lot of "jiggery-pokery" needed...

I think I did quite well in the interview test for my space tech job.  And funnily, when we had a vacancy and I recommended one of my developer friends, my boss said he gave almost exactly the same answers to the questions as I did 
</off-topic>

[Peter B]

Telling the passage of time...

I'm currently reading "The Lord of the Rings" to 8YOD and 10YOS, usually a chapter on weekday nights before bed (just finished reading "The Hobbit" to them and they keenly wanted to continue... Anyway, I'm sure you know how long LOTR chapters are.

However, this particular Friday night 10YOS and 8YOD had instead been watching the TV. A show was just finishing...

Me: Okay, TV goes off at the end of the show.

8YOD: Aw, but I wanted to watch the next show.

Me: Sorry, not tonight. You're due for bed in five minutes.

8YOD: In that case could you read us a chapter of "Lord of the Rings"?

[Peter B]

8YOD likes an occasional cup of tea. I was making a cuppa for me and Mummy, and 8YOD asked for one too.

8YOD: How much sugar did you put in it?

Me: Two teaspoons.

8YOD: Yay, just how I like it.

Me: I always put two teaspoons in it because I remember what you like.

Mummy: I swear they think we do things like this at random...

[gillianren]

Yeah, the kids say the same thing here--"How did you know that's how I wanted it?"

[Peter B]

Mummy and I go to school to collect 10YOS and 8YOD (we had parent-teacher meetings that afternoon).

10YOS walks up to us waving a permission slip for the Year 5/6 school camp, to be held at a Department of Education facility about half an hour out of town.

10YOS (triumphantly): At last, we can have an overnight camp.

Mummy (with a straight face): Oh, honey, didn't you know, you can't go on that camp!

10YOS (matter-of-factly): Yeah, that's okay, I didn't want to go anyway.

Mummy (baffled): You mean, you're thrilled you can go, but you don't want to?

10YOS: No, I'm not interested.

Mummy: You're weird.

[Peter B]

Music...

Me: Just remember, it's Wednesday, so remember you have your guitar lesson.

10YOS: Oh yes, thank you for reminding me. I'll take my trumpet.

Me: ??

10YOS: Yes, today's the day we have band practice.

= = = =

To be fair, there was logic in what he said. He's learning guitar, and he'd just been issued his trumpet as a new member of the school's brass band. I just didn't know Wednesday was band practice day as well as his guitar lesson day.

[gillianren]

Last night, Sandy was pretending to be a construction worker.  She was pretending to build a house out of brick--with glass windows, of course.  Then, she pretended a dragon came along and burned the house, except you can't burn brick so it only burned the windows.

[JayUtah]

You can't burn brick, but fire will still do a number of brick structures (as Fred Dibnah aptly demonstrates).  Just give her a bulb horn to honk when it finally goes over.

[gillianren]

I'd chosen not to explain that glass doesn't exactly burn easily.

[Peter B]

3pm on the first day of the school holidays...

10YOS: I'm bored...

Me: 

[Peter B]

Mummy (to 8YOD, around lunchtime): How about you put your dirty plate in the dishwasher?

8YOD complies, then spots dirty plate in front of Mummy.

8YOD: Maybe you could put that plate in the dishwasher too?

Mummy: Because I'm still getting my lunch ready and haven't eaten it yet.

8YOD: <big sigh> There's always an excuse.

[Peter B]

Getting meta with jokes...

= = = =

8YOD: Do you want to hear a joke?

Me: Okay.

8YOD (reading from something): How did the koala get the branch manager position?

Me: I don't know.

8YOD: He was koala-fied.

Me (groaning): Oh, very good.

8YOD: Don't congratulate me. Congratulate the person who wrote the joke.

[Peter B]

I'm waiting outside the dance school with shopping. 8YOD emerges from the dance school after ballet class, groaning.

8YOD: That was terrible!

Me: What's the matter?

8YOD: We did arm exercises, and my arms are really sore.

Me: Well, let's go home so you can rest.

(I pick up the shopping and a loaf of bread falls out. 8YOD leaps forward to retrieve it.)

Me: I'll pick it up. I thought you said your arms were really sore.

8YOD: Oh, yeah! In that case you can take my dance bag too!