Happy belated Pi Day!

Perhaps it escaped your notice, but Pi Day was last week. March 14th, 3/14, get it? Like pi, which are square, if I recall my math lessons correctly.

I don't know how you celebrated, but I'll bet you a nickel you didn't have as much fun as I did. Mike came home from school in a real stinker of a mood about the following homework assignment: "Write a paragraph that makes sense, in which each word has the same number of letters as the digit in that place value of pi taken out 35 places." And lo, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and truth be told, Mike didn't behave much better than I did.

He pleaded with me to write a note exempting him from the assignment. I told him he must be sniffing glue. He said, "Well, I just won't do it then!" I said fine. He was horrified: "But I'll get a homework stamp!!!!!" Then just do the darn work, I suggested. He proclaimed it impossible. I proved it to be quite possible by jotting down the following poem:

Eat!

I love a yummy chocolate.

To easily slurp two pints luscious chocolate.

Swallow chocolate, joy of day!

Calories from heaven.

To gobble down for all eternity.

Now to quickly spoonfeed,

Maybe of delicate tiramisu.

OK, it's not great art, but you try it if you're so clever. Mike was unimpressed and continued to moan and snarl for quite some time.

I fairly danced out of the house that evening on my way to a meeting, leaving Fred to deal with more of the Pi Day fallout once he arrived home from work. When I returned that evening, the kids were in bed. "How was your evening?" I asked. Fred's evening was apparently fine. "REALLY?" I demanded. "No homework problems you would care to share?" Nope, none. It seems Mike finished his homework while Fred was out picking up the fried chicken. This is patently unfair. Why should I be the only one to enjoy the holiday fireworks?

Mike chose an ocean theme for his Pi Day writing, which I just saw for the first time yesterday. (Remember, he was asleep when I got home that night, and I'm barely functional when he catches the bus at 7 a.m.)

Sea: A bird, a clam's waterhome. To follow among the great breakers. Albatross soaring, sea horses arc in awe. Lobsters lark around. An oyster, blue for all eternity. And so, quickly albatross soars. So beautied, balladed . . .

And so another Pi Day has come and gone. I think that next year we should celebrate with pie instead of creative writing. They may not be square, but they sure are easier to make!