Life of a Lab Rat

At dinner in Black Castle[0] the other evening - digression: It's difficult for me to get home in time to eat with the Black Horde, but occasionally I'll nick off early so we can have dinner together. Youngsters get tired very quickly and if I don't watch it I can make it through the door only to find the Pawns (ages 9 and 6 and three quarters) in their pyjamas and a scowl on the face of the Queen. And it's a shame to do that to such a pretty face.

Where was I? Oh yes.

At dinner the other evening we got to talking about veins and arteries and what were the functional and structural differences. Look, just don't ask, right? Do not ask. So I pulled a basic anatomy & physiology text from the bookshelf and found the chapter on circulation and we had a really good discussion about blood vessels. I can not believe I just wrote that.

I was somewhat heartened (har har) to hear from one of the Pawns that the major difference between the two is that arteries carry oxygen and veins don't. I pointed out, with the aid of the diagram in the book, that this was not quite true but it was encouraging to think that they are learning some real bits and bobs about biology. We then had a mass pulse-feeling and stethoscope session.

I suggested to the Elder Pawn that she should read the entire text, which was not really met with unmitigated approval, but the younger Pawn spent the rest of the time up to and beyond bedtime looking through making it "Ooh! That's interesting!" noises and asking questions like "What's em are en ay?" and "What's a mitochongondrionion and why is a lizzozome eating it?". For the past few days I've found that the easiest way to keep her occupied for the odd fifteen minutes is to say "Go and read the anatomy book"; and off she goes, happy as a coroner in a morgue.

I can see we're going to have fun with her teachers.

[0] Black Castle or Black Towers? You decide.