Them Bones

Sydney and I were playing with dominoes the other night, making trains. We would place a domino (like the five-two) and then hunt for another "two" to line up to it. And having found the two-six, we had to hunt for a "six" and so forth.

She wasn't counting as much as pattern-matching, but I find that most of my Kindergarteners don't have the "life" skill of instantly recognizing a number by the dot arrangement so commonly used on dice and dominoes, so I thought we would start early.

She enjoyed the train making for a while, but then just wanted to put the dominoes in and out of the box, which was also just fine.

I do wonder, though, as I post this, if Aunt Kathi or Aunt Dani will recognize the dominoes. The box isn't the right one... that box is from a latter set. Picture the green dominoes in a white cardboard box. Grandpa's dominoes. That makes Sydney the fifth generation to have her hands on these dominoes, since I feel confident that Mama Dolly played some 42 at least of few times with this set.

I also wonder if Uncle Dave is reading this and just starting a mental countdown for when Sydney will be old enough to play 42 with him. Sydney's grandma and Aunt Jennie Sue made us wait until junior high.

It comes to her from both sides of her mama's family, the love of dominoes.

And you know anything you want to be really good at, you have to start young.



I think I'll wait a while longer before teaching her about going low or sevens.