The Cup O’ Knowledge – Thank you Chipotle!  We love your “Cultivating Thought” author series (short essays on all sorts of interesting stuff printed up on the side of the Chipotle cups)!  This week, my son and I spent the necessary two minutes reading from the latest Chipotle cup about Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.  Just so A+.  This motivated us to read through “On a Beam of Light” (also about Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity) by Jennifer Berne/illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky (just enough information for us non-physicist types, supported by dear, wispy illustrations that capture Einstein perfectly).

Alexander the Great – we finished our short study of Alexander the Great and came away with a few more vocab words: monsoon and mutiny.  MONSOON!  Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain.  MUTINY!  We thought about how a leader (like Alexander) could probably forget about being remembered as “beloved” if his soldiers felt compelled to stage a mutiny.

Farmer Brown Question – (here’s an abrupt change of mood):  Farmer Brown is in the white rose business! He sells LOTS of white roses for DIY wedding bouquets.  A nice bouquet uses a dozen roses, and Farmer Brown sells a “bouquet package” – the roses AND a “How to Fashion the Bridal Bouquet of your Dreams!” DVD for $40.   If he took in $240 this past month, how many weddings were enhanced with Farmer Brown’s roses?  Farmer Brown ALSO makes a “boutonniere package” for $10. If half of the “bouquet package” purchasers also bought a “boutonniere package”, how much more did Farmer Brown make on his white rose endeavor last month?

Music Focus – Einstein and his violin!  Back to Albert Einstein – we learned that Einstein played the violin with great skill, he said that helped him think better, and declared, “The most joy in my life has come to me from my violin.”   We learned that he preferred the compositions of Mozart, considering the violin serenades superior to the violin concertos.  We want to like what Einstein liked, so we listened to:

• “Mozart’s Violin Serenade No. 6”, the “Serenade Notturna”, movement 4 (the rondo), composed in 1776.  Only about 3 minutes in length.

• “Mozart’s Violin Serenade No. 13”, the super famous “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”, movement 4 (the rondo – again!), composed in 1787.  About 4 minutes in length.

• Finally! Look what we found! “Mozart’s Violin Sonata No. 26, in B-flat major” (composed in 1779), with an actual audio recording of Albert Einstein playing the violin!  My son really enjoyed the privilege of listening to this music, and viewing the accompanying photographs.

Welcome to the best part of my day!

– Jane BH