Multiplications Greatest Hits

I’m baaaaaack…

I hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas. I had a very nice visit with the family, and Movie Night went well. It actually ended pretty early for once – 2:30AM-- but my uncle and I stayed up and watched Serenity. Not a Christmas movie, I know, but it was one I hadn't seen yet.

My aunt and uncle and cousins were in town from Minnesota, and it's always nice to see the girls, as we don't get to see them very often. The older one is in the fourth grade, and the younger one is three years old. So while the three-year-old ran wild around the house with my two-year-old nephew, my older cousin brought me a pad and pencil and wanted me to show her some math problems. Now THAT'S my kind of kid!

I showed her a few tricks for multiplication (she knew the finger trick for 9's, but not the counting up and down trick), and then she shared with me a song that she uses to remember one tricky fact.

“8 times 8 went to the store,
To buy a Nintendo 64."

Pretty cute, eh? At my school, we have songs that go through the entire times table of a particular number, but perhaps we need songs for individual facts. So that got me thinking of some possibilities:

"7 times 8 liked Stevie Nicks,
That girl looks like she's 56."

"4 times 6 loved brave Jack Bauer,
And watched his show all 24 hours."

"5 times 4 could sure see plenty,
His vision checked out 20/20."

If anybody thinks up any new ones, please let me know.

And please continue to sign the guestbook. I LOVE the response it's been getting so far! My goal is to have at least one signature from every continent. That's right -- all 9 of them!!