Have you ever tried to build a stair case, or even a couple steps where there were none?
If you haven’t tried, unless you are just inordinately gifted in geometry, especially if you’re too stubborn to follow a simple math formula, then you have NO CLUE how challenging it is (if you want them straight and even, that is).
I tore out the glass block window in my bathroom a couple of weeks ago, in favor of, get this, a window that opens and can be seen through. Yeah, crazy huh. Oh, and this new one shuts completely too where the other solution perpetually had a 4″ x 12″ louvered vent that only closed about 70%. When it is -40 outside, 70% is sort of um, dumb.
I finally got the blocks out of my bathroom and down to Lily’s lab yesterday, in effort to get them into the shed. My plans were diverted by rain, hail, and snow all afternoon, and as it turns out, all for the better! Lily decided to go into build mode.
As I often do, rather then jump in, I sat in silence, watching. There are signals she gives off when she’s really into something, and one of those is complex, multi-player conversation and dialog. She started explaining to the cast and crew (MLP this time) how she was going to setup a great platform for them to perform on, and the whole room became a stage. She also detailed, somewhat, just exactly how one builds stairs… This, from a kid that has not once in her life shown any interest in building blocks, except to demolish. And even that, she’s not ever really exhibited the necessary patience for a rebuild by Mom/Dad for her to demolish again. Not willingly, anyway.
Somewhere in there she picked up the spatial reasoning, geometric logic, and necessary understanding of physics to employ the forethought to build not a tower or simple structure, but an elaborate, multi-layered, multi-directional stair case and stage riser, out of glass, no less.
Then, she began using it, actively. It became apparent that her rig was a bit unstable: the glass blocks are slightly concave on both sides, and slippery (glass ya know). Her solution was to insert shelf liner (the rubber stuff) in between the pieces of glass. It worked great!
I had the pleasure of simply, silently, observing.
Pics to follow –