Mathematician's Lament

My husband knows I'm a maths geek.  It was he who told me about this article a few years ago, after hearing about it at work (what else would you talk about whilst building a train?)  It was the perfect gift and I eagerly wrote a blog post to share it ... then forgot to publish it.  Oops.  

I still think the Mathematician's Lament is very clever:

Lockhart's Lament

and Lockhart's Lament - The Sequel

Lockhart's Lament was published in a book in 2009, then in 2012 a second book by Lockhart, Measurement, was released ... perhaps an answer to the question of how to change the status quo.

What is it?  According to Wikipedia, "A Mathematician's Lament is a short book on the pedagogics and philosophy of mathematics by Paul Lockhart, originally a research mathematician but for many years a math teacher at a private school. Characterised as a strongly-worded opinion piece arguing for an intuitive and heuristic approach to teaching and the importance of mathematics teaching reforms, the book frames learning mathematics as an artistic and imaginative pursuit which is not reflected at all in the way the subject is taught in the American educational system."

Here's an enticing quote from page 3 of "Measurement":  

"I am going to assume that you love beautiful things and are curious to learn about them.  The only things you will need on this journey are common sense and simple human curiosity.  So relax.  Art is to be enjoyed, and this is an art book.  Math is not a race or a contest;  it's just you playing with your own imagination.  Have a wonderful time!"

I think mathematics is tremendous fun.  I thought when I aced tests in Year 7, and when I happily battled through 4 unit maths in Year 12 with six classmates who would come over to do problems that took several pages to solve.  At that stage it was mostly about 'the test', but our goofy teacher still made it seem fun.  I felt quite disillusioned a month after our final exam when I realised I had already forgotten most of those abstract concepts, but I am still glad I had that opportunity to stretch my brain.

I am revisiting the marvels of maths, thanks to my children ... with their iPads, Vi Hart videos, Escher posters and a stack of brain-tickling maths books, the sky is the limit.  I'll share a list of our favourite resources and book lists soon.

This link is worth a look ... it presents Lockhart's Lament with a cool video, 'metamorphosis of a cube'.

I will leave you with a quote from an article written by Keith Devlin (whose column featured Lockhart's Lament) ...

"In fact, in the context of this country, bedeviled by the incessant math wars and the intense politicization of mathematics education that drives them, my view is that debate about the curriculum and the educational theory that drives it is a distraction best avoided (at least for now). To me the real issue facing us is a starkly simple one: Teacher education. No matter what the curriculum, and regardless of the psychological and educational theory it is built upon, teaching comes down to one human being interacting with a number of (usually) younger, other human beings. If that teacher does not love what he or she is teaching, and does not understand it, deeply and profoundly, then the results are simply not going to come. The solution? Attract the best and the brightest to become mathematics teachers, teach them well, pay them at a level commensurate with their training, skills, and responsibilities, and provide them with opportunities for continuous professional development. Just what we do in (for example) the medical or engineering professions. It's that simple."

Taming the Paperwork Monster

There's a paperwork monster in my house and it's making life difficult ...

Situation report (evidence of the monster's existence):
1.   Piles of paper all over the desk.
2.   There are huge 'sort out later' paper piles on the school/sun/dining room floor.
3.   Several shopping bags full of homeless resource books are lined up next to a cupboard.
4.   My filing drawer is never opened as it's full of old paperwork.
5.   Digital devices are also under attack:  emails, bookmarks and items saved to desktop are accumulating at an alarmingly rate.

Input is multiplying at an alarming rate, while action, disposal and filing are floundering in the depths of procrastination and perfectionism (more about those characters another day).

I know why this happens.  I like collecting ideas.  Resources.  Information.  I greedily read and save, bookmark and sometimes print.  Books are heavily tagged with post it notes.  I scribble on several notepad pages a day (despite having a ridiculous number of journals for every possible need).
I have a pinterest account, online reading list and Facebook articles tagged to revisit 'later'.  All are kept with good intentions (education, enrichment and inspiration) ... but maybe that's what hoarders say about how their collections of newspaper, tyres or jars started.

I LIKE having lots of ideas, but there must be a better way to manage them!

Now, I have made myself sound terribly messy.  Here's the dining table (very versatile, it is also our art studio, science lab and writer's den) ... half-organised, half-messy, half-visible on a sorting day a month ago:

I considered and dismissed some easy options:

run away from the mess

delegate the decluttering

toss it all in the bin

Then I googled "homeschool how to tame the paperwork monster" ...

Taming the paper monster

Superstar study box

Desktop Monster

These links were enough to encourage me it IS possible to evict the paperwork monster.  I am starting to form a plan.  I don't want a formal system ... I like to do things spontaneously, creatively and playfully.
I just to consider the desired outcome, allocate time and space to the initial (mammoth) task, and develop better daily habits.

I don't want to drown in a sea of possibilities that started with a harmless drip.  I do want to catch up on important paperwork that's been lost in transit for years, and enjoy a tidier future.  Of course, I also want to be a better role model for my children and a tidier companion for my organised husband.

I WILL tame the homeschool paperwork monster!

P.S.  Progress has been made since I drafted this ... I was left at home alone yesterday for several hours (gasp!)  Lots of filing, sorting, dusting, recycling and sorting were done.  Hooray!
Items 2 and 3 have been eliminated!  The monster is beating a hasty retreat.  Next target:  the desk.

iPad apps for 8 and 9 year olds

We have an iPad and an iPad mini ... when the children started saving a couple of years ago they both intended to buy laptop computers.  We agreed to pay half.   After months of counting and calculating, the time came and both chose iPads.  We are really glad they did!

Our Favourite Apps

We learn plenty through games, and we have fun playing with education tools.  The lines between learning and fun are delightfully blurry!
These are all pretty good apps, but those marked * are frequently used and ** are current favourites

-  Squeebles Maths (KeyStageFun)     **

-  Dress Up Princess (Hooda Math)

-  Targeting Maths 3 and 5 (Blake)    *
-  Fun Soccer Math (Nghi Lee)   **

-  Tell the Time (Playerthree)
-  Math Drills (Instant Interactive)   *

-  PopMath Maths (AppBlit)   *

-  Ken Ken Classic (maths logic game)     **

-  Conceptis Hashi (Conceptis Ltd)

-  Speed!  (Jeffrey Norkoli)      **

-  Maths Trainer (Shalk)

-  Maths Songs Times Tables (1x-6x and 7x-12x)

-  Spelling 1-2 (School Zone)   **

-  Spellosaur   *

-  This Week's Words (Simulant)
-  Word Jigsaw (Megafauna software)
-  Phonics Genius      **
-  SpeakEasy French (Pocketglow)
-  Kids Apps (13 in 1)

-  Where in the World (UConnect)   **

-  Bridge Construction (Headup Games)   *

-  Bright Puzzles HD (Bright Idea Software)   *
-  Learn the World (Merge Mobile)   **

-  JamPad Plus (H2indie)   *
-  Sketchbook Pro (Autodesk)

-  iLuv Drawing People (MyVijan)
-  Drawing Pad

-  Read and Listen Now Bible KJV HD (Handech)   **
-  SimpleMind+ (xpt)
-  Notability (GingerLabs)

IF you want role play games, my children vote for:

-  My Horse (Natural Motion) ... they get a pet horse without the mess!    **
-  Survival Craft     **
-  Townsmen
-  Tiny Sheep  

Other favourite games include:

-  Harbor Master HD (Imangi)

-  Flow Free (Big Duck)   **

-  Banana Kong (FDG)
-  Angry Birds HD

-  Motorbike HD (baKno Games)   **

-  Mahjong (Byterun)   *
-  Mouse Maze

-  Montezuma Puzzle (ECO Pawel)

-  Square-Off Game (SchoolZone)
-  Memory (Irena Schens)   **
-  Cut the Rope
-  Jump Birdy Jump (Ovogame)

New arrivals, untested:

-  Star Walk HD (Vito) - astronomy
-  Planets (Q Continuum) - astronomy
-  Strip Designer (Vivid)  - cartoon making
-  BrainPOP

I haven't had to set limits for use ... except for myself!  We don't have a TV (only DVD and online viewing) so screen time isn't too much of an issue, and we have too many other interests to spend too much time staring at little screens.  We usually leave the WiFi turned OFF, but sometimes connect to use our Weebly site (a collection of all our online tools), for which I have created a desktop bookmark for easy access.

I would like a better writing app than our current Notes app ... preferably one with formatting options and somehow easy to share with the desktop computer.  If you have a suggestion please leave me a comment.

These cute little tablets have paid for themselves educationally and they add to the family fun!

-------------------&---------------------

A little extra waffle in case anyone is deciding what to buy, or wonders
why we choose iPads ...

*  I already share my lovely iMac and little ASUS netbook.

*  Lightweight, handheld tablets are easy to use anywhere (usually on the lounge).

*  The iPad combines loads of functionality in a tiny machine ... games, writing, art, movies, music, camera and video.  Games for fun and education were a priority.

*  It's super easy and inexpensive (often free) to add new apps.

*  Both children are keen writers.  For portable word processing the onscreen keyboards are fine.  Keyboard cases create a virtual laptop when desired.

*  We were slightly concerned about the smaller screen size of the mini for games and movies, but I changed my mind after trying it in the shop.

*  It's easy to turn WiFi on and off to control internet access.

ANZAC Day books, pages and interactive sites

It will be ANZAC day on 25th April, and it's the first time we're really going into it much with the children.  These are the resources I chose to use with my 6 and 7 year old - of course check them first by yourself to make sure you think they're suitable.

Books:  I'll share these with the children a few times.  I won't write book reviews as I don't have time, and Jeanne does it so well anyway ... follow her link if you want to see book covers and read enticing details!

DD6 and DS7  -  "Why are they marching, Daddy?" by Di Burke

                         -  "What was the war like, Grandma?" by Rachel Tonkin

                         -  "My Grandad marches on Anzac Day" by Catriona Hoy

DS7 only - "A Day to remember" by Jackie French

For the last few weeks DS7 has also been reading a chapter book with his Dad, a fictionalised account of the whole life of Simpson's Donkey:  "Simpson's Donkey - A wartime journey to Gallipoli and beyond" by Peter Stanley.  This was his own choice, but so timely!

Interactive activities:
Flags of countries involved in WW1 and WW2, uniforms, Anzac puzzles & captions, women in war

Printable Pages:
Printable ANZAC vocab cards K-3

and I may use some materials from the following pages, but haven't previewed them yet:
Activities to accompany "My Grandad marches on Anzac Day"
Victorian education page
Early childhood resources
Australian War Memorial
Printables, these look good
Word searches, crosswords and more interactives/ printables on various Anzac themes
Scholastic wordsearch & activity

I saved this link for possible use in the future.

DS7 is going to a dawn service, but DD6 will only watch the later march on TV as she's very sensitive to noise.  We'll make Anzac Biscuits of course!  I've lost my recipe but hope the one I found online will be as soft and chewy as it claims.  I hope to get around to a timeline and mapping activity too ... and we're sharing family stories of course, the few that we know.

Infinity Elephants

Sue often shares links to exciting mathematical wonders on her blog, Math Mama Writes.

Home ed. with younger siblings

A few people have recently asked for tips about how to get things started, and how to occupy younger siblings.  

Here's some encouragement and tips from my experiences so far:

Tot Trays  .... for the little ones, keen to do their own 'school work', there are a lot of good ideas in the pages of this site which I adapted to our needs. Unit studies, lap books, sharing lots of books and fun maths also worked well.  


My youngest child was keen to 'play schools', which helped immensely when I wanted to transition the kids back to a routine with more structure after a year of mostly unschooling. Jasi's enthusiasm pulled in her big brother, who by 5 was ready for a break from 'work' and wanted to play non stop! I did question all of my assumptions and expectations, and gave him abundant free time. I chose less structured teaching methods to build his basic skills during that phase. Elijah's bouts of negativity dissolved as there was no pressure, and whilst it wasn't always easy to see 'progress' at the time, now we're entering a new phase again, and seeing the fruit of the learning which did occur.


We now have a timetable and routine as a guide, which helps, but is INCREDIBLY flexible. I won't share it here as there's never a day or week when we actually do what it says!
Here are some of the things we do:


... As a fun way to draw the kids in and grab their attention and set a positive tone, we gather for a quick introduction, interesting and full of tasty, quick bites. For example, we pray (briefly, having usually prayed in bed earlier) and read a Bible story or scripture verse, use the whiteboard for things such as date, sentence about the day or other idea, sometimes weather, number patterns, brainteasers, interesting words, quick phonics reviews, sometimes a scripture, or a list of some kind (the kids have turns helping write). In my board writing I use words they can read as well as extend and challenge them in a fun and supportive context. 


... Some days we skip the intro. Other days that is ALL we do formally, and the rest is through shared reading, experiences, spontaneous opportunities and rabbit trails.  Natural learning defines so much of what young children are inclined to do, given free time, resources and a willing audience to share their discoveries with. Children are ever changing and amazing!


... With 5-6 yr olds, our sit-down bookwork has usually been only 1/2 to 1 hour a day, low pressure and more about basic skills, habits and attitude. Sometimes I will say what's to be done and why. Other times I will present two options and let the children choose, or the children may suggest a book they'd prefer to do.  If the children ask to do extra, I let them. They sometimes like to read to us or do writing before bed.


... Often "life" changes the routine. We take many opportunities for excursions, play dates, sports and family visits. No worries, as children are always learning, I've learned to see the balance and not worry about missed 'lessons'. Illness gets in the way more often than I'd like. I don't try to force sick kids or myself to work, it's usually a case of one down, all down, and we fall back on natural learning, educational DVDs and read alouds.  


... Lots of hands on activities, shared books, games, variety of resources handy for the kids to select from, or I will choose something to do together.  


... We use the computer as a tool for providing opportunities for 1-1 learning, with the kids free to choose between about 5 options (eg. at times this has included typing in Word, Reading Eggs, Targeting Maths CD-roms, Smart Kiddies, Tux Paint, Mathletics or Skwirk). In theory I can set one child up on the Mac, then spend time with the other. In reality, this is sometimes perfect, sometimes painful, when the one on the computer needs help and whilst I do that, the other gets sidetracked.  

That's part of what it looks like here, with 2 children who are 12 months and 10 days apart. I try to keep it positive, understand each child, and go with the flow.
 
Someone on AussieHomeschool wrote "Sometimes it is very hard to get them to settle down, especially when there is more important stuff happening (nice weather, racing bikes in the yard, scrounging in the garden for slugs etc) and I have been fairly gentle on this, because of their ages and stages (that is also how they learn.)"


My response to this is, I totally understand, especially about ants in pants. We're still there! I try to understand and respect what's important to the children, and work with them rather than fight the tide. I love seeing the children take charge of their own learning, and watch great things unfold when they decide to 'give speeches' or role play occupations. Sure, it's not always so tidy, as they also choose to be cooks with garden litter, wash the floor with a tea towel, or hijack all the chairs and cushions for a bus ... but that's part of childhood.  


Next year my plan includes "The Australian Book Traveller" by Michelle Morrow (her website is www.downunderlit.com), "The Wonderland of Nature", by Nuri Mass (also from Michelle), additional eclectic science, LEM phonics, eclectic Maths (using what I have on hand) and lots of other fun!  

Watch for World Diabetes Day

Please watch this delightful clip ... here's why!!

Wasn't that lovely!!  And less painful than a finger-prick test!
Thanks for your support.


P.S.  There are lot's of ideas cooking, things happening and resources being reviewed at Chrysalis Island at present.  I'll update you all soon.

Reading - our style

I don't think there's any single, best way to help children become readers.  I think Love, patience, time and fun are the keys to encouraging a child's natural interest in stories, and their desire and ability to read will flow from there.  


We haven't followed a specific learn-to-read program.  I've borrowed ideas from all kinds of approaches, including phonics (LEM), sight words (eg. Dolch) ... and our home is a playground for whole language!  Step by step programs have worked for some of my friends, combined with the other essential ingredients I mentioned above.  


Here's our story so far, from 0 to 6 years:


From the early days of babyhood the seeds of reading were planted.  We played with words, read aloud ten zillion books, bought books, visited the library often and the kids chose books to borrow on their own cards.  When friends and family would visit, the kids would toddle up and hand them a book to read out.  


Elijah loved books from day one (well, day 8 when he came home from hospital).  I thought Jasmine was going to be different.  She would wriggle and squirm away ... but by 9 months she was just as hooked on books as her big brother!


Here are some snapshots of the fun we've had with reading in the pre-school years ...

This was Jasmine on her 2nd birthday (Elijah was just 3).  

Pete was a home Dad ... each he day wrote a sentence or two on the chalkboard, and the kids would 'read' it to find out what exciting plans he had ... words like icecream, park and swim were very popular!

We now use a whiteboard, but this habit has stayed with us, and now the children help write the days of the week, sentences or activity lists.

With toddlers, Superdad also made up flashcards with words the children were interested in, and they would play games to win cards by being the first to read them.

We played games and more games ....

We made up rhyming word lists (some with nonsense words) then phonogram-based word lists (based loosely on LEM phonics).  The kids initially read these to earn pez lollies!   

We have a range of flip-books (bought cheaply), free, photocopied or printed and laminated games, word rings, word and letter puzzles ... these are not regarded as greater or less than any of our other resources and toys.  It wasn't so much 'school' at age 3-5, just something fun we did together.  

It hasn't changed all that much.

We also go through phases of using flashcards for 'sight words', blends and phonograms.

I sometimes make up a game, like this 'ar jar' for the phonogram ar ("ah, or, the car had a war") we made 2 years ago.  We thought up the words together, I wrote them on cut up Christmas cards.  4-6 cards are placed face up at a time, I say a clue (eg. it can start a fire) and the kids find the word which says the answer (spark).  They may work as a team or compete for the most cards.

Word wheels don't get much use here ... they look good and are a bit of fun, but aren't as good as reading in context.

Both kids do ABC Reading Eggs, whenever they want (if the computer is available), which averages out to 1-3 one-hour sessions per week.  When they were younger the kids also liked the free lessons and they still like the printable books at www.starfall.com

Jasi and Elijah pretend to read to each other (making up stories about the pictures) ... role playing librarians, teachers, mums and dads.  Likewise, they use story books as pretend music books, from which they sing (making up songs as they go).

We have many 'traditional' reading tools too, around the house including many posters.  I holepunch posters in the top corners, thread 5-6 posters onto 2 curtain rings, then hang the set on hooks I've set up around the house, such as on the back of the toilet door.  They're easy to flip, or swap for a different set.

We've ended up with an eclectic range of 'early readers' at little expense, bits and pieces of many series, from school throw-aways, book stalls, home made books, free printable books (eg. from www.starfall.com) and Bible story early readers.  

We borrowed Fitzroy Readers from a school Mum worked at last year, and the kids hated them!    

Elijah now reads Dr Seuss to us, along with various library books and others from his shelves.

Magnetic word kits, sentence makers and phonics work books 

 are often done just for fun, usually whenever the kids want ... such as bed time!

Living in a book-lovers paradise, with so many tools at our disposal and some deliberate instruction through conversation, games and 'playing schools' ... 
Have my children become amazing readers at an incredibly early age?


No and yes.  It hasn't all been plain sailing, but on the whole, it's been positive.  The children have been at times far ahead of their age-expected levels, then other times they cruise, forget sounds and sight words and fall behind to a more 'average' level for their age.  They have vocab and comprehension beyond their years.  Most important to me, they are interested, self-motivated and enjoy their experiences with words and books.


Our shared reading time is still plentiful and precious, and includes picture books, chapter books, science, maths, geography and history references.  We 'do' the Premier's Reading Challenge, just because we read the books anyway, so may as well get a certificate to show for it. 


I photographed our bookshelves ... but there are enough photos here!  Just imagine bookshelves, baskets and stacks all over the house, add up to 90 library books at a time, and that sums it up.


If it's mixed with cuddles, it's all good!  

Homeschool Wordle

I created this at www.wordle.net, to print and use in our homeschool journal after seeing the idea here and here .  If you click on the Wordle it will open in the Wordle gallery to view at a more readable size!

It was easy and a LOT of fun!

I just typed lots of words in a basic text editor (Stickies) then pasted my list into Wordle, played with the style and saved it in the public gallery.  Voila!

I am hoping it will print well ... when I tried to resize it for this page, the text became too foggy.

Have a go, and add a link to your Wordle in my comments!


P.S.  If you use Mac OS X as I do, refer to FAQs for information about how to print your Wordle.

Crocodile Eggs for Writers

by Vanessa Preston, 2006

Have you ever had the most BRILLIANT IDEA? 

Bursting with energy, you rushed off to show it to someone.  You couldn’t wait to see the look of awe and admiration on their face.  Then …

BAM! 

With one derisive snort or roll of the eyes, they ground your idea to a pulp.

“That’ll never work,” they say of your invention.

“It’s … interesting,” delivered with a fake smile.

“No-one reads fiction anymore,” and they hand back your novel with a sigh.

Sadly you sweep the remains of your idea and ego into the dustbin, and limp away nursing hurt feelings and wounded pride.  And you wonder … are they right? 

Press the pause button on this sad scenario, and imagine this …

Your new story is a baby crocodile.  Once upon a time it was barely an inkling.  But you patiently nurtured and protected this curious creature.  Now it is squeaking, ready to hatch at any moment.  You’re about to watch it break out into the big, wide world.  It seems like a lifetime since you discovered the egg.  Mysteriously it just appeared, but you had an inkling it would be something special one day.  Something a bit like a baby crocodile …

In the beginning …

The shell was paper-thin.  Transparent enough to see the forming skeleton.  Before the egg became cloudy and strong, you glimpsed the form of a tiny reptile.  So fragile.  You tenderly wrapped it in tissues and tucked it inside your shirt. 

Weeks later …

You are excited.  The egg (which you’ve named Inkling) is gaining weight and growing rapidly.  You spend hours looking lovingly at the pearly white shell.  Like a proud parent you long to show off your little one.  It’s getting hard to keep such a spectacular secret. 

Surely it wouldn’t hurt to let a trusted friend take a peek at the little Inkling?

At this point the story is up to you. 

Like a pick-a-path adventure, YOU decide what happens next.  Read the choices at the top of the columns, choose one, and read on to see how the story ends.

A.  You show a friend.  She cringes and comments on every blemish.  You’re convinced a closer look will convert the sceptic.  You hand her your Inkling.	B.  Again you show a friend.  This time, when he starts to poke and prod the Inkling, you make a hasty retreat.	C.  You hide the Inkling away from prying eyes.  When someone spies your treasure you ask them to wait just a little longer.
A. Surely once your friend feels the tender heartbeat and silky smooth shell, she will have to agree this is the most wondrous thing she has ever seen. She’ll have to understand how precious it is. But your friend isn’t as sensitive as you.  She squeezes a bit too hard, and SQUIRT. Clumsily she misses the point and SPLAT. After a quick glance, she leaves it on the windowsill and SIZZLE. You are devastated.  All that is left of your Inkling is a sticky puddle and a shrivelled up shell. Sorry, but it’s impossible to revive this one.	B. You have rescued the egg … but damage has been done. Your trust your friend, and his  opinion is important to you.  You start to question your unconditional love for the little creature.  Maybe you are paying it too much attention? Maybe it really is a bit ugly? You start to neglect it, forget about it, starve it.  Or maybe you try to make it more appealing to others with popular colours and a fashionable name. The once-translucent shell is now blurred by fingerprints, scratched and scarred. Lonely and unloved, your Inkling is fading. Some careful nursing might save it, but the odds aren’t great.	C. You nurture and protect your Inkling.  Safe from harm, it develops legs and flexes it’s muscles. You pay no heed to pessimists. Your job is to keep the Inkling warm, and shelter it from predators.  In time the Inkling will outgrow it’s shell.  With pecking and poking it will at last wriggle free.  Congratulations! The Inkling has a good chance at survival.  For now, you’ll still have to feed it, rescue it when it strays too far, and teach it to fend for itself.  But it may one day grow up to be the biggest, boldest crocodile in the river.

Inklings grow into ideas, like baby crocodiles forming inside their shells.

Perhaps the analogy goes too far – but those baby crocodiles are just so cute!

So, how do you look after them? 

Ideas are fragile, and like crocodile eggs they need:

-       time – don’t be too quick to expose them to the harsh light of day

-       attention – play with them, feed them, marvel and enjoy them

-       protection – guard against vandals, predators, thieves and critics

Ideas differ from crocodile eggs in these important ways:

-       you can shut an idea in a drawer and still maybe revive it years later

-       one idea can be divided into a crèche-full of inklings and inspirations

-       ideas are easier to find than crocodile eggs – if you know where to look!

Writers, thinkers, artists … keep a notepad or sketchbook handy, and write ideas as they come.  Later might be too late.  Jot down one-word, or do a quick draft if you have time.  When you make a habit of acknowledging ideas as they come, they’ll come more often. 

Treat your inklings and ideas like crocodile eggs.  They might be grand one day, but as infants they need protection and nurture.  Sit on them.  Keep them warm.  Believe in them.

Hopefully they will survive, and when they grow up you’ll be the proudest parent alive!