ok, i guess i'm back. here we go...

DD: uh, this won't fit.
Me: yep - use one of the smaller ones.
DD: how many?
Me: here's the one cup - add them into it and sort it out.
DD: cool!
Me: yeah. (DD keeps puttering while i'm busy)
DD: huh. i can mix them up, too - and it still works.
Me: what do you mean?
DD: well, one 1/2 + two 1/4s is 1 cup.

and it rolled out from there. and more questions and more experiments. i guess it's a good thing we're homeschooling now. (really going, now - i have no business here.)

Every Sunday it brooded and lay on the floor. Inconveniently close to the drawing-room door.