G is for google

I spent yesterday and the day before that helping no. 1 son with maths...(please stop the laughing)

In high school here the kids are tested regularly on what they've supposedly learnt - 3 times a term on their main subjects (which include maths, english & german) and Ben's final maths test of the term is today and could include anything that they've done this term.

I did maths at school, a long long time ago, both GCSE and A level, so in theory I used to be OK with numbers, I say in theory...

I also used to have a proper job (other mothers will understand the distinction) one where I worked for just 7.4 hours a day, only 5 days a week and got paid for it. Anyway, the last proper job I had was in the treasury department of a FTSE 100 company, responsible for the day to day flow of millions of pounds - so I was clearly still OK with numbers then...

The problems started after having children, or more specifically after being pregnant. They say that pregancy shrinks the brain (they probably only meant it as a joke) and I'm sure this is true, ever having children my brain struggles to retain numbers...

I can still remember the phone number for my parents (but that'd be because I learnt it at the age of 10/11 so it's as ingrained in my genetic makeup as my eye colour - brown)

The phone number here I struggle with, and find it easier to remember if I have to say it in German and if I have to give the full number including the code (without the code I kind of flounder and am probably giving out false info - probably illegal here).

But PIN numbers? Nightmare! Absolute nightmare. We still have UK bank accounts that we use when visiting the UK...well, try to use, if I can remember the PIN and more specifically which PIN goes with which card - there are 4, or is it 5?
And then there are the German cards...2 bank cards (or is it 3?) and 1 credit card (which fortunately is PINless at the moment - in some things Germany is still 20 years behind)
Only 2 cards therefore 2 PINs to remember yes? No. One of my cards has issues...its magnetic strip has an allergy to my bag or something - maybe I generate a magnetic field...anyway, I'm onto my fourth (I think) issue of this particular card (I think they all run and hide when I walk into the branch now) and they've changed the number again. But this cloud has a silver lining - they changed it to a really easily remembered number - my birthday (kidding! do you honestly think I'd write my PIN here - no, I've got it written down somewhere else instead, if only I could remember where...)

So, back to Ben and the maths test. We've spent the last 2 days concentrating on fractions (adding, multiplying, dividing) and percentages...

Thank the lord for google, I type in 'fractions multiply' and instantly I have simple instructions on how to do it! Same for percentages, which I always struggled with (did statistics as part of maths A level so you'd think I would understand it...but no) but google comes to the rescue time and time again.

All praise the great god google.