5/8″ Or 1/2″ And 2 Little Marks?

The challenge is real here!!

My husband and my brother are/were carpenters.  It always frustrated them so when I tried to measure by “the little marks”.  One person even found a tape measure that actually labeled every measurement and gave it to me.  It actually said 1/16″, 1/8″, 1/4″, 1/2″ and so on.  That was great when I needed a tape measure., but not so great for paper crafts.  My husband and I just had a lengthy phone discussion including a partial video call while he was trying to help me with a measurement.

I have made 5 attempts and wasted so much paper trying to accomplish this project.  I said that it hurt my head and I was almost in tears.  I did actually end up with some tears. I switched to using computer paper so as not to destroy any more of my card stock until I had it down.

Turns out that I have three different measuring devices with three different ways to measure, one shows the 16th increments, one only shows the 8th and the other only shows the 1/4th.  In order to accomplish this project, I have to use all three of these instruments. My husband was frustrated when he found this out and said I had to use the same throughout and that I could not switch back and forth.  That is not possible as all three are needed in a different way.  Anyway . . .

We are working and working on it and then I tear up like I said earlier.  (I think things become harder the older you get, things like . . . thinking!) I said I am sorry, it is really frustrating.  We add everything up again for the second time (I have tried three times without him) and I draw, measure and cut.  Nope!  It does not work.  We start trying again . . . I start out with the, “Okay, I need 1/2 plus 1/8 plus a tiny little mark.”  Ha ha. My husband says immediately, “Now I am crying!”.  Haha.  That was a laugh I needed.  He said your brother would have already hung up the phone!  He said no man should have to go through this.  Just so you know, he is not actually mad at me.  He is very patient in some areas and this is one of them.  (Other areas, not so good.  Ha.Ha.)

He went on to say that it should be taught in school.  I told him that perhaps it was. (We, of course, know that it was.) He said it is so basic that it probably was in Kindergarten and I missed it.  He was correct, I did miss it.  I was too young to go to Kindergarten.  Side note here, I started first grade in August and turned 5 in November.  That was the way the dates were set up back then.  My parents thought I was too young, but I had to go.  So, I did in fact miss that class!  Haha.  Another side note here, we did home school our children.  I wonder if I taught them?  Ha.

He went on to say that this was basic math.  Another slight disagreement here … measuring is measuring and math is math.  I explain what I believe to be the difference and go on to inform him how much better I am at math than he is.  So, now I go back to asking, “Just tell me, what is 1/2 plus 1/8 plus a tiny mark?”  A sort of swear word, a very mild one, pops out of his mouth.  I immediately tell him I am so sorry, I am hanging up for now and that I love him.  He told me to wait, he was not swearing at me.  He switched back to a video call and showed me an entire jar of peanuts spilled all over the bunk and floor of his truck!  Haha.  I go on to apologize and tell him it is all my fault and he so sweetly says it is not.  Just to let you know, we did not fight over this project at all, we were both just frustrated.  He remained calm and nice throughout and I did what I do best, I cried in frustration.

We start to try one more time and he says how about we wait until I get home to teach help you in person?  I, however, come up with a better idea!  I say how about I find a new project!!!!