My Pretty Puzzles

In that funny space between Christmas and New Year’s–I decided to pour out a pretty little puzzle.

There is something so soothing about turning all the pieces over, then setting them in little piles according to their shape.

Yeah, I’m one of those puzzle people who takes a few hours to organize all the pieces so that the whole experience is…you know…more orderly.

I believe the puzzle ultimately goes together much, much faster this way because it’s not so chaotic.

In fact, this happy little puzzle was probably two thirds finished when one night I woke to the sound of something very much like pebbles pouring onto the floor.

I flipped on the light and saw that old Hobbes had jumped on one end of my puzzle board and tipped it off the side of the little table it was on and just more than half of my sweet puzzle was on the floor in a broken up pile.

*sob*

The next morning, my sweet Rhenny boy helped me put it all back together and we even kept at it till it was finished! Wahoo!!

What shall I do with all this spare time? Laundry? Dishes? Take down the Christmas stuff?

Apparently not.

Heh, heh.

 

Stained Glass Nativity

I finally finished my latest puzzle and I have to say….

I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite Christmas puzzle of all time.

The colors are so bright and happy and the finished project is positively stunning!

We took the decorations down a couple of weeks ago–

but I still can’t make myself put this last thing away.

It makes me smile every time I walk past it.

Someone asked me why I didn’t just glue it all together and hang it on the wall–but I can’t.

This puzzle is going to be worn out from being put together over and over and over again.

The Mystery Puzzle

Finished this factory sealed puzzle just barely. Notice anything peculiar? Hmmmm? Yeah, there are about 60 pieces missing. Yes, I know the two year old was helping, but we’ve checked EVERYWHERE and there is no sign of even one rogue piece kicking around anywhere. So unless she ate them- this is a Sherlocian mystery.

I’ve never seen anything like this.

Sheesh.

 

Soma Cube Solution

As promised–here is just one of the solutions to yesterday’s Soma Puzzle. Don’t you just love things that are good for your brain? Of course you do…

Remember there are 7 different sets of blocks that go together to make a square cube.

Begin with this one.

Second move.

Third.

Forth.

Fifth.

Sixth.

Seventh and final.


I flipped it upside down so that you could see the bottom side. If you get terribly stumped just click here you’ll find all the solutions you need to feel like a smarty pants…

or a cheater. ha.

—————–

Einstein’s Grandkids’ Riddle

Einstein laughing

Einstein Laughing

Mr. Einstein is laughing because, as far as we can tell he didn’t have any children…so grandchildren would be “optimism to the point of foolishness.”

One lazy day a few summers ago, my daughter sent me a Brain Teaser called “Einstein’s Riddle” to mess around with. If I remember correctly—she hated it. Now, in her defense, I’ll tell you–she is one smart cookie, so it isn’t that she couldn’t do it. I think for some people this is an uncomfortable exercise–because it asks your brain to solve a problem in a way that many aren’t use to.

The story behind Einstein’s riddle is that Albert Einstein created it about a hundred years ago and claimed that 98% of the world population couldn’t solve it. I, personally have no idea if Albert Einstein had anything to do with this puzzle in real life, but I know this…more and more people are able to solve it these days.

Maybe our brains are evolving.

Maybe we play with numbers more than the average Joe did in 1909.

Maybe it’s the Wii.

Who knows?

DSC02601

The bald kid read an article in Popular Science (I know, I know) that said, “There is a relatively untapped area of the brain that is activated by two known exercises— Sodoku and the Rubix Cube.” Sodoku actually keeps your brain young! Who’d of thought? I—in my infinite wisdom—believe that this riddle is along the same lines—though, luckily, not as complicated at a the cube.

Now the fun part.

einstein-bg

At the risk of being blasphemous to Mr. Einstein, we’ve taken the liberty of  “modernizing” his puzzle just a bit to keep it interesting. Fear not–the integrity of the original riddle is still intact. Take a minute and play with us—it’s the weekend…come on…

When you think you have the answer–post a comment saying, something like, “I’ve got it!”  Now listen carefully to this part…I mean it…

DO NOT POST THE ANSWER IN THE COMMENT SECTION.

That would spoil it for everyone–wouldn’t it?

Are you ready? Here goes—

Einstein Grandkids’ Riddle

– In a street there are five houses, painted five different colors.

– In each house lives a man with a different name. (William, Steven, Daniel, Tyler and  Greg)

– These five homeowners each have a favorite beverage, eat a different treat and keep a different pet.

Einstein’s riddle is: Who owns the Clown Fish?

Necessary clues:

1.  William lives in a red house.
2.  Steven has a poodle.
3.  Daniel drinks Powerade.
4.  The Green house is on the left of the White house.
5.  The owner of the Green house drinks orange juice.
6.  The person who eats M&M’s has a parakeet.
7.  The owner of the Yellow house eats Skittles.
8.  The man living in the center house drinks chocolate milk.
9.  Tyler lives in the first house.
10. The man who eats Twix lives next to the one who has a tabby cat.
11. The man who keeps a Buckskin Horse lives next to the man who eats Skittles.
12. The man who eats Lemonheads drinks Kool-Aid.
13. Greg eats Gummi Bears.
14. Tyler lives next to the blue house.
15. The Twix eater lives next to the one who drinks Vitamin Water.

Good luck!