What's Wrong With My Scale, Anyway

Have you ever tried weighing a child, or a pet, by first stepping on the scale alone and taking note of the weight, then stepping on it again with the child/pet in your arms and calculating the difference?

For example (drum roll).

Let's say I weigh 120 lbs.

(I'm pausing here to allow sufficient time for the laughter to fade, and for all involved to recompose ourselves.)

No seriously, let's just say. (Why not?) One hundred and twenty pounds (grin). If I step on the scale holding my cat, and the scale says I now weight 135 pounds, that means my cat weighs 15 pounds.

I did said exercise with each of my kids. I then had each child step on the scale by themselves. What I discovered was interesting:

The weights they were, while being held in my arms, were about 5 pounds MORE than the weights they were when they stood on the scale alone.

I didn't think much of it, until my husband mentioned it later: "That scale is junk. The more you weigh, the more pounds it adds on."

(what?) ....Ah HA!

I can see you all now, shaking your heads. "Jeanne, Jeanne, Jeanne. The number on the scale is SO not important."

(Yes but... but... imagine!!! Finding out, all of a sudden, that you actually weigh five pounds less!!)

I'll take it any way I can ;)
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