We always try and sit together at the table for meals - be that breakfast, lunch at weekends, or evening meals in the week. Quite apart from instilling family values in the children while they are small, it was often an excuse to get our youngest talking.
Over the years the children have learned that they will get a turn to tell their story, and the question of “what did you do today?” has almost become a joke. If we forget to ask, they will often ask if we have forgotten something.
Tonight Miss Seven was desperately trying to tell us about the topic they are learning at school. It had something to do with sharks eating rubbish - so I guessed Tiger or Bull sharks.
“How do you know they are called Tiger sharks?”
“Because they got sharp teeth.”
“How else?”
“Because theyfast”.
“How about stripes?”
“Yep - that too.”
By now Miss Eight was bursting to tell us what she knew about animals that live in the sea, so I challenged her;
“Name me five things that live in the sea.”
“Clowns!”
Cue explosive laughter from all sides of the dinner table, and Miss Eight not quite knowing if she had set out to say what she had.
“Clowns?”
“Yes. Clowns. Like Nemo.”
“Don’t you mean Clown fish?”
“That’s what I said!”
I’m glad I’m not the only person in the house that means to say one thing, and an entirely diffeerent thing leaves their mouth…