So, this little blog has been Kari's domain for the past couple years. I enjoy informally contributing and reading Kari's new posts, but I figured I needed to compose as well. At least once in a while. I might even allow myself to use an incomplete sentence or slang once in a while. We'll see. Maybe.
Anyway, I had inspiration from Lexi a while back. It was maybe early February (my sense of time is a bit fuzzy due to recent basketball and political turmoil). We were over at our neighbors' house for dinner and having a good time. Our neighbors, R and K, have three college-aged daughters, parents temporarily living in the house, and a well-trained dog. Good friends of ours, and a great family to have next door for Lexi.
Unfortunately, I have waited long enough that I don't fully remember the situation. That says a lot to those who know of my steel-trap mind. We had been eating for a while and the adults were done. Lexi, however, had plenty of food left. This was partly due to the many human distractions in the room. I divided the food on Lexi's plate into the food she needed to eat and the food she didn't need to eat--but she sure could if she finished her pile. Then I told her that she could not talk again until she had eaten her food. She picked up some food and started to try to talk to me. I interrupted and told her that she needed to finish before talking. She tried to talk to me again, but again I interrupted her. Then, in a frustrated but impressively calm tone, said "I'm trying to talk to you." So, after a brief pause in which I tried to remember how old my 2-1/2 year-old daughter was, I told her to go ahead. She explained that this particular food in her hand she was going to share with Katie (one of the twenty-ish-year-old daughters). I think it was a french fry or treat or something from the she-didn't-have-to-finish pile. I told her that was a great idea, asked her to finish her food, looked at the other adults at the table, and explained that I was at a complete loss for words.
I decided that I needed to start being very careful about when I would interrupt my daughter. She is such a sweet, challenging little person.
3 comments:
Another tee-hee-hee...
I remember telling our pediatrician last year that Miss E would talk and talk and talk and talk and talk during meals and we couldn't get her to eat. He looked at me and laughed. He said, "I don't know what to tell you." :) (This after having a conversation about how we don't want to make meal time a stressful time and how allowing them to talk is good, etc.)
And Lexi -- I just told your uncle T that "I was trying to talk to him" too! So I understand, little girlfriend!
Good to hear from you,David.
Isn't it great the things you can learn from the "little people?" :)
I have had a lot of "I am at a complete loss for words" thoughts as I have been with you guys as children and with our little grandchildren. Kind of puts us in our place. Thanks for sharing, David.
Love,
Mom
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