Just Chatting

I always get a little misty-eyed when the kids go off to school in the fall.  And here we are, again, at the start of the new school year and I find myself getting up early, packing lunches, and spanking bottoms as they bound up the school steps.

 It reminded me of a funny moment going through my son's homework folder when he was in kindergarten.  A little assignment, titled, "Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash" caught my attention.  The directions said, "Draw a picture to show what Mrs. McNosh is Hanging on her clothesline."

I sat at the table, with him in my lap, appreciating his backward "e" and his baby drawings I knew were a fleeting indication of his precious innocence.  Wanting to get the most of his homework, I said, "Tell me what you drew on Mrs. McNosh's clothesline."

He pointed to the left hand side of the clothes line.  "That's the number 10."  I looked at it, and could clearly see a "1" and a "0" hung up on the line.  

"Is a 10 an article of clothing?" I asked, wondering if he got the assignment wrong.

"Mrs. Tobin said we could hang whatever we wanted to on the line," he answered.

"Is that a sock?" I pointed to the right hand side of the line.

He nodded.

"Then what's this?" I asked, pointing to the second item on the line, a circle with a line through it.  I really wanted to know all the sweet, innocent thoughts Austin was pondering during his day away from me.

"That?" he said, with an impish little grin.  "That's a butt."

Sigh... 

My son started second grade this week — may we have many more conversations that surprise and entertain.

Discussion:  I’ve noticed my family talks a great deal around the homework table. Other families chat on the way home from school or while watching sports.  What times of day or circumstances provide good opportunities to have conversation in your family?