Table Talk

My absolute favorite thing about having no cable or satellite television and not being able to see the TV from the kitchen, is the conversation. I admit that we were a TV family and had the television on incessantly during the evenings. It wasn't always being watched, but it was usually on. These days I get to sit down with the kids for (very) early dinners and just listen to them talk. Daddy has to miss most of these dinners because if we don't eat early enough, they snack too much and won't eat and bed time gets pushed back too far. I try to recount the conversations back to Daddy after bed time because they are just so fun. It is amazing to watch Nathan and Hannah interact as people. They hold actual conversations and really enjoy each other. Sarah sits and watches the back and forth banter and seems enthralled with family meal time. She is often in her chair for over an hour while the food is prepared, Mommy eats, she eats, big kids eat and Mommy cleans up a bit.

Yesterday Nathan's friend, Garret, was over for dinner. The conversation was even better with two 5 year olds and a 2 1/2 year old. Here's a sample.

Garret: In the movie, Darth Vader tells Luke 'I am your father' and Luke says, 'No way'.

Nathan: I know. I have all six movies, you know. And there are only six, not seven. My cousin

Jared said there are seven.

Hannah: I know Garret. He's my cousin.

(Hannah has a little confusion about the names Jared and Garret and uses them interchangeably)

Garret: I didn't say that. I saw a movie where a baby was talking and told this one guy 'Don't

mess with me and my mom'.

Nathan: Was he a grown up?

Garret: No. He was a baby.

Nathan: How did he talk then?
Garret: Oh Nathan, it wasn't real.

Nathan: (to Garret) So, do you know much about God or anything?

Garret: Yes, I know that he knows everything.

Nathan: Yes, and he made everything.

Garret: No, he didn't make houses.

Nathan: (to Mommy) Um, did God make houses?

Mommy: Well, he made people and people made the houses.

Garret: I saw someone make a house one time and now I know how to do it.

I just love listening to them talk and learning about what they think about the world and their day. Now that I am missing Nathan all day, it is so nice to hear about his day at school and hear about what he is learning. Hannah often asks questions and talks about her day with Nathan as well.

So even though I occasionally miss turning on the television for a mindless moment watching a sitcom, I am thankful that I don't have the incessant noise drowning out the sweet little voices at our dinner table. To think not too long from now, a 3rd little voice will be joining in. Hard to imagine, but I can't wait to see what she has to say and what they will say to each other.