Dinner at the O'Briens

I wanted to give a sampling of our family dinner. Here is how tonight went--minus Rusty.

Most nights we go around the table and everyone tells three things about their day. They can say one "negative thing" and "two positive." This exercise, we've noticed, gets our kids very "chatty." They will most of the time tell more than three things, and other times we talk about a lot of other stuff. Here is a sample of how it is in the O'Brien home at dinner time.

Meg seems to always go first (she is a number 1). For her it usually involves her, a friend, and something that was said about someone and/or someone likes someone else--you know, girl stuff. But today, she deviated from her regular "chit chat" to tell us that she had been respectful and helpful, and her reward was to eat lunch in the classroom with two friends of her choosing and Mrs. Otter. She thought it was "the best day EVER."

Then was Sam's turn. This conversation is the exact same verbiage almost every day (it's only different if I choose not to ask). Me, "Sam did you have any problems today at school?" Sam's response, "No, mom." Me, "Really Sam, should I call Mrs. Banbury and ask her?" Sam, "No!" Me (as I'm trying to stay calm and not yell), "Sam, tell me what happened." Sam, "Today, I was pushing a boy in line and the teacher told me instead of being third in line I had to walk at the VERY end of the line for the rest of the day." Me, "Sam, so how do you think you should act tomorrow in line." Sam, "Well, I guess I won't push." Me, "That sounds like a great idea." Now Sam's actions vary, but the conversations are, as I said, almost verbatim. Maybe I should try something different. I'm open to any and all ideas.

Ben was next. He told us about a social studies assignment they did where they were given a number of school supplies, but had to trade with other students to get everything on their list. He then told me that they are having a geometry assessment on Thursday (I swear, I was in the 10th grade when I learned geometry). And I don't think he said a third thing because Meg interrupted with this joke.

Meg's joke:
A Chinese Man came to America and he didn't know English.
So he went to an opera and heard someone singing, "mememememe."
Then he went to a restaurant and heard "forks and knifes, forks and knifes."
Then he went to a janitor and heard "mops and brooms, mops and brooms."
Then he went to an electrician and heard "plug it in, plug it in."
Then a police asked the Chinese man, "who killed this man?"
Since he doesn't know English he answered singing, "mememememe!"
The police asked, "what did you kill him with?"
He answered, "forks and knives, forks and knives."
(at this point, Meg asked, "mom, can you see a pattern?" ummmm, let me see. . . )
The police asked, "what did you clean it up with?"
He answered, "mops and brooms, mops and brooms."
The police then said, "I'm afraid I'll have to put you in the electric chair. Any last words?"
He said, "Plug it in, plug it in."

My response to the joke, "Lovely!" This is the joke that is going around our elementary school.

Now that dinner is over, Molly and Sam are in the bath tub (being supervised by Meg, while she reading, and we are all waiting for the brownies to be done. Sam just yelled that Molly pooed in the tub--I'd better go.

So there you have it, dinner at the O'Briens. You are welcome anytime.