The Arrival of the Peanut Gallery

When you have small children you tend to talk as if they don't understand anything you say. Sure you edit out the swear words but essentially you have normal adult conversation certain that their unformed minds are blissfully unaware of the content of your conversation.

And then one day you realize they are actually people and not just tiny balls of matter sent to make your life one long diaper change, one endless meal and one repetetive conversation. Don't do that. Please don't do that. I said don't do that. I SAID DON'T DO THAT! And you realize their minds are not quite as unformed as you had previously thought and/or counted on.

For example. The other day we loaded up the kids and headed to the grocery store making a brief detour through the Starbucks drive through. We were at the pick up/pay window waiting for our drinks when we were greeted by a very perky employee. Copious amounts of consumed espresso really does equal happiness! This wild/bright-eyed young girl kindly asked if we would be interested in some "free samples in the way of edible items!" We were just working our way through her sentence when from behind us Ava yells "YES!" And Tristan, ever so polite, shouts, "THANK YOU!"

Could you possibly at 2 1/2 have understood what the word edible meant? Or were you simply making your dad proud and reacting to the word free? Either way I know I drove away frantically running over every conversation I have had in front of my kids over the last few months. Let's just say I see therapy in their future.