Breakfast at our house can take an hour.
Mackenzie loves to eat and will plow steadily through a bowl of oatmeal the size of my head. I often eat and do dishes while she chows away. My scriptures also make a regular appearance at the breakfast table and we’ve had lots of discussions about how she should only interrupt my reading if she has something important to say.
Here’s what she had to say this morning:
Conversation #1
“Was that you or me?” she inquires politely.
“What?” I pull myself away from my breakfast of Bible and oats to make eye contact and respond.
“You or me!?” she asks again, now demanding an answer.
“What are you asking about?” I am now thoroughly confused.
“Who did this?” she asks again, this time elaborating with a small huff through her nose.
“Oh. Um, I guess I don’t know.”
“Me. I did that.”
She resumes eating.
Conversation #2
Her: “I think I will need to go to the doctor. My throat is pretty sore.”
Me: Realizing this came out of nowhere and is blatantly untrue, I opted for evasive maneuvers. “Oh, you think you need a shot to feel better?”
Her: After pondering for several minutes, she reconsiders her original request. “Maybe in a few weeks.”
She returns to her oats. Well played, Anne.
——————-
By this time I’m beginning to get frustrated with the interruptions and I have reiterated that while I enjoy lingering at the table to be near her while she continues to eat, I really do need a few minutes to focus on what I’m reading.
On this morning, though, she is undeterred and continues to chat casually at the pace of one interruption per verse.
And then out of nowhere…
——————–
Conversation #3
“Mama?”
Silence, as I remind her without words that she needs to say “Excuse me” when interrupting someone.
“Excuse me, Mama?” She dutifully repeats.
“Yes, Honey?” with a sigh because she caught me mid-verse again.
“I need you to be quiet for a few minutes because I don’t feel well in my belly.”
Stunned silence. And then, gravely, so she understands that it is with the utmost difficulty that I honor her wishes, “I will do my best.”
Nancy
Ha ha! Ah, the multi-tasking daily conundrum. The only way i get my study in is by reading it out loud to my boys at the breakfast table. If they hear me then its like i’m talking to them so they don’t feel the need (as much) to fill the air with their own talking. Then when i’m done i paraphrase what i read in a simple way for them and to make sure I myself understood what i just read. Then Kaden asks questions if he wants and all are happy. 🙂 Of course its still not always perfect pondering of the scriptures, but i feel like we all benefit from it.
beanland
Nancy,
You’re so right. I didn’t mind Mackenzie’s contributions to my scripture time when she was younger and the questions were simpler and fewer, but now it really becomes something quite different from personal study. Good in its own right, but different. I’ve readjusted my expectations and I have started waking up earlier and doing my personal scripture study before the girls are awake. Much better.
By the way, I love the “fill the air with their own talking” remark. So true! 🙂
Lonica
Very funny! I can totally see this happening in the Bean household. Mackenzie has been known to take a long time eating in our kitchen too! Love the comment about that shot. I’ll have to file that away for later.