Table Talk

I love hot breakfasts, and I don't care for cold cereal. But since Joe started teaching seminary at 6:00 a.m. every morning, we have been eating cold cereal at least once a week. The kids happen to love cold cereal: it is fast, the kids eat it quickly and without complaint, and the boxes inspire a game they call "nutrition facts."

The kids each take a box and ask, "How many calories? How many sodiums?" You get the idea.

This morning, Madison looks at her "Kix," box and asks, "How many coppers?"

Grant, cute boy that he is, shouts, "Sixty!"

Madison gasps and says, "Ohhhh! Grant said S-E-X!"

Joe and I look at each other, trying not to laugh.

Logan says, "No, he said 'sexy.'"

The kids were kind of laughing and joking, and Joe and I were trying to be serious, and I said, "This isn't really something we should be laughing about. Do you know what the word 'sex' means?"

Quiet.

"Madison?"

"No."

"Logan?"

"No."

I look at Joe, because he was the one assigned to give Logan the talk when he turned 8. Joe nods his head to me, reaffirming that, yes, Logan should know what the word 'sex' means.

"Logan, do you remember when Dad took you to the pet store and you talked about how babies were made?"

Logan nods "yes."

"That is what sex is."

With big eyes and a red face, Logan ducks his head under the table.

I look at Madison and ask her something about hearing the word sex at school.

She looks at me very straight-faced and says, "I didn't say s-e-x, I said s-O-x."

Joe and I are having a very hard time holding it in right now.

"Madison, we know that isn't what you spelled. It's ok, we want to talk about it."

"I don't even know how babies are made!"

"Well, you know it takes a mommy and a daddy, right? They each have a special part that they use to make babies. It is something very special, and we don't make jokes about it. You know what? We will have to talk about this sometime when we aren't going to be late for school."

Grant pipes in, "I said 'SIXTY!'"


And this, my friends, is why families should eat together.


Also, it looks like we will be having the talk a little earlier than originally anticipated.

This is an old pic, but I was trying to find one of our table, and I found this, and it was almost as funny as what happened this morning.