Eavesdropping

Marybeth and I were eavesdropping on the girls tonight, after they had gone to bed, and we overheard the following conversation:

Ella: Virginia, may I tell you a story?

Virginia: Okay.

Ella: Remember when we lived in the old house? Well, once I went behind the bench on the front porch, and I found a frog. We shouldn't ever touch frogs or worms or snails, because they're slimy.

Virginia: I want to touch a frog and get slimy.

Ella: But that's gross. Well, not really gross but . . . well, it's gross. And we don't want to be around bugs because they bite.

. . . meanwhile . . . Virginia begins to read a story aloud.

Virginia: . . . (inaudible mumblings) . . .

Ella: Virginia, I'm trying to tell you a story, but you're reading again. Hey, Virginia, may I tell you another story?

Virginia: What?

Ella: Just a minute ago, when I was telling you my last story, I noticed a shadow in our doorway. Can you think of any reason why there might have been a shadow in the doorway?