The Morning Breakfast Table
The Presentation
R: Well, I have a good idea.
O: What is it? Is it ordering a Chicken Charlie pizza?
R: No it's an idea about moving something around in the library.
J: What are you thinking about moving?
R: This is just an idea, so I'm not saying we have to do it one way or the other. What would we think about moving the desk out (this is currently against the windows at the west end of the library between some shelves and our pantry area) and putting the spinny chair (currenty up against the eastern wall) on the laminate floor over there.
J: No, of course not.
James: Yeah, it wouldn't fit.
R: Are you sure about that? Look at that space and imagine it with the desk out, and I think it would fit back there.
Everyone walks over and looks at the space where the spinny chair might go.
Argumentation and Debate
James: I don't think we should move it.
Owen: PLEASE can we move it? Daddy, we should definitely move it.
J: Okay, even if it did fit back there, how would I be able to put groceries away in the pantry? There would be no room for be to get between the pantry shelves and the edge of the chair.
R: Well, how much room would you need? Would you say 4 inches? 8?
Felix: YEAH! (He generally shouts agreement with whoever has spoken last and spoons large glops of oatmeal onto his person, his hair, and Big George.)
James: But it wouldn't even fit back there.
R: We don't know that it won't fit until we measure it.
Owen: It will definitely fit. James, let's measure it. (They get up and attempt to make a human tape measure by holding hands and holding out their arms, but can't coordinate to move from the chair to the desk without tripping over each other.)
J: What would be the advantage of moving the chair, anyway?
R: Well, there would be several-
James: Yeah, why does Daddy always want to change everything?
J: Because he's bored. Some people spend a lot of time clicking around on Facebook when they're bored, and your Dad likes to come up with crazy ideas.
R: ...and sometimes the crazy ideas don't work, but sometimes they DO work, and...
Owen: IT WOULD DEFINITELY WORK! We should DO IT!
Felix: YEAH!! (throwing his spoon)
J: We should probably hear him out, because sometimes it turns out his ideas are pretty good. I just don't see what the advantage would.
R: The advantages would be that we could free up some more carpeted play area for the kids, and also that since we don't use the desk area terribly much right now we could better utilise that corner of the house.
Julie: Would I have enough room to put a step stool between the chair and the pantry? Because I need a stool to reach up to the top pantry shelves.
James: It definitely wouldn't work. We should keep things the way they are.
Felix: Yeah, the way dey are.
R: Couldn't you just stand on the chair?
Owen: I STAND ON THE CHAIR ALL THE TIME!
J: That would be dangerous. And it would be even more dangerous if there was a gap between the chair and the pantry, because it could spin on me and I'd fall off.
R: Alright, well let's just measure and see if it fits.
Evidence and Verdict
Owen: Oh boy, I am SO excited! I KNOW it's going to fit.
J: Are you sure you're measuring from the widest spot?
R: 56 inches.
J: Alright, I'm standing here.
R: Yeah, it definitely fits this way.
James: HE'S MOVING THE TAPE MEASURE! HE'S CHEATING!
R: Okay, and then this way...well, I guess that's our answer.
J: It doesn't fit?
R: It wouldn't fit east-west on the laminate floor.
James: YES!
Owen: So when are we going to move it?
R: We aren't going to move it, O. Turns out it doesn't fit.
Owen: (collapses sobbing on the floor) But I wanted to MOVE the spinny chair!
Felix: OOohhh!!!
James: Phew, I'm going upstairs.
R: Nuts. I really wanted an excuse to put in more bookshelves.
J: I think you need to blog this. This seems like the perfect study of our personalities.
Owen: Please, please, can we move something or do something new?
R: Why don't you think of some more creative ideas of something new we can try? Maybe we can do one of them.
J: Your crazy creative ideas really are good sometimes.
R: Speaking of which, after the kids are in bed tonight...
J: I knew this was going to go there.
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