How to draw attention to yourself

The girls and I ate lunch with Nanny and Poppy on Tuesday, and after we were finished, Nanny and I lingered at the table talking grown-uppy talk, so of course, Meelyn and Aisling were hanging around, trying to be very quiet and unobtrusive so that no one would tell them that little pitchers have big ears.

(Whatever that means.)

All was going well with them until Aisling made herself too visible. I happened to look across the table and was jolted back into an awareness of her presence by the fact that she was sitting with her chin about an inch above the table's top, avidly listening to our conversation while buttering Fritos corn chips and eating them.

She was stopped by a forcible comment from me and a long, drawn out, squeally, "Ewwwwwww! How grossssssss!" comment from Meelyn, who prefers low-fat microwave popcorn. I know. I don't know where I went wrong, either.