Tall Tales

So, after being primary teachers at church (the children's Sunday school) for more than 2 years, we have heard some funny stories about our students' families. I have always wondered if Claire was sharing equally private and sometimes embarrassing details with people outside our family. Well, I found out recently that she most definitely is - and she is adding her own spin.

We take turns doing the kindergarten drop off with another family in our neighborhood. We have been sick off and on lately, and so we didn't do the carpool for a few days. Once we started up again, I guess Claire was entertaining them with tales of our illnesses. For the record, everyone but me got sick and threw up exactly once. But Claire told quite a different story - she said that Matt couldn't stop throwing up and that he threw up all over the floor. And then suddenly (her words), he slipped in it and fell on the floor and then he had to take three showers to get clean. Oh my.

On the way home from school, Claire also told them that Matt was probably making her lunch. When asked what he was making, she said, " Probably pizza - he wants me to eat pizza every day. All the time - pizza, pizza, pizza." Yeah right - Claire gets to go out to lunch more than any other 5 year old I know.  And it's hardly ever pizza.

I mentioned to Claire what I had heard she said, and she said, "How do you know that?!" Caught in the act! I had a talk with her about making up stories and told her about tall tales - taking a piece of truth (yes, Matt was sick) and making it a much bigger story (no he never threw up on the floor). I think I pieced together where she found her story - Matt did accidentally step in throw up when he walked into a bathroom at Disneyland. Gross. And in the movie Dolphin Tale, which we got for Christmas, the boy smells very strongly of fish after being at the aquarium all day, so his mom makes him take a shower three times in a row.  And Claire's story was born.

Can't wait to hear what she says next. :)