Dinner conversations

We've done the transition of older children moving out leaving just younger children at home more than once. While I notice those older children's absence in all aspects of life, it is at the dinner table where I feel the empty place(s) most keenly.

By the time a child is old enough to be on their own, years of family dinners have caused them to be pretty decent conversationalists. While younger children most certainly join in the conversation, it is usually the older people at the table who do the heavy conversational lifting. So when one of those people is no longer at the table, the hole is noticeable.

Having just the younger six at the table these days has meant that it has taken a while for them to grow into filling the conversational gap. I think we're getting there!

For instance, tonight's conversation did not revolve around wanting puppies. (Well, in all honesty, puppies were probably mentioned a few times, but by this time I pretty much tune it out.) Instead, the conversation turned to capybaras. (Of course, the conversation still centered around what animals we needed to add, but it was a nice change from puppies.) 

It turns out you can own capybaras if you live in a handful of states, Illinois not being in that handful. J. and I suggested that some people at the table should take it upon themselves to work to change the law. They didn't immediately sign-up, but I'm going to go with they're thinking deeply about how they would go about it. I even offered a school credit if they did. 

If you are legally allowed to keep capybaras, they do best in groups and need water to swim in. They are also not picky about their food, but do eat quite a bit. The water-bit seems a little challenging in Illinois. They also don't seem to have a unique collective noun other than 'herd'. We all agreed capybaras needed a better collective noun. 

So there you go, a brief lesson on capybaras courtesy of our dinner conversation. And to my friends who live in Indiana, Arizona, and Washington, you are legally allowed to keep capybaras. I think you should all take advantage of that fact.