Our eight year old has a lot to say lately.

It’s a bit like when she first learned to talk.

Some days, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to accommodate the number of words and sentences Ellie feels the need to share.

Her monologues encompass a wide variety of topics. Sometimes she replays each moment of her school day (some with dramatic re-enactments, others in a seated positon) including who she sat with on the bus, what that seatmate had for breakfast, where their Great Aunt was buried and then we move onto the bus drop off, the steepness of the bus steps, the school day activities, the clubs she participated in at lunch hour, the other clubs she missed because she missed the announcement while she was in the other club, the teacher volunteering to run said clubs and the new vest they bought their dog to wear when the weather cools down, the teacher’s thoughts on the clubs and how often they will meet.

This, followed by the boys who misbehave, the recess antics, what the receptionist wore and how well she was received by the person in grade five who propped open the door for her while racing to get to a club.

This morning, Ellie had so much to say, rather than wasting a breath during breakfast, I watched as she attempted to take a drink of milk, mid-sentence and then she did something extraordinary.

In an unprecedented mid-story move, she collected the milk in her lower lip where it pooled (and ultimately spilled onto the table as she choked–obviously) as she told us about how wet her socks could potentially get if she was asked to run in damp conditions later in the day.

Go ahead, try it.

For this exercise, you will need the following supplies; 1) a glass of milk 2) a fascinating story.