I can hear you chew;
Can’t I eat my meal in peace?
It turns my stomach.

I’m fully aware that everyone has their own pet peeves when it comes to mealtime. For example, I happen to love buffalo wings, but I realize they aren’t the daintiest food to eat. I try not to make a spectacle of myself and try to be conscientious of what other people see when I am eating, but there are probably some folks who are grossed out by seeing someone eat a plate of chicken wings.

Dinnertime at our house is not a somber affair; I don’t mind the boys talking and sharing about their day, as long as they don’t get rowdy or gross. We have an unconventional setup where the boys eat at the curved bar (perfect seating space for five), and the grown-ups have a small, round table in the breakfast nook. (We do have a table big enough for eight, but the “formal dining room” is our “study,” for all intents and purposes, so that table is a homework table more so than an eating table.)

There are two things, though, that really grate on my nerves: smacking and loud eating. Few things can make me lose my appetite as quickly as being able to hear someone else eat. I don’t know what it is, but there are times when I would just as soon leave the table than try to eat when I can hear someone else chewing or smacking.