“How do you spell ‘bathe,’ Mom?” asks my Nine.

“B-A-T-H-E,” shoots back Twelve.

“Hmm- that’s easy!” says Nine.

“Yeah, what always gets me is C-E-fortyseven-elephant-niner-hotdog-U,” states Twelve with a straight face.

“I told you- that’s pizza!  Why can’t you remember?” says Fourteen, intently.

“Oh, yeah- right…” says Twelve, not missing a beat, “and Y-R-six-three-N-L is crayon!  Now I remember!”

“Yeah, but I always have trouble with one-E-W-yogurt-sixty-five-oh-ready-Q,” says Fourteen.

“Oh- ‘TV’- me, too…” says poker-faced Twelve, skating out of the room.

I sit amazed, with Ten, Nine, and Seven laughing their heads off.