In our kitchen drawer we have many teaspoons. Moreover, we’ve been able to identify four different types of teaspoon within our collection, a testament to the many that have escaped into the wild over the years and had to be replaced with mismatching ones.
Of these four types, three are recurrent within the collection. The fourth, however, is unique. There is only one of the Fourth Type Of Spoon. Its comrades have long since departed for the great cutlery drawer in the sky. It is the lone survivor.
This fact has not escaped the attention of Hannah and Lauren, who have accorded this spoon the highest of honours. It has become… The Special Spoon. For eating yoghurts there is simply no contest: the Special Spoon is The One.
Note: Two girls. One Special Spoon. (Tell me if I’m ladling this on a bit thick.)
All manner of deviousness can now be observed at yoghurt-eating time, as the girls compete for the ultimate eating experience in which there can be only one victor. For example:
Lauren: Daddy, Hannah’s got the special spoon!
Hannah: But Lauren had it yesterday!
Lauren (starting to cry): No I didn’t, Hannah did!
Hannah: I didn’t! Honestly, Daddy!
Lauren: And she’s got the special pants on!*
Me: Right, Hannah, if you’ve got the special pants you can give Lauren the special spoon.
Hannah: Gwmph. (Sound of spoon being popped into mouth.)
Lauren: But it’s got her germs on it now! (Tears.)
Me: Hannah, give it to me. (Spoon is seized.) Lauren, shall I wash it for you?
Lauren shakes head woefully.
Hannah (brightly): I’ll have it, Daddy!
Me: Hannah, get a spoon and eat your yoghurt.
After all this ritual kerfuffle, you would be forgiven for imagining that the Special Spoon has some kind of compelling aesthetic properties that set it aside from mere normal spoons. Perhaps it’s got a handle in the shape or a cat? Or a picture of Barbie on it? Perhaps it has a unique shape to the bowl that somehow makes yoghurts taste better?
Nothing of the sort. And here I throw open to you, the readers, the Special Spoon Challenge! The first person to correctly identify the special spoon from the collection below wins a very special prize!**
* Oh yes, there are special knickers too. They’re tatty and pink with a yellow cat on. Don’t get me started.
** (May contain germs and traces of yoghurt but you can always wash it.)
My better half guesses at A: Because her parents have that set (and knows that “that spoon is really good, it’s a special shape and everything!”). She can therefore send you another special spoon, one for each twin… they need never know!
However, I think it’s D: just like Indiana Jones picked the plainest grail and saved his old man
I’m voting for B. That shape does seem like it would be nice to eat yogurt with.
BTW, I have 14 month old identical girls as well, Anna and Emma. I love reading about your girls conversations and imagining what it will be like with my girls.
Nick, “you have chosen… wisely”. You’re a genius! The grail link occurred to me too, so it’s nice to see it articulated by a fellow Indy fan.
Thanks to Sara for the pledge of more A spoons, but it’d be like sending coals to Newcastle. We’ve got tons of them. The girls favour them as a runner-up to Spoon D, because they like the flowers on the handles. Just for the teaspoon fans out there:
- A was an engamenent present for me and Nicola from my parents (along with a whole cutlery set - not just a teaspoon), so it is now ancient and I have no idea where it came from.
- B is from Ikea - a little small for my tastes and definitely no good for reaching to the bottom of a mug to fish out the tea bag. Hannah and Lauren are very fond of these too. (So well done to our runner up, Mandy!)
- C is from Tesco. Can’t recommend them highly enough for tea-making. As an added bonus, H&L’s least favourites.
- D is the grail. Like A, of obscure heritage - possibly fashioned in Galilee by Jesus Christ, but I admit I can’t prove that.
Ah gutted - got here too late to vote. For what it’s worth, I was going to go for Spoon B, because it’s small and kids like small things. Foolish I know - since when did being the kind of thing kids like have anything to do with this kind of “one into two don’t go” dilemma?
That’s quite a collection of spoons, by the way. Spoon A has a kind of timeless charm about it; I suspect twins have been arguing over those kind of spoons for a century or more. Spoon B is definitely my favourite, although your point about it not being ideal for tea-bag retrieval is noted. I have to say that I think Spoon D is very dull.
Hmmm, I have to pick B. It looks more like a baby spoon / soup spoon and I always like those better than regular spoons.
so B.
I vote for B. It’s small, and in my house the twins fight over the small spoon in our collection.
My sister and I would also fight over a spoon when we were kids. We called it the “butterfly spoon” (in reference to the abstract pattern on the handle.) I need to try and find that thing again…