The joys of having little children relay messages

Yesterday, Stella asked me to call about an hour before I would be home, so that she could start cooking dinner.

So when I figured out when I would be likely to leave, I phoned home—and Amy picked up the phone. (Since the phone has a distinctive ringtone for me, I imagine that Stella asked her whether she wanted to speak with Daddy, and then handed her the phone.)

I told her to tell Stella that I would be taking the bus at ten past five and would be home soon. (This was shortly before five.)

Not long afterwards, Stella called me to ask what I had told Amy; apparently, the message she had passed on was “er kommt mit dem Bus und ist in drei bis fünf Minuten da” (he’s coming by bus and will be there in three to five minutes), and she doubted that was the original.

No idea how “leave at ten past five” turned into “will be there in three to five minutes”….