Where I Live...

...or "Weird Stuff My Kids Do":

• Coming into the kitchen mid-morning, I discover that Abigail forgot to put the oatmeal canister away after she made herself breakfast, because Daniel is sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, eating raw oatmeal by the handful. Blech.
• I'm on the phone while the kids play with play dough at the kitchen table. I look over to find Daniel jamming play dough into Eleanor's cup full of water. While dealing with that mess, I see Ellie jamming a teeny-tiny Lego hammer into an electrical socket. I needed pliers to put it out.
• At dinner that night, Ellie kept complaining that her water tasted bad. We paid little attention, since it looked fine and was the same water as everyone else's. Toby finally tasted it to convince her that it was okay, but it backfired - it really did taste bad. Apparently, her cup wasn't washed well enough after the play dough-defilement. Toby's dismay was palpable: "Wait - I just drank play dough-water?"
• We are trying to leave swim class. I instruct Abigail to help Ellie with her shoes. I turn around to lead Noah, Anna and Dan to the van to find that Noah has vanished. I look around, calling for him, until I finally find him back in the main viewing room. Me: "What are you doing here?" Him: "I don't know." Me: "Did you not get that we are headed toward the van, trying to leave?" Him: "No..." Me: "No?? What did you think we were doing, then?" Him: "I don't know..."
• Abi is doing her Bible study, answering a question about the Pharisees. The question reads something like "What were the Pharisees thinking about Jesus?" Her answer: "He visits with sinners and eats them." I had to remind her that good grammar can save lives.

I wonder what they are up to now...?