I should know this. Nine years in and you'd think this would be second nature for me. I mean, it's kinda my job to make sure I'm aware of these things. However, it was the weekend. I had a long list of To Do's. My minis are at an age where they can entertain themselves (and they do it well too). They're creative and imaginative kids, which is something I strive for for them.
I was busy staining our front deck while the three played in the backyard. They came to the front yard and asked if they could play with some bowls. "Sure!" I replied, promptly forgetting about it. Now, a little back story. I've told them a million and one times what they can and can't do in the backyard. Pulling grass, digging holes in the middle of the yard that mom can twist her ankle in while mowing are no go's. Bringing out inside toys is okay as long as it's brought back inside and cleaned when they're done. Simple enough. I'm a pretty laid back parent when it comes to those things.
Twenty four hours later, I'm greeted by a panicked husband.
"Did you know the two younger ones have ALL of our mixing bowls in the backyard???!!?"
"No," I said, giving him a not so nice look as I was thinking 'why do I have to be the only one to know that? You're responsible for them too (insert not nice wording here).'
"They're all filled with dirt! And grass!"
"Okay, so have them clean them out," I replied, helping him through this issue that seemed like a no brainer to a seasoned vet like myself. So, he told them to do just that. 'You made the mess, you did something you weren't supposed to do, so clean it up.'
Pretty simple. To an adult at least. To a five and seven year old, that surely means to dump the bowl's contents into the bathroom sink because that's where they could reach to turn the water on and clean them out. Logical thinking on their part. Not so logical on our part (I'll take partial blame on this one because apparently my husband needs specific directions too).
In related news, I learned not only how to stain a deck in two hours, but also how to unclog a sink.....and to be specific with my children. Or you could end up with pounds of mud and grass in your drain.