Teenagers Are Good For Something!

So Where Did They Go?
Or The Mysterious Disappearances at Our House

I’m beginning to see that there are definite advantages to having kids living here. At least, there is one advantage: they can take the blame for things that disappear.

Case in point: I have already told you about thinning out my plastic kitchen storage containers. (It hurt to throw those odd lids away, but I did it!) I went to the store and bought all Ziplock storage containers. That way I wouldn’t have to search for a lid to fit a container. There are just 3 sizes of lids and they fit 4 sizes of containers. It’s a great plan and it ought to have brought me great peace of mind: Select a container, open the drawer with the lids, pick out a lid, and put it on the container.

Well, it doesn’t seem to work that way. Tonight I needed a small container for one serving of creamed peas and potatoes. (Yes, I will eat this leftover.) I found the little round container (one of three identical containers on the shelf), opened the lid drawer, and there’s no lid that size. There was a smaller round lid, but no container that it matches. Now where did it come from? So what happened to the three round lids? And where’s the smaller container? And why are there only 3 round containers when I bought them in a set of 4. (Ordinarily I would think I had some stuff stored in the container in the refrigerator, undoubtedly growing lovely hair, but I just emptied all the stored stuff from the refrigerator 2 days ago.)

Second case in point: When Middle Daughter was at Wesleyan, we got her a set of cheap-o silverware with dark green plastic handles. (Or was it Youngest Daughter at Millikin??) Anyway, when the girl (whichever one it was) graduated, she brought the things home and they got mixed in with our other silverware. Jim decided that these particular spoons were perfect for eating cereal in the morning. At first there were 6 of them. Then there were 5, but Boy Child was still living here, and he probably lost it in his room somewhere. Ditto #4. But then Boy Child left, and slowly but surely the spoons are disappearing. There’s only one left. So where did the others go?

You see how handy it is to have kids around. You never have to worry your mind over where things have gone. “The kids have them.” “The kids lost them.” “The kids probably dumped them in the can when they scraped their plates into the garbage” Wait. That won’t work. They NEVER cleaned their plates off! That would be too close to doing dishes, and that’s strictly someone else’s job.

So you who still have kids at home and who are counting the days until they are gone and peace returns to your lives, remember that there is at least one good thing that comes from having them live with you. This isn't enough to make them worth it, but it is a little consolation.