DO NOT FLUSH

Two out of the three kids have been sick this past week. This morning I was feeling the beginnings of whatever it is they had and L was feeling particularly impish. While I was making bacon and eggs for the lot of us, K called to me from the bathroom, "Mommy! L put something in the toilet! Now she's FLUSHING it!" I ran in to see the swirling colors of the three foam alphabet shapes she deposited in there as they disappeared down the toilet. Since the things fit down the hole I thought that perhaps they made it through...none such luck. So after I had a go with the plunger, and dad had his turn with the "snake," he called Roto Rooter. Tom (who broke the stereotype for plumber) arrived shortly to remove our toilet and dislodge the foam obstructions. He only found two of them. We think the last one made it through the pipes. We hope the last one made it through the pipes.

Smells like burnt plastic

A few months ago someone forwarded me an email all about what it's like having boys and all the crazy stuff they do. One of the cautions was to always check the oven before turning it on. Well, I assure you that my boys are NOT the reason I need to check my oven. My daughter is the one always finding new "homes" for things. Within a minute of turning the oven on tonight to bake some chicken, smoke started pouring out of the vent. I open the oven door to see what would be causing such a foul odor and the smoke was so thick I couldn't see. I turned off the heat and as the smoke began to clear I found two plastic gears for the Gears, Gears, Gears, Robot set the children were playing with earlier. Unfortunately one gear was melted beyond function and the house smells so bad all the kids took to being outside in the cold while I tried to air out the funk.

So here's a caution to all of you with daughters as well as sons: Always check the oven before turning it on.