You know those little styrofoam peanuts they use as packing material.  I keep a small baggy of them around for highly supervised crafts but other than that try to avoid having them in a house with young children about.  They could be swallowed and choked on.  Or even worse they could be mistaken for confetti by sweet, helpful children who only want to spread a bit of joy to the world.  And this is why I carefully concealed the large box full of peanuts that arrived today.  Oh, it wasn’t just packing peanuts there was a product in there too … somewhere.  After removing the important stuff, I hid the box in the middle of the living room behind an invisible wall of hope so it couldn’t be discovered.  I was waiting for the April showers to pass by enough that I could make a mad dash to the trash.  But those clever children found me out before then. 

“Oh! Look!  What are these?!

“They’re packing peanuts.”

“COOL!  Can I play with some?”

Please note that this next statement was made against my better judgement but I was trying to up my “cool mom” quotient. (which is already so ridiculously high I don’t even know why I bothered.)

“Uhm, okay…. but just a few.”  (Mistake #1)

Then I returned to my task. (Mistake #2)

After about 20 min (I know, I know.  That was too long.  - Mistake #3), Brother came running around the corner.

“Mama, mama!  Sister need yours help!”

I found Sister knee-deep in the box of peanuts.  Her foot sticking out of a small hole through which numerous errant peanuts had fled.  Hmm, perhaps I should have clarified the concept of “few.”

“Sister?  Is there anything you’d like to say?”  Which of course, is mommy speak for “Any last words?

Her reply.  “Hehe.” (Imagine this said with a sheepish little grin and laughter twinkling behind those eyes.)

One last reflection on this incident and a bit of a warning for the rest of you.  

One little girl jumping up and down wearing velvet pants + 4,000 styrofoam peanuts (give or take) = unbelievable static cling the likes of which no broom and few vaccuums will ever conquer.