The life and times of a Gremlin

Saturday, as Danny and I were organizing the garage, the kids were alternating between riding the bikes up and down the sidewalk, playing at the playground, and drawing on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. 

The babies were napping.

It was a good set up.

We were getting a lot done.

I had been inside maybe two minutes when Danny opened the door from the garage and said to a little person,

"Go ask Mommy to wash your hands."

Hammy came inside to me with arms completely black up to the elbows and a big smile on his face.

"Hammy, what happened?"  I asked.

"I put da lellow chalk in da van," he said, so proud of himself.

Hammy loves yellow.  It's his favorite color.

Hmm.  That's interesting since he can't open the van doors by himself, I thought as I scrubbed him down with Dawn dish soap.

"Okay, dry off and go play nicely," I said.

"Danny, how did Hammy's arms get like that?"

"He was playing with the tail pipe of the van," Danny responded.

"He said he put the yellow chalk in the van.  Did he stick his arm up the tail pipe?" 

Danny went to check out the tail pipe.  He couldn't see past the bend in the pipe to see if the chalk was still there.  But he also couldn't locate the yellow chalk.  There was a yellow scribble inside the tail pipe up to the bend.

After consulting with my parents, we concluded that it would probably come out of the van when the van is started.

Not long later, maybe an hour, our happy little Hammy came up the driveway huffing and puffing carrying something concrete.  

"Look Mommy!  I find a circle!"  He puffed out.

Hammy loves circles.  It's his favorite shape.

I looked.  It was a concrete circle about 9 inches in diameter and nearly 3 inches thick that said SEWER on it.

I know he's not trying to get into mischief.  I know he's just a curious and smart little guy learning about his world.

And I reminded myself of this while I searched half the block, the area to and around the playground, and the street for where to put the circle back. 

I couldn't find it.

Oh my little Gremlin, what will you do next?