Worms

I just opened up a can of worms. Literally. Although technically it was a Tupperware storage box - one of my favourites actually - but it was still full of worms. I found it next to the dog kennel, full of water... and worms. How and why it got there will remain one of lifes little mysteries but I suspect the Small People had something to do with it, now that they have been spending some of their after-school time in the garden rather than curled up on the sofa.

Worms. Whatever next?

Actually, I have the answer to that too. Dogs.

Pickle and Poppet cooked this one up in the car on the way to school. Pickle started it, once he'd stopped moaning about how he didn't want to read his book to me and how booooring reading is and how he doesn't care if he never gets onto stage 7. Clearly he was looking for something to stop the nagging and this is what he came up with.

Pickle: Aren't we lucky having such a lovely dog? (Tiggy was tagging along on the school run) I know! (Mummy grips the steering wheel a bit tighter) we should have a contest for all the dogs! I'll invite all my class who have dogs and we can have prizes for the most obedient and the prettiest!

Poppet: I can invite my class too! I'll make the invitations and the prizes!

Mummy: Who wants to play I Spy?

Pickle: we can have it on Sunday, but I'll make the invitations for my class, you just do your own. And I want to make prizes too.

Mummy: Ooh, look at that cute little cat sitting on the fence over there!

Poppet: But if I do the prizes than I can give them out while you do the judging.

Pickle: Oh, great idea! thanks!

Mummy: I thought we were going swimming on Sunday?

Poppet: (entering the school and seeing a few class mates) Hey! We're having a dog show at our house on Sunday! You can bring your dog and we'll have prizes for the best ones!

Well, it worked; I definitely stopped nagging him about the reading. You've got to hand it to them, they are real pros. They would not be distracted from their scheming and I was torn between not wanting to rain on their little parade and really, really needing to point out the logistics of holding a dog show in our back garden at 5 days notice. In fact any notice. When's the last time they scooped a poop?

You know, normally I escort the children up to their classrooms but today I thrust their bags in their hands and fled. I've decided I'll deal with that can of worms later.