There's a certain kind of silence that begins as enjoyable and becomes . . . ominous. And when you go to check on the silence, your bare feet step in something sticky. And Choose-Your-Own-Adventure time starts. Do you a) start looking for the source of the stickiness (go to page 56), b) keep looking for the Silent Ones (go to page 13), or c) decide that you don't really want to know about the Stickiness or the Silence, and go downstairs and let the adventure come to you (go to page 97)?
Obviously, you use the free gift of time to do chores (yay!) that you've been putting off--and when you're making the guest bed, you find both the Sticky Stuff--(a licked-clean can of sweetened condensed milk) and the Silent, Sticky Ones. You win!
Also, do you ever find that your children's little utterances are layered with nuance and deep meaning? For example, when your child states (with elegant simplicity), "I learned to turn the key in the lock today!" and you murmur, "um-hmm, good for you!" You are missing the layers and layers of meaning in that little phrase, a fact that becomes overwhelmingly obvious when you realize that this same lovely child is wearing your antique hat from your {locked} bedroom, carrying around your purse, and making purchases on the Internet.
