Boots as Baskets?

When you send your four year old son up to the chicken coop to let the birds out and you see him wearing your barn boots, by all means do NOT smile to yourself, give a little chuckle and say (like all mothers), "Don't trip, son!" Instead, insist that he promptly change into his OWN boots. If you don't the following might happen:

When he returns to the house, bringing a poop covered egg in his bare hand, you stifle a shudder and tell him to quick! wash it off and put it in the fridge. He then joins you at the table for some school and about three minutes later nonchalantly says, "Uh... I accidentally cracked a little bit of egg into your boot." Pause as you try to figure out how THAT one happened, then ask him to bring you the boot.

When he delivers the boot, tentatively inspect it and find nothing wrong! Breathe a sigh of relief and say, "But Phin, there isn't any egg in here! It is perfectly fine!"

"Oh," says Phin. "I guess it was the other one." And he scampers off to fetch the other boot.

When he brings it, a quick glance reveals not only a 'little bit of egg' but a whole LOT of cracked egg and a whole uncracked egg! Not knowing whether to laugh or become irate, pick up the boot (which has chicken poop all over the bottom) and try and clean out the ooey, gooey mess. Be sure to ask your son how many eggs he put in the boot. (He says 2) After rinsing for a while, just as you are about to shake out the last drops of water, PLOP! out comes ANOTHER cracked egg! (Note: that makes 3 eggs that were in the boot.)

After a couple minutes of muttering and sputtering and being completely baffled at the mind of a four year old, ask your son WHAT he had been doing! What did he answer? Carrying the eggs!

Yes, he put all the eggs (except the poop covered one) into the boot and proceeded to WALK with the egg filled boot down the hill and into the house. Definitely not the most conventional egg basket, eh?