Me: In a few minutes you’ll need to feed the cats, Emma.
Emma (standing about three feet away from me): What?
Me: In a few minutes we’ll be sending you to the salt mines.
Emma: What? Where? The salt mines? What do they do there?
Me: Mine for salt.
Emma: OK, I’ll go to the salt mine and get salt for you mommy, if that’s what you want to do.
Me (Torn between laughing and feeling a little sorry for her because she has such a sarcastic parent): Well, thank you, sweetie, I appreciate it.
Emma: OK, I’ll go put on my salt mining boots and go mine salt for you. Good-bye!

A few minutes later Emma came back in with a container filled with “salt” (sand) and I now have a quarter cup of “salt” sitting on my counter. Ah, children. I find it amazing how fast you can go from wanting to lock them in a closet to wanting to give them lots of hugs because of their cuteness and creativity.

OK, back to making dinner. :-)