If you're not getting dirty, you're not having fun.

You put your kid in overalls, you know they're going to look like little ragamuffins no matter how clean they are. It comes with the territory. You put your kid in overalls when they already haven't had a bath in a few days, let them roll around in sand, you are going to feel like you have some explaining to do if anyone with clean children sees yours.

Joel was working a lot of evenings the other week, and the one evening he had off he had a volleyball game, and I was like, ARGHHHHHH and he was like, Come with me. Bring the girls.

So we went, and I neglected to bring, like, toys or anything, but Eleanor is two and a half, so she was fine.

My friend Shari always talks about how amazed she is by her kids' abilities to play and to keep themselves amused. Eleanor found a discarded bangle and a screw, BASICALLY GARBAGE, and played with them for ages.

The bracelet was a pot of face paint, the screw was the 'painter,' and she painted my face for me. She also poked me with the screw a couple thousand times, hollering 'I'm screwing you!' Oh Eleanor.

Joel's second game ran late, and as the minutes past bedtime ticked by, Eleanor got filthier.

And hilariouser.