My kids are genius inventors!

....of stuff that was invented already.  But hey, if they had lived, say, a thousand years earlier, they would have been the inventors of the dumbwaiter/elevator and we would be rich (and never have to use the stairs!).

And, yes, we have now made jump ropes outside toys so we won't have any more "inventing".  Witness the geniuses (genii??) at work:

Then, as I was on my way back from dropping off the jump ropes and bucket in the garage, I hear Megan saying, "It's OK Lauren, just let go and you'll be fine. You won't get hurt."

My first thought was, "geez, is there a record for most attempts to kill your little sister in one hour?" and then, "what could she possibly be hanging on?"

After investigating, it turned out that Lauren was hanging from the top bunk, holding on to the safety bar as Megan was reassuring her that she could let go, since there was a "soft mat under her". Which, for the record, is Megan's fifteen-dollar rest mat from kindergarten, not one that actually has any shock-absorbing qualities. But hey, it's the same color as the one from gymnastics, I'm sure it will work the same, too.  Right?