Before I had kids, I swore up and down that I would never use television as a babysitter.

Then I had kids.

As any mother knows, if you want to get dinner on the table, return a phone call, or pee, you're drawing that remote like a 6 shooter at the OK Corral.

So, there I was the other day, turning my closet inside out at an attempt to "get organized" when my amost 6 year old emerged from between 2 mountains of "giveaway clothes."

"Mom, are you going to clean out your jewelry box, too?"

"Wasn't planning on it, honey. My jewelry all fits just fine."

"Right, but you probably have some broken or mismatched pieces. Perhaps an old dental filling?"

Perhaps? What kid says 'perhaps'? He had my attention. I stopped, a pile of maternity clothes balled up in my hand, ready for the heave-ho into the hallway.

"Old dental filling?"

"Right. You can send in your old, broken or mismatched jewelry. Even old dental fillings. You can get cash for gold, in these tough financial times."

I put my hands on my hips, trying not to smile.

"You don't say?"

"It's so simple. All you do is gather up your old jewelry, and send it in. You can get cash. They just send it to you."

"Perhaps" this is more common among kids this age than I realize. Especially given the frequency of infomercials and As-Seen-On-TV advertisements running on kid's networks.

Just last week, he approached me as I was cooking dinner.

"Mom, I think I have an answer to my weight loss problem."

"Huh???"

"My weight loss problem. I have a solution. Nutra-System. It's delivered to your door. There is no measuring, no chopping, no weighing. You don't have to count points or any of that."

I stopped stirring whatever I was stirring.

"Jack, honey, you weigh 50 pounds, soaking wet.  You don't have a weight loss problem.  You have an infomercial problem."

Not one to give up easily, he scratched his head, formulating his rebuttal.

"Okay, maybe not.  But it's still not a bad idea.  The food comes right to your door,  It's affordable, and easy.  And you wouldn't have to cook any more."

"Hmm. Interesting points."

"We could even pay for it with the cash we get.  You know.  For the gold.  But we have to act now."

Of course.  :-)