If things continue to get worse, I am going to have to ask you to stop helping

We developed this little saying when we lived in Brazil and well-meaning people insisted on "helping" us in ways that often ultimately made our lives a little more difficult. The saying has proven true in other situations as well. Recently, it has played out in our own household:

• A couple of weeks ago, Clay was helping with the laundry. He loves to put things in when I'm taking things out, and take things out when I'm putting things in. It's very helpful. Usually, he is happy just messing with the clothes or maybe trying to sneak in whatever ball he is holding at the time. But on that particular day, he stepped up his game, and I'm sure you won't believe this, but I somehow got distracted. When the load of colors was finished in the dryer, I found that it was loaded with actual colors. As in, crayons. So very helpful.
• Earlier in the week, Max spilled a glass of water. Spills of a stickier nature are usually overlooked completely, but this one seemed to require every ounce of clean-up power he could muster. So, he got a stool, turned on the kitchen sink, soaked a couple of dishtowels and began sloppily sliding them over the already-wet area. I believe he then may have slipped in the wetness and fallen on his rear end.
• Weston was working on a paying chore today--cleaning the counter, sink and potty in the upstairs bathroom--when he suddenly appeared downstairs to report that "it was just an accident." While trying to return the soap dispenser to its rightful place on the counter (and possibly not paying a great deal of attention to what he was doing), it slipped out of his hand and crashed against the corner of the counter, spilling its contents all over the counter, floor and toilet. Truly, that bathroom has never been so clean. 
• In an effort to combat our pest problem, we got a cat. Jeff and I are not pet people, so this was a HUGE decision. The kids were thrilled, and our most zealous animal lover immediately volunteered to take care of the cat, so I wouldn't have to. It really seemed like a win-win. And, then, the next morning, she woke up with her eyes almost swollen shut and hives all over her body and was promptly banned from having any other contact with the cat. Whether we will even be able to keep the cat, at this point, is still up for debate, though Ruth seemed to be doing much better when she went to bed tonight. 

So, yeah, I've got some great helpers around here. But, if things continue to get worse, I may have to ask them to stop helping.