Losing my marbles

Sometime last week, Max found the bag of marbles that we use with our Chinese checkers game. He managed to tear it open and proceeded to throw the marbles down the stairs one at a time so that they made a nice sound as they bounced on the tile at the bottom. It almost drove me crazy. I began gathering up marbles and having the children do the same, but I was sure there were still many lurking in unseen corners. Since that day, the insanity factor at our house has gone up exponentially. Max continues to find marbles and to bounce them on the tile. And, I am finding them stashed away in some very interesting places: Max's mouth, Weston's mouth, bowls and cups in the kitchen, under the dining room table, in the house plants, etc. And tonight, in the garbage disposal. You can bet that was a pleasant sound, and rather difficult to spot without sticking my arm down there up to the elbow, which sort of gives me the heebies. I am now on a mission to place all the marbles under lock and key, only to be released with parental authority or otherwise on penalty of death. I never knew that millions of marble were required to play Chinese checkers. And provided I haven't lost all my marbles, we may actually be able to play that game again at some point in the future--maybe when Max is grown with marble-bouncing children of his own.