And now for something completely different...

Couch fishing, the sport of parents everywhere. 

For the uninitiated, couch fishing is the fine art of retrieving lost items from their hiding places under furniture.  Some of the techniques include free-fishing, rod-fishing, and netting. 

Free-fishing involves crouching down and reaching into the darkness under chairs and behind curtains.  It's very hands-on and not for the faint of heart if you have toddlers in the house.

Rod-fishing is the art of sweeping under or behind furniture with a long pole... such as a broom handle in the hope that said items can be swept into view.

The most harrowing technique is called netting.  Netting involves moving heavy furniture and sweeping everything (including crumbs and dust bunnies) out into the open where the catch can be cleaned and returned to their proper places. 

Netting is the preferred method in our house.  It's practiced at least twice a day.   Tonight's catch consisted of:
5 shoes
1 hat (dad's golf hat)
2 sippy cups lost during breakfast
8 toy cars
3 Thomas trains
1 train track
1 child's golf club (It was released back into the darkness under the couch in the interest of peace in     the house.  Deacon loves to chase everyone with the club)
1 dish towel
1 lost TV remote
1 cookie
and numerous crumbs, dust bunnies, and bits of sand

Not found was Mom's sanity.