Why?

Why is it that when you give a 20 month old a hot dog, he eats the ketchup and leaves the hot dog.  Then when the ketchup is gone, he starts chewing the hot dog and then decides he needs to spit it out.  Hot dogs aren't that attractive to begin with, and are especially disgusting when they are rechewed and reappear on the tray.

Why is it that the same 20 month old also thinks it is fun to watch silverware go over the gate and down the stairs?  

How is it that a toddler knows exactly which boxes of cereal in the pantry have opened bags that are just waiting to be dumped in the kitchen only to fish out the marshmallows? 

And why is it that same child has an internal 5:30 am wakeup call?  

By the age of 5 1/2, they figure out these things are not so exciting any more and are satisfied with questioning everything and arguing about what they don't question.

Because, otherwise being a mommy would maybe be boring!  And then you wonder why you are so lucky to have them after all the mess and mayhem as they lie peacefully in their beds dreaming of the next days adventures.