So, it's a standard story in sci-fi

The intrepid hero(es) wander off and do something that gets them "out of phase" with the rest of the universe. They can see and hear everybody, but nobody else can see or hear them. Maybe they're totally incorporeal, and maybe they can move things around.

But why doesn't it ever work the other way? Everybody else can see and hear them, but they're wandering around in a fog, only able to see the other things and/or people out of phase?

Today, I helped out a friend, watched her two kids for a while.

All day, actually. I swear, her son screamed for a ten full minutes after she left. Then he just cried. Then he mostly calmed down, but kept repeating "Where's mama?" most of the day. Very sad.

Amazingly, I managed to get the three youngest all to nap at the same time. Go me!

Anyway, Angelique and Evangeline decided that today was the day they'd become really possessive about their stuff. Oh dear god. Time-outs had to be handed out.

At the end of the day, we're all in the girls' room (let's try to contain the chaos a bit, right?) and Evangeline looked over at the boy, and goes "Connie! That's MY hammock!" When informed that no, he was allowed to swing on her hammock after all, she tries again. "Connie! Actually, that's *my* diaper!" So I pointed out that she doesn't wear diapers in the house much anymore, and he was sharing hers. Then she noticed I was playing with her ball.... "CONNIE! Actually, that's MY ball! I want my ball! Give me my ball!"

She even jumped up and down a couple of times, which may be a first. She does other things when she's upset, jumping is a new one by me.

Well, I agreed to help her out for a few more days. If the jealousy keeps up, I may very well kill her. God only knows how we'll get out of the house with four kids in tow, at least one of whom is a runner....