Seeing the logic

Suddenly Lily and Aaron are showing problem solving skills that surpass me. Tonight, they were enthusiastically helping with our shredding ritual. (Are shredders as ubiquitous to households as toasters?) I was getting frustrated when the shredder stopped working and I couldn't get the drawer back in the unit. So after a few times of me trying to beat the machine, Aaron said, "Why don't you clean out the paper underneath the drawer?" I'll be darned if that wasn't the exact thing it needed to mend it. Then, about a minute later, Lily decided to open an envelope before shredding (whereas I was shoving envelope full contents and all into the device). By doing so, she rescued a couple of insurance ID cards before they met their shredding fate. When I congratulated her on having the smarts to open the envelope before shredding, she nonchalantly shrugged and said, "I felt the envelope and it felt like something was in there." Two smart cookies teaching their mom a thing or two.