Little e: "I want to use this polka dot fabric, but it's way too long."
me: "Wait until you know what you're going to do with it before you cut it."
Little e: "Why?"
me: "If you cut it now, and later you realize you need it to be longer, you're up a creek."
Little e: "What do you mean?"
me: "Well, once you've cut it, you can't just put it back together."
Little e: "What about the creek?"
me: "The full saying is 'Up a creek without a paddle."
Little e: "What does it mean?"
me: "Well, if you're on a boat in a creek and you don't have a paddle, you are out of luck."
Little e: "You can't just swim?"
me: "No."
Little e: "You can't just go back and get a paddle?"
me: "No, that's the point. You're in a boat, in a creek, and without a paddle, you can't go back."
Little e: "Is that because creeks are very fast?"
me: "No, not all creeks are fast. They are often quite small... but that's not the point."
Little e: "But... "