Orbeez vs Arbys.. My 4 Year-old Wins

There are these little toys, not sure if that is the right word, called Orbeez.  When you put them in water, they are supposed to grow. 

My children that range in age from 4 to 9 came inside and grabbed some of their coins.  I stopped them and asked what they were doing.  My 4 year-old announced that one of the neighbor children were selling Arby's.  I know I made a confused look, I may have even went cross-eyed.  He said he was going to go buy some.  At this point, my daughter had already run outside with her money, so I had my husband call her in.  I asked what she was doing.  She told me she was buying Orbeez.  I asked what they were, she explained they are things that grow in water.  The neighbor was selling them for a penny each, I saw no harm, except for the fact that they could spend their money on something useful.

They re-appeared, grabbing zip-loc bags, and other things, filling them with water.  They were watching these things grow.  They don't grow quickly, but they do grow.  They are blue, red, green, and maybe a few other colors. 

My 4 year-old continued to call them Arbys, I would continue to correct him and call them Orbeez.  I never, in a million years, could have guessed what would happen in a few minutes after they were placed in the water.  He started eating them.  He ate at least one, before my sister noticed what was happening.  I don't know what menu item he might have thought it was, but he honestly thought he had Arbys.  This led to a frantic internet search... "ORBEEZ."  I didn't know if I should call Poison Control or not, and if I did, if they would even know what I was talking about.  I really know nothing about the things, at that moment. 

In my search, I found that Orbeez are non-toxic, and will pass through the digestive system.  That is something to be thankful for.  These things look like they could be little candies.  Perhaps they can be mistaken for those little ice cream balls,  I don't know. 

By the next morning, much to the amusement of my two older children, his Orbeez shrunk.  We don't know what might have caused it... maybe they saw what happened to their little friend, and they are trying to disappear?!  (I do know that isn't possible).  We did joke about that though, that my four year-old won that fight.  My older kids couldn't stop laughing for a little while trying to figure out why they would shrink.  Who knows?!

At the end of the day, I think it is very important to distinguish Arbys from Orbeez.  Maybe we should make the trip to Arbys more often, and try all menu items, so there is no chance of confusion!