Why didn't I think of this sooner?

Yesterday was spent cleaning my house from when my niece and nephew was here and in preparation for my parents and Brian's parents to visit this weekend for Olivia's recital. Now I know what's it's like to have 3 kids - I never thought you could go through that many towels and wash clothes in 3 days!! Grass, dirt and sand must stick more to bigger kids than it does to smaller ones. And play dough is much messier when there's three sets of hands spreading it around!
Olivia likes to "help" me when I clean - it usually ends up being harder for me, but I figure this is the only way she's going to learn. So as I'm sweeping the kitchen, she's spreading the dirt back out in her attempt to sweep :-)
The time came for me to take a little break and enjoy some coffee so I sat down on the couch. The living room floor was littered with toys. I usually find it easier to just pick them up myself instead of constantly nagging Olivia to pick up - how old are they when you can say "go clean your room." and they actually do it instead of getting interrupted by the first toy they pick up? But I figured I would be sitting for a few minutes and could stay on top of her about picking stuff up. I first said, "Olivia will you pick up ____?" and like usual, it went in one ear and out the other. So then I say, "we're going to play a game. I'm going to tell you which item you have to pick up, then you're going to say, 'mother may I?' and I will say, 'yes you may' and then you can pick it up and put it in the toy box. Remember that you can't pick it up until you ask, 'Mother may I?' and I answer with, 'yes you may' okay?"
Olivia: OKAY, LET'S PLAY!!!
me: Olivia pick up _____
Olivia: Mother may I?
me: Yes you may
me: Olivia pick up _____
Olivia: Mother may I?
me: Yes you may
me: Olivia pick up _____
Olivia: Mother may I?
me: Yes you may
This continued until EVERY toy had been picked up! It worked beautifully! I couldn't believe my eyes - why didn't I think of this sooner?!?!?!
Now, Brian was "working" from home yesterday and he's sitting on the couch looking at me like I had three heads. I was thinking - Brian thinks I'm a genius! He can't believe that I came up with this awesome "game" and that it's actually working. He must think that I'm the most incredible smart mother ever.....and then he says to me, "that's awful, I can't believe you are making her say, 'mother may I?' - that's just horrible." HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE GAME "MOTHER MAY I?" WAS!!!!! He just thought I was some slave driver making Olivia ask, 'mother may I?' hahahaha!