Mothering Many

I keep a little bucket on my desk. It’s supposed to contain writing pens and pencils. The children are supposed to use them as needed and then return them to the bucket. The bucket gets replenished on an amazingly frequent basis, and yet, it is nearly always barren. Where are the writing implements? I find a few in the couch, and on the floor each day, but……..never the original numbers. I think my kids are eating the pencils!