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Other times, we KNOW they are.
I'm sure this was left out as a subtle reminder for me to purchase more toothpaste. The children didn't want to overburden me with an additional request this evening, so they held a whispered conference and decided the best way to get new toothpaste was to leave this mangled tube on the very edge of the counter as a gentle reminder that they could no longer squeeze any more paste out of the tube.
or
Jonathan got bored.