Why, why, why?

Okay, I am bitching as a parent.
I understand that Asa is three and has some life lessons left to learn. So I go to his room and I physically point out the things we need to pick up. This is kind of how my conversation went tonight:
"Asa, please pick up your blocks. No, leave the shoe alone, get the blocks. Okay, you can pick up the train instead."
"Your trains are all picked up, get the blocks."
"Now get your book."
Asa physically turns his whole body all the way around, steps forward onto the book and looks up, "where is the book mommy?"
To my credit, I kept a civil tongue and told him he was standing on it but inside I am thinking, how the hell do you STAND on the book and not know where it is?!?!?!?
Asa did all this with one shoe off and one shoe on-just like the nursery rhyme. Why he only took one shoe off I have no idea.