More morning conversations

Last night, I set out a pair of jeans for Luke to wear today (okay, I'm behind on laundry, and the jeans he wore yesterday were amazingly still clean); there was a clean t-shirt already on the floor that he'd pulled out of his drawer yesterday... This morning, these were the first words I heard:

No, Susanna, that's MY Watkins shirt!

No, it isn't. It is MINE!

If it says Girl with a G it is yours. If it says Boy with a B, it is mine (the shirt actually says "I'm the next Watkins Man/Woman")

IT'S MINE!

No, it isn't. See, it says m-m-m boy.

I'M TELLING DADDY!!!!!!!

Susanna rushes to our room where I'm playing possum. Tony is downstairs already. She comes running over to the bed, stands for about 30 seconds looking at me, then rushes out the room and downstairs. A few minutes later, she stomps back upstairs.

IT'S MINE!! IT HAS MY NAME ON IT!

No, Susanna. Your name is S-U-S-A-N-N-A (a moment of Mama pride here....Luke figured out how to spell her name all by himself by sounding it out, double n and all)

IT IS NOT! IT IS S-U-S-I. MAMA TEACHEDED ME! (yeah, I taught her that, figuring a shorter version would be easier to start with.....hmmmm.....)

No, it isn't.

YES, IT IS. AND I'M GETTING ANGRY AT YOU!! I'M GOING TO HEAD BONK YOU RIGHT NOW! NOW GO GET YOUR SHIELD OF FAITH FROM DOWNSTAIRS AND YOUR HELMET OF SALVATION SO IT WON'T HURT SO BAD! (even angry and screaming, she's concerned for his well-being....ah, we're training them up right....)

No.

YES! LUKE, IF YOU KEEP BEING MEAN TO ME, I AM NOT GOING TO BE YOUR LITTLE GIRL (I wish I could spell "girl" the way she says it). I WILL BE DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL AND MAMA'S LITTLE GIRL BUT NOT YOURS! HMMMM! PHBTTTTTT (yep, she gave him a raspberry)

DON'T spit at me, Susanna. That's not nice. And if you're not going to be my girl, I'm not going to give you, um, something.

LUKE! Well, if you give me something, I will be your, um, I'll be your girl again. (funny how sweetness can fill her voice immediately after an angry scream)

Not if you act like that. You are not being kind.

I'M GETTING ANGRY AT YOU! GO GET YOUR SHIELD OF FAITH! (maybe she was hoping to do some serious damage but still wanted to make sure he was protected...)

No.

I'M GOING DOWNSTAIRS RIGHT NOW!!!! And, as she stomps out the room, she stops and sweetly says, "Luke, I'll be your girl again now."

A few minutes later, Luke came to our room, fully dressed. Not wearing the Watkins shirt. Maybe the kid's already diplomatic enough to realize he doesn't want to tick his sister off every time she looks at him today. And, by the way, they each have their own Watkins shirt....

I commented to him, "You're not wearing your Watkins shirt."

No, Mama. Susanna got mad because she said her name was on it but it wasn't.

I know.

Did you hear us?

Yes.

Oh.

Speaking of diplomatic, as we were finishing supper last night and they were trying to get out the door for Awana, Luke kept reminding me he will be my hero and will fight Daddy with his (foam) sword if Daddy does anything mean to me. Not even thinking of it, I yelled "HEY!" to Tony at that point....he was about to each my biscuit...and the butter had just finished melting! Luke grabbed his sword as Tony looked at me and said "Thanks" (and returned my biscuit). Supper was just about finished, and Luke said something about them all going to Awana. I started blinking fast and said, "but who will stay home and protect me from the bad guys?" Wow, you could see that little brain working! He wanted to stay and protect me. But then again, there was Cubbies! And his friends! And Mr. Vocelka, his leader. Finally, he came up with the perfect solution. "The Lord, Mama! He will stay with you!"