Thursday, July 16, 2009

MINE

Last night I was tucking Marlin into his bed and Alivia came in and announced that the glow worm that he had was hers. They argued and I showed her that it was indeed his and made her give it back to him. We couldn't find Alivia's glow worm anywhere. I'm pretty sure dreams of glow worm envy danced in her head all night because this morning...

I went upstairs with Molly to find clothes for her and when I came back down the stairs Marlin was screaming and chasing Alivia. Alivia was running around the house with Marlin's glow worm in her arm. She was holding it as high as possible in case Marlin actually caught up with her to ensure he wouldn't be able to reach it. She jumped up on the chair, he got close, then she jumped down and ran to the couch, Marlin go close again and off she went. It was a two person game of keep away and my sweet Marlin was losing miserably so I stepped in.

"STOP! give me the glow worm." She hands it to me and prepares to be sent to the corner as usual for her time out (well worth the pleasure of 1.5 minutes torturing her younger brother)

"Here Marlin" I handed him the glow worm. Then I turned to Alivia "and you go to the..." I could see in her face that she was ready, it didn't matter and she would do it again. The time out was not going to be sufficient. So instead, I turned to Marlin, "here is what we are going to do."

Alivia came over to check out what my next move would be. "Alivia, I am tired of you taking Marlin's things from him so he is going to pick one of your toys from your room and he gets to keep it for two days."

I led Marlin into Alivia's room and it took him .00007 nano seconds to make a beeline for her stuffed horse that has a pink purse it fits into with a saddle, a bridle and a brush. He picked it up and I led him into his room and said "you get to keep the horse until tomorrow."

Alivia screamed, she jumped up and down, it was unbearable (and perfect) that Marlin could have her horse. She made several attempts to go into his room to reclaim her possession in her fit of rage but I didn't let her. There is a door between their bedroom and I saw her start to sneak through there and I went in the other door saying "you are going to be in big trouble!" She backed away. I looked at Marlin. He was sitting on his bed with the horse out of the purse slowly combing its long mane with a tiny little grin on his sweet little face. It was priceless.

After the rage passed the bargaining began. "I won't take Marlins things any more."

I responded, "Great, you can have your horse back tomorrow."

Aliva: "Please can I have it back now."

I told her that this was a lesson she had to learn because it didn't feel good when people take your things. She finally calmed down and went into her room to get dressed. (because this is all happening before 8am...the things I do before my first cup of coffee)

I heard her sincerely tell Marlin that she was sorry. Then Marlin said "ok, Wivia, here is your horse." I heard him give it back to her piece by piece and then he said "I sorry I took your horse Wivia" (insert: AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW)

Oh my gosh! Can that get any sweeter?

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