The Rules

So I am hanging out reading when D runs in the room with B right behind him, lightly punching him on the arm. "Stop hitting your brother", I say, but he keeps doing it. "He didn't call safety", says my eleven year-old, still tapping on my four year-old. "I don't care, STOP hitting him", I say. "He farted on his way through the room and didn't call safety or touch a door knob yet". I am thinking that I have never heard of this game, and I am guessing D hasn't either. I say as much to B, and reiterate my rule that if both people don't know and agree to the rules, it's the same as bullying and he needs to quit.

D is sniffling and looking at me, so I tell him to come on up and snuggle. We talk for a minute about how it's not nice to hit, or to expect someone to play a game without knowing the rules. "Yeah, and it's not nice to hit a little guy", he says pitifully. I agree and pat him some more. I am enjoying just lying there with him, knowing he isn't really hurt, when it occurs to me to ask "So...did you fart?".

He sits up, and his face does that thing it does, where it transforms from serious to a smirk to total grin. "Yeah". We both giggle a little and I get up too. I hold my arms out for him and say "Let's go get a fudgesicle".