He Called You a...What??!?

As most parents, we really try to curb name-calling between the kids. When they were younger, anything that ended in 'head' was outlawed...and we're just talking about things like 'stinkyhead' and 'dumbhead' - it never got much worse than that. I even called Grace a 'sleepyhead' one morning and she burst into tears.

Which leads me to the latest episode of name-calling. As the kids have gotten older, their techniques to put each other down are more sophisticated. Add Pike to that equation and you have trouble! But, I actually had to laugh (behind closed doors) about this one...and I apologize in advance if anyone is offended.

I was cooking dinner while Pike and Grace were in the front room playing. I could tell there was some sort of disagreement, but it didn't sound too bad, so I waited to see how they would handle it. I remember Grace wanting Pike to give her something, but she didn't want to do anything in return (as I found out later, this was a very important part to the disagreement).

They continued to discuss their opposing points of view when Grace bursts into tears (yes, this happens alot) and comes running into the kitchen. I was trying to get her to calm down enough to find out what happened when Pike walks in the room.

"Pike, what happened? Do you know why Grace is crying?"

"She wanted me to give her one of my (insert anything here...I can't remember what it was) just because I have more."

"O.K.?"

"I just shook my head and said..."

Then Grace blurts out, "He called me a Democrat!!"

And then I heard myself say, very seriously, "Pike, do not call your sister a Democrat...that is not a nice thing to say." :) And, yes, we made him apologize.