How Can I Argue with That?!?

Lately, the two kiddos have been trying their hand at that age old game of, "annoy the hell out of my brother/sister and thereby my mother." It goes something like this. Emma takes out a toy, Nicky automatically drops whatever he is engrossed in to go sit practically on top of Emma and touch the toy repeatedly, apparently with no intention of playing with it. Emma responds by screaming and pushing Nicky away and announcing in the MOST annoying whiny voice, "Mommy, he's touching my toy!!! Don't take it Nicky, don't touch it!" Nicky finds all of this amusing.

Anyway, this morning the tables were turned as Emma decided to exact some revenge. You see Nicky has recently taken a liking (and liking is too soft a word here) to the play cell phone (and by the way, I still can't believe that there are play cell phones). So, in keeping with the, "annoy the hell out of my brother and thereby my mother," game, Emma went straight up to Nicky and made fake attempts at taking the phone out of his hands. Nicky squealed and promptly pushed her away. Her response, as is usual, was to tattle on him in her most annoying voice, "Maaaawwwmmmmmeeeeeee! Neeecky pushed me!" Oh how I cannot stand that tattling whiny voice she uses. I much prefer her usual, sing songy tone. Anyway, I responded to the situation by reminding Nicky that we don't push people and explaining to Emma that he pushed her because she was bothering him, and that she really needs to stop being a tattle tale and worry about her own behavior. She obviously didn't like what I had to say because within minutes, she went over and pushed Nicky right in front of me, making sure I got an eyeful. I gave her the usual warning, "Emma we do not push people. If I see you do that again, you'll sit in time out. We keep our hands to ourselves. Do not touch Nicky."

Her response, "But I love him."

Now how can I argue with that?

And doesn't that just prove that all those boys and girls that bothered you on the playground when you were little did so because they really DID love you!?!