The boys and I are sitting around the dining room table, eating a late (as usual) breakfast. Our good puppy is outside, barking at the neighbors dogs yet again. They're small and yappy, he's big and territorial. He sounds fierce, even though he's not really.
Connor is complaining about Buster, telling me that I need to tell him to "hush," which I frequently do. Today I am just tired and trying to read a section of the paper during breakfast. I don't feel like getting up to go "hush" the dog, so after saying it's okay and trying to let it go, I then attempt to ignore my son's repeated requests. You know, where he says the exact same thing over and over again in his most annoying of voices. After about the tenth repetition, I have had it and simply tell him to hush.
He looks at me with big, disapproving eyes and shakes his head a little.
"Mommy no hush me. Mommy hush Buster," he says, quietly but firmly, refusing eye contact. I merely look at him. He knows better than to tell Mommy "no" about anything. We've had this conversation many, many times. Mommies are allowed to say no, children are not (at least not in that tone of voice). He peeks a glance at me, but quickly looks away and continues shaking his head. "Not nice to hush Connor," he mutters under his breath as he goes back to his breakfast.
Perhaps not. But, contrary to popular belief in our house, four-year olds don't rule the world.
