Should we cut it off?

My boys are quick to cry over injuries. Sometimes, admittedly it's for attention. Sometimes I really just think their pain threshold is extraordinary low.

Ethan, 5, walks into my room as I am working on my paper with big tears streaming down his face.

Me: Oh my goodness! What happened sweetie?

Ethan: I DON'T want to tell you!

Zach is also in the room. He is grounded from video games, television, and the computer. So, he sits in front of me most of the day bugging me.

Zach: Then why did you come in here?

Ethan: STOP! Growl. Crying continues.

Me: Ethan, just tell me what happened? What hurts?

Ethan: NO-Thing! Which is my absolute most favorite word he says.

Zach and I look at each other, biting our lips and trying not to laugh.

One of the things I say to my boys, when the injuries are minor and they can't stop the drama is, "Do you think we need to cut it off?" This really annoys them.

So, when one of them comes in limping and shows me a scrape, undetectable without the aid of a magnifying glass... I say, "I think we'll need to cut it off." They realize they are not going to get much pity from me and they go away.

After Ethan continued to show off his dramatic skill for about five minutes, I finally said, "I think we'll need to cut it off."

To which he responded with a bigger cry: Why do you always want to cut off parts of my body!