Ethan Snippets

A couple of funny Ethan stories....

Our puppy Mollie is still in that biting phase. Ethan hasn't quite gotten the hang of how to keep her from nipping at him.

Today, when he was with our sitter Kate... he told her...

Ethan: Watch out for Mollie or she'll bite you in the nuts.

***

A few mornings ago, I walk into Ethan and Zayd's room to make sure they were getting ready for school. Zayd is kneeling beside his bed with his face in the mattress. Ethan is standing over him... looking guilty.

Me: What happened?

Ethan: I didn't do anything!

Me: Zayd, what happened?

Zayd: Arggggghhhhh!

Me: Ethan?

Ethan: I said I didn't do anything!

Me: Zayd?

Zayd: GO AWAY!

pause

Me: Okay - whatever. Figure it out yourselves then. But get ready for school.

I walk out and get myself ready for school...

A couple minutes later, Ethan walks into my room.

Ethan: Zayd is still mad.

Me: Really. (pause). I wonder why?

Ethan: I don't know (he says looking down at his feet)

Me: Hummm... (pause) You don't know, huh?

pause


Ethan: He says he is really mad at me and he is going to punch me!

Me: Well, you better go and work it out with him, then. Something must have happened between you two. Figure it out.

pause

Ethan: Well... I hurt his eye.

Me: Oh. Did you poke it?

Ethan: No! I just spit in it.

Just.

Me: Well, that's not very nice. We don't spit at people.

Ethan: Well, I didn't punch him or anything. It was just spit.

Me: Well we certainly don't punch people.

pause

Ethan: Well I brushed my teeth first!

pause

I cock my head and narrow my eyes at him... as if it helps me understand the logic. Let's see: Ethan spit in Zayd's eye. Zayd is crying. Ethan didn't PUNCH him... AND Ethan was good enough to brush his teeth before he spit in Zayd's eye. Uhm... I don't get it.

Me: So... you're telling me that your spit was clean before you got it in his eye?

Ethan: NO!

pause

Ethan: The toothpaste in my spit burned his eye!

****

It was absolutely gorgeous outside this evening. 75 degrees, sunny, no wind... fantastic. So we all -- yes even Paul and I -- played outside.

But Ethan was having a bad evening. I'm not sure what happened, but he was lying in the grass, face down, crying. When any of his brothers approached him, he screamed.

We just decided to leave him be. So, while the rest of us played TV tag, a bit of soccer and with Mollie, Ethan had his little hissy-fit in the middle of the yard.

After a while, I suggested that Evan go and find out if he could talk some sense into Ethan. A few minutes later... a dramatic scene... something out of a war movie maybe. Ethan limping towards me with Evan supporting him...

omg

Me: What happened?

Ethan: (sobbing) I gotted hurt.

Me: Where?

Ethan: (still sniffling and choking on tears) Well... Zachary hurt my pinky and then Mollie scratched me and I got hurted! (more crying).

Me: Hmmm... let me see...

I check him over. I don't see scratches... and his pinky worked fine. He continued sniffling.

Me: Well. How about we go inside. You can take a nice bath, we'll put your jammies on and I'll read you a story?

Ethan: I DON'T WANNA GO INSIDE!!! (Crying intensifies).

Me: Okay! Okay... calmmmm downnn.

pause

Me: Well then... what can we do to make it better?

Ethan: (crying) I DON'T KNOW! I'm not a doctor or a nurse or a vet! How should I know!