Sam works the refs

Now that Samson and Jane are old enough to play together (or at least near each other), there are the inevitable squabbles that arise between siblings. Which is not a big deal, and Vicki and I are usually content to let them sort things out amongst themselves.

Unfortunately, Jane is a bit, um, feisty, and (like Terminator X) lets her hands do the talking.

Luckily for Jane, her brother is not particularly aggressive and has a strong enough moral compass not to push or hit her back. Usually.

But he has figured out how to work the system, and so more than once now I've caught him getting in her face and bothering her, only to report out "Jane hit me" or "She pushed me." Which, of course, she has, but not without provocation.

At which point sweet Jane will look at me and say: "mime owt" and go sit herself on the time-out step. If there's a sight more pathetic than my two-fisted little girl putting herself in time out, I don't want to see it. It just about breaks my heart to see her sitting there, thumb in mouth, looking up with those big blue eyes.

I'm sure at some point she'll figure the whole self-reporting thing out [her brother sure has] and either hit him more quietly or deny everything once Vicki or I arrive on the scene. Just like her brother does now.

Ah progress...