The Balls Are On MY Side!!!

Okay, so on the way to school we cross over a big bridge that has high wires with those red and white balls strewn across it to warn airplanes not to fly too low, right? Well, this is one of those things they look forward to everyday.

"Mama, the balls are on my side," says Saia on the way to school. "Mama, the balls are on MY side," says Chago on the way home.

But for the last two weeks or so, Chago has really mastered the art of antagonization -- aimed, of course, at his very easily irritated sister. So, now, on the way to school, just as Saia begins to say "Mama, the balls are on my side," he interrupts, and very quietly and calmly says that the balls are on his side [which, of course, they are not].

Naturally, she begins to argue. And so it goes, for ten full minutes. "Nu-ugh" and "yuh-huh" and "they are NOT" and "yes they ARE". And, of course, he's smiling from ear to ear because she's so easy to rile. And I'm trying to explain this to her -- not to let him get to her -- that he's only doing it because he knows how it aggravates her -- and that if she just ignored him and didn't give in, he would stop.

But the thing is...she can't. She wants to, but she just can't. And under her breath, just barely audible, I can still hear her whispering, although at least she's looking away from him, "no." And then he says, "My side." And she whispers again, "no." But he's persistent, "My side, my side, my side." Another ten minutes or so...

And then thoroughly exasperated, she finally throws her hands up in the air and cries, "Mama, I'm trying, but Chago won't let me ignore him."