It's Good to be Loved

Poor Marshall can't catch a break with Ethan. Ever since Ethan can speak, he has been "Mom's boy." And he tells Marshall exactly that. "I'm Mom's boy." To which Marshall will reply, "Aren't you my boy?" "Nope," says Ethan, "I only love one person at a time." So everyday Marshall asks the same question, and Ethan usually responds in the negative. Once in a while Ethan will tell him he can be his boy "On Tuesday", or that he loves "two people today." And when all the stars align, Ethan is actually "his boy".

So this afternoon as I'm laying in bed (I stayed home sick from church today), Marshall and Ethan came up for a visit. Here's the ensuing conversation:

Ethan: "Dad, guess what? I love something that has a striped shirt."
Dad: "What's that?"
Ethan: "Tabby and Mommy."
A few minutes later he starts dropping the little treasure chest he made at Tabitha's party on his legs.

Ethan: "See, Mom, it doesn't hurt. Let me drop it on your legs. Did that hurt?"
Mom: "Nope."
Ethan: "See, you're tough. And I'm tough."
Ethan: "Daddy, I'm going to drop this on your legs."
Dad: "Okay."
Ethan: "See, it hurt him. 'Cuz he's not tough. And he's not fast. But I am tough and fast."
Dad: "Yeah, you are pretty fast. I've seen you run up the stairs."

As if that wasn't enough:

Ethan: "Now I'm going to do my lesson, and whoever is the most reverent, gets my treasure chest."
Dad: "Look, I'm folding my arms, and Mommy isn't. Can I get the treasure chest?"
Ethan: "Nope. You have to unfold your arms. If you just do that, you can't win. Mommy gets the treasure chest."
Dad: "I think this is rigged."

Rigged or not, this is what I always dreamed having a little boy would be like. So nice when dreams come true. I hope I never wake up.