I love you, but you can't make me like you.

I have no doubt that Jacob and Elizabeth love each other deeply. Jacob worries about Elizabeth whenever she has to get shots at a checkup. Elizabeth thinks that whatever Jacob does is the epitome of cool and tries to imitate it. But on a day-to-day basis, these two have a tumultuous relationship, to put it mildly. The sound of Jacob and Elizabeth bickering is just part of the background noise around here.

This morning, David was outside mowing the grass, Caroline was upstairs napping, Jacob and Elizabeth were in the den, and I was zipping around upstairs trying to put some laundry away before Jacob and Elizabeth realized I was gone and came looking for me, which would mean the end of Caroline's nap. Suddenly, I heard Jacob yell: "Get away from that, you stupid little girl!!!" I put the laundry basket down and started downstairs to scold Jacob and remind him that we don't call people "stupid," when I heard Elizabeth yell back: "I am NOT a stupid little girl!!! I am a BIG girl!!!"

Seeing as Elizabeth defended herself against the portion of the insult that was most offensive to her, I decided that no intervention was needed on my part, and continued with the laundry.