Return to the hospital

One day, about a week ago, we were in the car and the kids were being particularly obnoxious. They were fighting, and whining, and there was even some screaming. Andrew looks at me and says loudly, "well, I guess we should head to the hospital today and see if they will accept an exchange. They might have two other kids that we can take home that won't fight or whine when we ask them not to."

So, I play along for a little while until the kids start to get very nervous and upset that we might actually return them. At this point I realize that we might cause permanent damage that will require psychological counseling later on if we continue down this path. So, I explain that we are just joking and that we are not going to return them because we love them so much, even when they are misbehaving.

Fast forward to a couple of days ago...we're in the car on the way home from daycare, and Kayla is semi-crying in the car (she'd had a long day). Matthew starts talking about how she needs to go to the hospital and I can't figure out what the heck he is talking about. Finally, he says, "if she won't stop crying we are going to take her back for a new kid." Oh great. What did we start?

And now it's a source of great amusement for the kids because every time one of them is acting up in the car or at home, the other will shake their head and say, "I guess we are going to have to take you back to the hospital now." Or as Kayla says, "Ma-yoo, you go hostpal now." They think it's very funny when they say it to the other, but not so much when it is said to them.

So, I suppose you have to be careful what you start, as we seem to have given them a new way to bug the heck out of each other.