Five on Friday: Recent Reasons for the Bickering 'Round Here

Earlier this summer, my parents kindly offered to take any number of my five children to the lake with them for a few days. It turned out to be just the 11-year-old and 13-year-old, who have a long history of constant bickering. 

(It seems really amped up this summer, too . . . so much so that on a recent car ride, they were arguing so much in the backseat that my 15-year-old copilot suddenly changed the radio station, turned around and said, "I swear to god if you two don't cut it out, I'm not switching it back.")

While they were at the lake and someone asked where they were, I remarked on how much I appreciate when I can split the kids up over the summer here and there to give them breaks from one another. My 19-year-old son laughed, "So you sent those two away together?"

I realize that does seem a little . . . counter-productive. But first of all, it's just how it happened to work out that week. Second of all, maybe in this case it was just that I needed a break from them and their constant bickering. Or maybe my years of parenting experience taught me that they'd be fine in another environment and with different adults in charge . . . and wouldn't you know it? Mom said while they were with her, THEY WERE FINE AND DIDN'T BICKER AT ALL.

At. All.

Only known moment these two have ever gotten along while not away with Grandparents.

Well, I guess it's true that what happens at the lake stays at the lake, because they sure didn't bring any of that "getting along" home with them. As soon as they got back, they were right back at it. Here are some of the things they've bickered about since they've gotten home:

1. The correct way to pronounce Hercules.

2. Whether or not this song sucks or is awesome.

3. Who has more room on the shared backseat armrest. 

4. If older brother's arm is *so* much larger that it justifies him getting more of said shared backseat armrest.

5. If little sister is, indeed, mimicking his every move or if it's purely a coincidence that she ends up doing the same exact thing that he just did a few seconds earlier.

Did I say five on Friday? But wait, there's more!!

6. Which of the two of them (couldn't possibly be one of the other three, oh no) keeps forgetting to flush the toilet, put the cap back on the toothpaste, pick up the garbage that missed the can or otherwise fail to clean up after themselves in the bathroom.

7. If little sister accidentally or on purpose sprayed him with the "nozzle" spray.

8. If "nasal" is actually pronounced "nozzle."

9. Who was the last one to use the television remote . . . and . . .

10. Whose fault it is that Dad couldn't find said remote when he wanted it and then, upon finally finding it, hid it from them.

I regret to inform you that most of these arguments were from only one afternoon . . . so before I drive you as crazy as they've been driving me--and apparently their older brother--I'll stop there. 

Three more weeks until school. Cheers.