it's a chore to ignore

i marvel on a daily basis at how well our kids get along. i'm constantly amazed at how gentle liam is with susanna, how much she adores him, and how much they obviously enjoy each other's company. but as with any pair of siblings, they are far from perfect. take, for instance, susanna, who has mastered the role of the pesky little sister. she knows exactly how to get under liam's skin and, when she puts her mind to it, she can do it in ten seconds flat. while she was driving him crazy today at lunch, i introduced to him the concept of ignoring. i explained why it is sometimes okay to ignore someone, and even modeled it for him. the following is a scene from the stage director's (a.k.a. my) script: susanna continues to make funny faces at liam while he's trying to eat his sandwich. he has repeatedly asked her to stop, which, of course, encourages her even more. liam contemplates his next move. liam: "i am choosing to IGNORE you, susanna." susanna (very matter-of-factly, as she munches on an apple wedge): "no, you're not. you are not allowed to ignore me." liam: "YES I AM! I AM IGNORING YOU! I AM IGNORING YOU RIGHT NOW! STOP MAKING THAT FACE AT ME! STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES AT ME! I AM IGNORING YOU! MOMMMMMMMY! MAKE HER STOP! SUSANNA DOES NOT SEE THAT I AM IGNORING HER!" stage director: what's that, liam? i didn't hear a word you said. i was ignoring you.