Good Guys and Bad Guys

Ian amused himself this evening before dinner by playing an entertaining game of "Good Guys and Bad Guys."

This game involved much running back and forth, and putting Zoe in jail (on the kitchen rug). It was hilarious to watch him run over and hug Zoe, and get her into a sitting position on the rug saying, "Zoe you bad girl. You go-ee cage." Of course, Zoe probably thought it was a more complex version of "Tag" but it amused me greatly to join their little game. Zoe became the maniacal villain who laughed from the jail cell. Of course, I guess the game should really be called, "Bad Guy, Bad Guy" because Ian said he was a Bad Guy too.

I think to myself, we'll be having a conversation later about Good Guys and Bad Guys...are we really understanding how this works?

At any rate, here's our dinner exchange:

"Ian, come to the table and eat!"

His eyebrows raised, "No, Bad Guy coming to eat dinner."

"Ok, Bad Guy, come eat dinner."

Ian smiles a satisfied grin and procedes to gobble up dinner. I asked him if he liked his dinner. He smugly replied, slowing his speech so I could get it, "No. Bad Guy. Bad Guy like dinner?"

"Oh, pardon me, I forgot to whom I'm speaking. Bad Guy, did you like your dinner?"

An enthusiastic nod yes and, "Bad Guy wants more."

"Well, if the Bad Guy wants more he needs to ask nicely."

Aghast, he informed me, "No, no, no, no, no, no...BAAAAAAD Guys can't want to say please. Baaaad Guys is bad."

Of course I could not keep myself from laughing at this, but his serious look brought me back to the moment. I'm fine with going along with the game, so I was already dishing up his second portion. How can you argue with a point like that? I set the plate down in front of him, and he made my whole evening.

"It's ok, Momma. I just a-tend [pretend] to be Bad Guy."

Maybe he gets it after all. My Good little Guy. :)