Do you ever have one of those mornings when everyone wakes up late and grumpy because we all stayed up too late watching basketball and no one bothered with the dishes or baths?
Then everyone is slow to the breakfast table. Sisters snap at each other. Parents direct and redirect and threaten. It’s not pretty. It’s not our best selves. Family and cooperation can be tough stuff, even when love fills your house.
But then, just as you’re combing the last pigtail and reminding everyone to brush their teeth for the twelfth time, a Piper gives you a kiss on the cheek and breaks through the whole morning rush with this:
“Mom, let’s make a deal. I’ll stop using my whiney voice and you stop using your angry voice. How about it? Deal?”
Deal.
piperism 
good deal!
Great deal! And I didn’t even have to point out how much she was whining. On second thought, I probably was aware of my angry voice, too. These kids make you honest, don’t they?
Can she come to our house after Spring Break? I think we could use some Piperisms in our morning routine!
We rent Piper and her wisdom out by the hour. I’ll send her your way. You’ll have to accept her propensity for stitches and strep throat, too, but it’ll make you braver and stronger in the end. And I promise she’ll make you laugh. A lot.
Um, can I still use my whiny + angry voice because my bracket just tanked and I hate everything?