"ZOO PAL" Wars

Nevermind suicide bombings half way around the world and that people are giving their LIVES in a struggle to fight for normalcy in their daily existence. My girls' wars are so infuriatingly banal that I have to ask myself... How is it that they are missing the BIG PICTURE HERE? I will be serving them dessert, and if dishes are done-- often on ZOO PAL plates! http://www.amazon.com/Hefty-Pals-Plates-Case-Pack/dp/B000E0FZR4/sr=8-12/qid=1158080701/ref=sr_1_12/102-1113390-9295342?ie=UTF8&s=hi FUN, right???? Or if I don't feel like DOING dishes and, as is often the case, we are having a dipping condiment meal--that requires ketchup,or syrup. (Okay... so I'm not a big fan of doing dishes... I admit it...busted.)

There is no rhyme or reason why one night the whale is what they fight over... or another night it's the cat (it's a tiger MOM!). okay, the tiger. They grasp onto whatever is currently relatable in their pretend play and THAT is what determines "it" status. "Mommy, I wanted the crab!) (Oh, did we just watch Spongebob?? So now it's Mister Krabs???) Or, it ends up going something like this: "Mooooommm, I wanted the *insert random animal* because we were just playing *insert random make-believe game*!!! It's not faaaaaaaaaiiiiir!!!!". *sigh*

Well, It may not work internationally for politics... but in MY house. Everyone gets the SAME ZOO PAL now. So much for choice. I pick the next two that come in pair and voila... that's what you get. I don't know if there is a exact parallel in political science... but coming from a fairly liberal mom... I'm a bit ashamed to say that these innocent, goofey smiley paper plates with the dipping sauce ears have driven me from a Montessori concept-loving, free-spirited nurturing mom to a bit of a dictactor.

I'll pass on the cigars though.