Referee

"Mom!" Jack shouts in that special voice that tells me tattling is about to follow.

"Yes, baby," I respond, a bit distractedly as I am busy plating mac & cheese, green beans and fruit assembly line style.

"Sam has Will's baby."

I look down to see Sam gazing at me with big innocent eyes, a green blanket sporting a frog's head draped over one shoulder. Their grandma got each of the trips an identical lovey frog before they even made it home from the hospital.

"Thank you for telling me honey. But that is actually Sam's baby. Will left his in his bed."

I smile down at Sam with a look that at once conveys how much I love him and also assures him that I will always do my best to pay attention to what is going on and treat every one of my children fairly in situations like these. He smiles sweetly back at me before raising the frog over his head and shouting, "Will...I got you baby!"

Sam sprints down the hall. Will hot on his heels. I can hear Sam laughing until he loses his breath when Will pounces on him. Ignoring the wrestling match that somehow now involves not two but four bodies, I turn back to their almost prepared dinner and decide to focus on keeping them fed. They can arbitrate their own disputes from here on in.