I grabbed his hand and held it down at his side and explained very calmly (but sternly) why it is never a good idea to hit your mother. I think I might have even uttered the ever-dorky phrase of "that is unacceptable behavior", that was so lovingly pattented by my best friend Missy. He cried, we headed upstairs and he forgot about it in about 2 seconds after we started reading books before nap time and he began pointing out the lizard in the book and sticking his tongue in and out and laughing about it. Oh to be a child and be so jekyll and hydish.

As a side note, later that day, I was slapped again for taking away an ink cartridge in the store so that we could pay for it. What a mean mother! I think this is a sign of things to come... -- mam