Defend Me In Battle

If I don't write this down, I'll forget and regret. This has been one of Those Afternoons. And I've only been home two hours. And it's not yet dinnertime. But Cody has been rather a nightmare, and malicious toward his sister. It's killing me, and I have not figured out the best way around and through it, and am afraid this reveals bad character--God forbid he become a bully!--or portends a fractured, distant relationship between them, instead of the love and affection I so hope for (and sometimes do see). Anyway, the two of them were on the couch, and he was relentlessly pulling, pushing, tugging, and generally oppressing her. She finally got fed up and bit him--hard. He started screaming (understandably). Once we got everyone calm and gave them a break from each other, we had what I'm sure was a yet another completely ineffective conversation about actions and consequences. I suggested Cody play quietly in the playroom for awhile, which he did. About a minute later, she followed him in. He bravely said, "Hello Cordelia. I am playing in here. You may come in too..." and then, under his breath, I heard him mutter, "Saint Michael the Archangel, defend me in battle."

I kid you not. And it gets better, because a few minutes later, she threw a matchbox car. Just to see what I would do. I sternly reminded her that we don't throw toys. Cody looked at me appraisingly, then picked up another car and chucked it across the room. I gave him The Look and before I could say anything, he said, "Cordelia set a bad example for me. She is the snares of the devil."

I have no further comment, because I am actually speechless.

May God rebuke him, I humbly pray. But what do I do about all this?