That's why you need a mommy

Today Arthur said to me, out of the blue, "Mommy, I wish you were dead forever so that I could stand up in my seat."  (He later indicated that he wanted me to die so that he could "play guns" and "do everything by himself.")

As soon as Arthur said this, Beatrice immediately burst into tears and started crying.

(I know this makes Arthur sound so mean, but he didn't mean it, he's just fantasizing about his independence and doesn't really know what being dead means.)

Then a long conversation followed between the two of them, too much for me to get down as it was happening, but here are some highlights:

Beatrice: If Mommy was gone you would forget what's wrong and right! After a long, long time you would probably start stealing! That's why you need a mommy!

Arthur: It's fun not to have a mother, you can do everything yourself.
Beatrice: But you will forget how to be good! I can't remind you because I might forget too!

Summer: If I were gone, who would take care of you?
Arthur: Beatrice.
Beatrice: I can't do it! I am not good at that many things! I'm not tall enough to reach! My hands are too small to wear the cooking gloves [potholders]!

Summer, to Arthur: What if you fell down? Who would help you?
Arthur: Beatrice.
Beatrice: What if we both fell down at the same time?!

Summer, to Arthur: How would you buy things?
Arthur: We could use Bebe's money [her allowance].
Beatrice: Arthur, I can't open the jars! [Her allowance is stored in a set of three mason jars.]

Poor Beatrice was getting more and more panicked at the prospect of having to care for Arthur alone. Amusingly, neither child ever mentioned Dev or any other family member like a grandparent or aunt.  The assumption was that if I died, they would either live entirely alone or - and this was Beatrice's plan - they would find a couple "who couldn't have children" willing to take them in.

It's also funny that Beatrice and Arthur both consider the mother the seat of all moral judgments.  Recently we were in Target, where I had told Arthur to keep his hands to himself and not grab items on the shelves.  He listened to me, but then we passed another child grabbing things off the shelves.  He turned to me, scandalized, and said, "That girl is grabbing! She doesn't have a mommy or a daddy!"