Tales from the grocery cart

This episode might be my favorite so far. I am not sure how it will translate in text but here goes ...

Monday I took Vivian and Pip to the grocery store early morning. It was quiet, not many people. We grabbed a car cart, where Viv and Pip sit down in the front. I can't really see them when I push it, but they both honk away and chatter. All of a sudden Pip starts yelling that Vivian is hitting him. I ignore it briefly but he's getting frantic. I stop pushing and walk around to the side and peak in. Sure enough, Vivian is hauling off and slapping Pip on the head. Over and over. Huge smile on her face.

Amidst shrieks of delight from Vivian and anger from Pip, I tell Pip he's going to have to get out. "No! Vivian should get out". I try to explain that Vivian can't really be trusted to follow me in the store and there's no other place to put her. Pip is getting more angry. So then I advise Pip to try using his words. "Tell Vivian she needs to stop hitting you or you are going to have to get out" ... all this while she is beating him.

For some reason this makes sense to Pip. So he bravely turns towards her, facing the continuing assault, and explains calmly that if she does not stop hitting him he will have to get out. This is what ensued:

Vivian: laughing ... Whack!
Pip: "ok Vivian, then I will have to get out" ... gets out of the cart.
I attempt to walk forward two paces
Pip: "Wait Mom! Vivian, I am going to get back in the cart now, but if you hit me I will have to get out again." Pip has started to laugh and gets back into the cart
Vivian: laughing ... Whack!
Pip: "ok Vivian, then I will have to get out" ... gets out of the cart.
I attempt to walk forward two paces but realizes this has now morphed into a game
Pip: "I am getting back in now" ... gets into the cart
Vivian: laughing hysterically ... Whack in the head!
Pip: "No, no Vivian, it's not ok to hit me. Now I will have to get out of the cart" ... gets out of the cart
I succeed in moving forward 2 spaces
Pip: "Ok, Vivian, here I come, but remember if you hit me I will have to get out of the cart ..."
Vivian: Whack!

You get the picture. This continued about twenty times with both Pip and Vivian laughing into hysterics.