Along with my Christmas angels, is an old portrait of my boys in an antique wagon.  Gone are the days when they could sit together like that like the best of buddies.  Now it is a constant war of words, neither being able to finish a sentence without the other one contesting whatever is said…mind you they both know bupkes about any given topic.  When I interject a common sense approach like “Considering neither of you were actually present during any battle of World War II, you can’t say that “I know” what I’m talking about, and ‘Battlefield 2’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’ will never make you an expert”  both boys roll their eyes like I’m the biggest imbecile they’ve ever seen.  All their lives I’ve made it very clear how much I despise violence and any kind of firearm.  I’ve never allowed guns in the house, except Steve’s hunting rifle.  I kept low-key about it, so if they used sticks to fight battles outside, or made one out of legos in the house I never made a fuss, except to make it clear that violence is not the best way to solve problems.  Of course they’re both obsessed with war video games and the military channel.  Every Christmas we have this same battle…they ask for “mature” video games with mostly a war-type theme, and or airsoft guns (which are really modern-day bb guns that use plastic instead of metal)…and I say no, especially given the nature of this season…you know Saviour of the World…Season of light, good will toward all, etc.  I know their frontal lobes aren’t firing properly, I know the teenage brain….seriously this was my forte for years.  But this year, when my youngest literally followed me around the house with a picture of this “gun” he wanted all day long until I exploded and rued the day I was born, I cracked.  Of course all my drama just affirmed to him why I’m the crazy one in the house.  But really, a person can only stand so much insanity.  It is times like these where having a high aptitude for common sense has become my Achilles heal.