The Mad Cycle

So this morning there is all kinds of commotion and yelling coming from the basement. Daughter #1 comes stomping up the stairs and starts unloading the dishwasher, angrily tossing dishes in their assigned places. I ask her "What's wrong?". She yells back at me "Why don't you ask Tansley?" and continues slamming doors and tossing dishes. Later after Daughter #1 has left for school with Daughter #3, Daughter #2 comes up stairs all scowly and not yet dressed for school. I ask her "What was going on down there this morning?" to which she responds in an angry voice "I don't know. All I know is that Kathryn was mad". "So why was Kathryn mad?" I inquire. "I DON'T KNOW!" she yells back. In an effort to figure out the cause of all the crankiness I venture to ask "So why are you mad?". "Because Kathryn was mad.""OK, let me get this straight. Kathryn is mad but tells me to ask you why she is mad. I ask you, but you don't know, but you are mad because Kathryn is mad."

Of course, I should have figured that all out on my own, it's all so logical. Daughter #1 is mad because Daughter #2 is mad at Daughter #1 being mad at Daughter #2. Makes perfect sense.