When I was, like, 3!

There is nothing cuter than your four year old reminiscing about their early childhood. My little man, Alex, piped into our conversation about rainbows, telling us that, "when I was, like, 3, I saw a rainbow!". How can you not smile at them and think, how adorable!
And as quickly as the cuteness comes, it'll disappear within the very next word out of their mouths. Such as, "mom, you're an idiot!". Okay, that was a short lived moment of pure sweetness . . gone in an instant.
For a month now, my two small children have been egging one another on with these two wonderful words. Stupid and idiot. All stemming from a "children's" movie we watched one evening. The husband turned to his wife and called her a stupid idiot. Why of all phrases, would that one stick? So for a month now, I've been labeled a stupid idiot. When they don't' get what they want, I'm a stupid idiot. When they don't want to go to bed, I'm a stupid idiot. When I make a meal they are not pleased with, I'm a stupid idiot. When we don't go play or go to the park, I'm a stupid idiot.
Try as you may, ignoring it doesn't work. I've tried saying things like, "I may be an idiot, but I still love you". That didn't' work. I tried saying, "I"M AN IDIOT!" and laugh, but that is proving not to work either. I've ignored the comments, I've not given in. But that hasn't worked either. SO what to do? Mom assures me they'll tire of the words. Uh huh....
They seem to know NOT to name call in public, well, the four year old gets it anyway. My sweet little two year old doesn't. SO there is nothing like looking at this sweet, innocent child - and out pops "Your STUPID MOM!!". Imagine my embarrassment.
I get those looks. Those "did she just say what I think I hear her say" looks. Horror!!! Yes, you heard right. Then comes the explanation - the orgin of her infractions. Ugh.
Then somehow, as I'm bringing her to bed at night, she'll look at me with her big brown eyes, squeeze me tight and tell me she loves me. ALL is forgiven. She's returned! My sweet little pumpkin. I'm melted into a puddle of mommy love. Sigh.....
Alex will hold my neck real tight, tells me he loves me and will be asleep within minutes. Again, all is forgiven. How do they do it? How can they turn a frustrated adult into a puddle of mush with just those three little words? It's magic.