Slippery Negotiations

Katie and Andy traditionally get a common bath each night after dinner. It's usually my prestegious responsibility to wash the kids. I do enjoy this job, even though I am usually tired, the conversations that tranpsire are quite entertaining. They can span from songs to stories to pretending to, well you name it.

Tonight as I was giving Andrew his evening mohawk, Katie begin to 'negotiate' about her upcoming bedtime...

Katie: "Daddy, I'm staying up late-ly tonight. I was a good girl today, I ate all my dinner and I had a long nap."

Steve: "Late-ly? What time is that?"

Katie: "Ummmm, I'm staying up late-ly, till 4:30."

Steve: "OK, sounds good. Well, it's well past 4:30 now, we need to get you to bed!"

Katie: *emphatically* "No! I mean, 7:30! I'm staying up until 7:30. So I can play Dora Chutes and Ladders and color with markers after Andrew goes to bed."

Steve: "OK, that sounds good."

Katie: "Is it past-well 7:30?"

Steve: "Not yet, 7:30 is your normal bedtime. It's coming up."

Katie: "OK, then Im going to stay up until 7."

Steve: "OK then. If you insist."

Katie: "And Andrew is going to bed at 4:30. No Andrew can stay up until 4. You are going to bed at 4 OK Andrew?"

Andrew: *bold and loud* NO TA-TEE!

Katie: "Yes Andrew, you need to get sleep. Your veeeerrry tired."

Andrew: -- pause -- I tire daddy. I ti-er.


Yes, she is indeed a shrewd negoiator. And also clearly looking out for the well-being of her brother at all times. I guess we need to spend a litte more time working on telling time! Off to play some Chutes and Ladders now, wish me luck... she usually kicks my butt.


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UPDATE
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Well, Katie now 3-0 against me at Chutes and Ladders. Darn those chutes! She must be cheating. Actually, she is quite sportsmanlike about the whole thing. After each game, she tries to talk me into playing another...

Steve: "You win again!"

Katie: "Yay! I winned!"

Steve: "Wow, you're really good at this."

Katie: "Thanks daddy. Let's play again, this time you can win."

Steve: "I don't know Katie, I think you are unbeatable."

Katie: "We can play again, and you can win this time Daddy. I'll let you."


Sweet. My daughter is willing to let me win at Chutes and Ladders. I feel so manly! I worry that this is just the first of many competitive experiences where my kids are going to have to slow-down for me in order to keep things fun...