Manipulation or hard negotiation?

When Chris and I come home from being gone for a day or two it is always chaos; but a very happy exhausting chaos! It is just so much fun to to be reunited. I had missed their smiles and antics so much. They missed me too I can tell. I also can appreciate things that I might not have otherwise observed. The funniest is that each has their own unique style of getting their way.

Rachel plays your classic "Damsel in Distress". I don't understand how when she never watches cartoons and is in a house with a ton of boys she can still pull this off. Where did she learn this? Anyhow when she wants something she gets her pretty green eyes and puckers the lips and gives you a oh so helpless whine. If I persist and say no she than follows you through out the house continuing her bid or goes to the other person (Miriam or Daddy often suffice) and give them that helpless look along with a "Mommy is so mean look". Something tells me she will get whatever she wants out of her future husband!

Harmon is more like a lawyer in getting his way. He asks politely "Mommy can I please" and if I say no he starts to negotiate. For example:

"Mommy can I please play with my bubbles?"

"No it is lunch time and afterwards you need to take a bath."

"How about bubbles first and than lunch?"

"No, it is time for lunch and than bath time. After your bath you can play?"

"How about lunch, than bubbles, than bath?"

Sometimes he will also pull the "I asked Miriam and she said I could" card when of course he never asked her. It amazes me that a year ago he had barely learned to say Momma and now could probably now negotiate a mob boss out of jail time.

Than finally there is Cally. He is probably the most successful in his art form of negotiation. He is very very cute. He just follows you around smiling with whatever he wants until you will do it for him. He is very patient and will outlast me no matter what. For example he had a book last night he wanted Dad to read. He followed Daddy showing him the book until he would stop and read it. Once Chris read it. He than proceeded to smile and gesture for it again. He got read that book over and over with his sweetness.

Miriam said it best today that watching each of these sweeties: watching them grow up you realize early on how unique and different each is. They are and I love them for their unique talents... even if it means they are being a little sneaky.