The Negotiator

I’m in the dining room folding clothes while listening to the boys play in the family room. I hear them arguing about playing with the same toy, they try to get me involved – but I tell them to work it out, “has nothin’ to do with me…” I tell them. So here go the negotiations:

“Mikie, you can have it in a little while… Mom, how long is a little while?”

I reply, “as long as you want it to be.”

Jack then turns to Mikie and says “it’ll be a little while, 42 minutes.”

You can imagine Mikie didn’t like that idea. So they go back to countering. Mikie says, “how about it’s mine in 2 minutes?”

“Nope, 6 minutes,” replies Jack. “How about we do eeny meany miny moe Mike?” (I must tell you, Jack ALWAYS wins at eeny meany). So of course he picks himself and tells Mikie, “6 more minutes Mikie.”

Now here I sit telling you this while Mikie is hysterical sitting here next to me in the office taking a break. He’s crying and saying “I don’t get a turn!” Naptime anyone?