My original intention was to give Max some incentive to start using the toilet, only because he seems more disinterested in it now than he was six months ago. He is intimidated by the word "toilet" these days, so I might be doomed. The toilet has transformed from a miniature swimming pool to a torture device in a matter of months! So. I designed a sticker chart for him, without even thinking about the fact that Lyla would want one as well. <- Dur. Maxwell was really pumped about the idea because I told him if he filled up his chart I would take him to the toy store, however he has yet to earn any stickers. He isn't understanding the long-term reward concept. And the instant gratification of a sticker isn't good enough. Ha. Lyla, on the other hand, understands the concept quite well. She has earned three stickers on her self-invented chart and I'm unsure how it even happened. She is a manipulative little devil. Let me explain...
She heard about Max's chart and was eager to start her own, but I couldn't think of any ideas that were worthy of earning stickers. I finally told her I would only agree to a sticker chart that earned her a sticker each time she slept in her own bed through the entire night. She usually comes to our bed early in the morning, which I actually enjoy the snuggle time but admittedly wake up feeling better about life without a Lyla foot in my face at 6AM. It can make that last hour before I have to rise a little rough. Anyway, she agreed to those terms but immediately changed her mind the following morning. She claimed it would be too difficult to sleep in her own bed all the way until the sun comes up. I told her that was the point, yet she continued to follow me around all morning while talking, brainstorming of other ideas for her chart. Meanwhile, Max still has yet to use his --- the whole reason for the dumb chart in the first place! Then she came up with this wild idea that she would earn a sticker in the event I ask her to do something and her immediate response is "okay mommy". The first thing I did was laugh and the second thing I did was tell her heck no. I explained that her response to me asking her to do something should always be agreeable and that her attempt to arrange this little deal proves that she already knows that. She proceeded to convince me in her own words, really, that this would make my life so much easier because her saying "okay mommy" ultimately results in less arguing with a three year old. I refused to agree to her shenanigans, yet she assumed to believe that she was now earning stickers for complying with her mother's most simple requests. I guess I should have been more clear about my answer being "no" but I'm pretty sure I just kept laughing at her.
Later that day we were in the kitchen and I noticed as she wandered over to the ice machine attached to the fridge. It's usually Max's job to cause havok when it comes to the ice/water dispenser, plus I know Lyla is well aware that it is broken anyway. I watched her hand move towards the button, with an obvious smirk on her face, she said, "Can I push this ice button?" I gave her a puzzled look followed by a simple, "No". And as she responded with a quick, joyful, agreeable, "Okay mommy!", I knew exactly what she was up to. She caught my smile and tossed her hands up in the air while saying, "Oh my gosh! I just got a sticker!" She proceeded to find the sheet of stickers and apply one to her chart. We both laughed at her antics as I explained, once again, that I had still not agreed to the terms of her made up sticker chart.
Anyway, I thought this entire exchange was hilarious. I couldn't believe she had the mind power to stage that whole thing. It boggles my mind how smart she is sometimes, too smart for her own good. She has already mastered the art of manipulation. Thinking back, today was a funny day overall. Lyla and Max have been playing really well together lately. Max idolizes her, basically kneels and obeys to her every command. I was listening to them play house and Max had to bounce back between the "dad" and "boyfriend" several times before the game concluded. They were both cruising around the house with baby dolls secured tightly in their arms, Lyla doing most the talking. I'm not sure where these plots are coming from, but Lyla has been on a roll. Anyway, back on track. Today after a long session of the siblings playing pretend together, Lyla looked at Max and confessed that she was going to take a bath without him. Max instantly expressed disappointment because they always bathe together. Lyla took a big sigh as she explained to Max that she wanted to take a relaxing bath. Then she looked at him and said, "Do you know what a relaxing bath is?" Before he even had a chance to answer, she told him, "It's an alone bath." She was sweet to him and even called him "little buddy" when she broke the news, but it's no surprise that Max didn't take it well. Poor fella.
My last Lyla story of the day comes as I was putting her to bed. We already shared our goodnight session together, but I re-entered her bedroom for one more goodnight after putting Max to bed. Kirk was still in her room and I crawled onto the opposite side of her bed. Lyla looked right at me and said, "Mom, I really love you but can you go away?" What the heck!!!! I laughed some more at this ridiculous adult-child I've been given and left the room with an [Ace Ventura Voice] "alriiiighty then." She started yelling my name a few minutes after finishing her alone time with dad. She had to go potty, of course. I escorted her to the bathroom to take care of business and waited outside. I had been waiting for quite awhile, so I went ahead and opened the door. She was still sitting there, with that same little smirk on her face, and said, "Umm excuse me! I'm using the potty." The polite thing would have been to knock, obviously. Hint: She didn't go potty at all. She is a weasel. Ha. She has been cracking me up lately. I'm in trouble with this one!
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