Sticking to Plans

So, my niece has a play tonight, and we've been planning on going all.week. I started getting sick last night and really don't feel well, but we had to go to the store this morning so I don't have to brave the Turkey Day crowds next week. We stopped at Sonic on our way home from the store and I got her her own food plus a large fry to share. When I laid down for a nap with the baby, my instructions to kiddo were simple: Clean up the stairs (because she'd made a HUGE mess on them and we have someone coming to clean carpets on Monday), don't read (because she would rather read than do anything), save some fries for when your brother gets up, and don't wake me up. I told her that her cooperation now would help me feel better later so we could go to the play.

She didn't clean. She read. She ate all the fries. And she woke me up 3 times.

Then she got mad when she got in trouble and was told to clean anyway. I finally told her we were no longer going to the play because she wore me out and didn't mind, and she growled, "YES.WE.ARE." Um, no.

I carefully explained that she had already made the choices not to mind and woke me up and that I was not up to going since we'd been arguing and she'd made that choice.

She started whining and crying and said, "This is why I think you HATE me! I'm so stupid!" I told her to quit trying to manipulate me into taking her because it wasn't going to work. She tried a different tactic. "I haven't seen my cousins in FOREVER!" "Then you should have thought about that instead of making the other choices and not minding me."

This went on for about 5 minutes, and she finally "got" that I wasn't going to cave. Then she asked, "Can I earn it back?" "I don't know if you can or not. You're still not minding me."

At least she's doing her chores now.