negotiations

a girl
Originally uploaded by kim.mama

yesterday, ella and i were playing on our "patio" as we have been most afternoons now that it's nice out. the 2 days prior to that, after lots of fun hide and seeking and spinning and sidewalk chalk and bubbles, she decided to run full tilt down the street away from me. and did not listen when i screamed at her to come back. so. i had to chase her and pick her up (her: laughing her head off) and bring her back and give her a lecture about running away and how if she runs away we're not going to play outside anymore and so on. did that threat faze her? NO. so yesterday, i finally followed thru on the threat and took her back inside. she didn't have a meltdown, which shocked me. but did persist in trying to convince me to go back outside. '

"but mom, i'm yuv outside."
"i know."
"mom, i'm a put my shoes on and go outside."
"no."
"but mom, i'm yuv outside. i'm want go outside."
"too bad. you don't listen to mama and you run away. so no outside."
... ad infinitum

then she went away for a minute alone. then came back and said,
"mom, peas peas go outside? i'm not run away anymore. i'm stay wif mama. peas peas? i'm not run away ANYmore."

so we went out? and you know what? she didn't run away. she stayed put. amazing.