We've got a winner!

I've become one of those moms who encourages good behavior with not-so-veiled threats about Santa and the presents he may or may not bring for one sassy little girl. However, as we have learned again and again, it's never quite as easy as it would seem when we are dealing with this one. I started with threatening no presents. She asked "Will you and Daddy and Claire get presents?" I said, "Yep, but none for you if you keep up that sass talk." "Well I'll just play with your presents then." Touche'.

Next we went on to lumps of coal. I had to explain the concept since she didn't previously have any reason to know what a lump of coal was. I told her they were black rocks. Mistake number 1 as she LOVES rocks and has several "sparkly" ones her Dad got her in New Mexico. "Oh, I LOVE rocks Mommy." I said "These aren't sparkly rocks, they're just black, plain rocks." "I love rocks, I can't wait to get flumpsofcoal for Christmas!" (yes that begins with an "f" and is all one word). Hmm.

Now a little side track here, Bud gets ear infections pretty much every month. It's a Lab thing. And when he gets them, his ear STINKS. I mean you can smell it 5 feet away and it is just terrible. I've always made little comments about it, just b/c I can't hold it in when he walks by, I must tell him "Bud, your ear stinks." I've never really discussed it with K though. So last week she randomly comes up to me and goes "Mommy, would you PLEASE wash Bud's ear, it really stinks." I laughed pretty hard at that and told Scott about it later that day.

Back to this weekend and yet another sass-laden line of commentary from K to her Daddy. And then Daddy pulls out the big guns. "Kaitlin, Santa is listening right now and if you keep up that sass talk, then all you're gonna get for Christmas is a stinky Bud ear." Tears ensue. "No, no, no neeevvverrrrr!!!" We have a winner!