They are getting smarter

In general, I'm able to see a few steps ahead of the boys.  Molly has been a mystery for a while.  But, I have generally always been able to outwit my sons.  Until this morning.

Mitzi is coming to visit.  Which means I get the delusion that we can make the house presentable for a guest.  Which means I makes lists of chores to do.  Which means my children run and hide.

Once I smoked them out, I asked them to do a few minor things.  Dom, my firstborn, the son I loved so much that I welcomed three more children knowing all would be wonderful, looked me in the eyes and told me: "No".  Now, because I had already had coffee with a little irish cream, my initial reaction was not to tear his head off.  Instead, I looked at him and said: "Do it" in that way that he knew that my second reaction would quite likely be to tear his head off.  He headed off to his task, but I couldn't just leave well enough alone.  Instead, I doubled down and said, "You know what?  Every time you tell me "no", I'm going to just say "no" to the next thing you ask for". I know, I'm a genius.  This little plan was fool proof.  Or so I thought.  Dom gets a little smile on his face and asks if he can play the Wii.  Something I would never let them do in the morning under normal circumstances.  I believe he saw the fear in my eyes because then he doubled down and asked if he could have candy.  Will is in on it at this point.  Asking for the moon and explaining that I had said I would say 'No' to their next requests...but, now they are in the clear. 

I amend my original threat to saying no to requests that I would normally say 'yes' to.  Ha Ha! I have won!...wrong.  Dom immediately asks to work on the Kahn Academy website.  Will is asking to unload the dishwasher...(which had already been done)

Time to up my Irish Cream in the coffee....