She REALLY Knows How to Work Me.

Never put it past a two and a half year old to know how to work her parents. Never. I wonder what new things my little Smiles will come up with because he is going to have it hard after his sister.

Bedtime has been a bit hard lately. I am not exactly sure what prompted this escalation of night time drudgery, but something tells me it might be related to all this learning to "assert her own will" stuff. My girl is still pretty good, but MAN does she have a mouth right now.

Tonight I was putting her into bed and had Smiles with us since Daddy had to work. She was of course wanting me to hold her and sing to her long after we had started. I gave her a cut off point and when it was reached, I left the room. She knows I am not as much of a softie as Dad, so she wouldn't be getting me back in the room with requests for more water and whatnot. After some trying with the normal cries I finally hear her bring out the big guns.

"Mmmmmommmmy! I. WANT. TO. PRAY!" followed by a slight pause for effect, and also checking to see if she could hear me on my way. Then she would try again with the same sentence with each word chopped up with emphasis.

I knew she had got me. I knew I was toast. I called my mom's house to see what her opinion was. I had forgotten to pray with her tonight, if I hadn't I would have just told her that she could pray on her own...but I hadn't done it. Did I want to stick to my word on not going back in, or would I place praying above that promise? Jesus is a pretty important guy after all.

I caved. How can you deny a sweet little child the gift of praying with them. She knows how to work her Mommy. Now if only I can never forget to pray with her again we will be set.