You Can't Fool Me.......
I recognize the techniques that I've used on the children when they start coming back at me. Anybody remember being told that cooperation can be elicited by giving a child choices? Such as don't tell Junior to put on a shirt, ask him, "Do you want to wear your white shirt or your red shirt?" Usually pretty effective.

At bedtime last night, not long after admiring Martha's William Blake tattoo, she snuck up on me with, "I'll have some extra money after babysitting this week-end, can I get my nose pierced or a tattoo?"

I was tired but tried to stay rational. I reminded her of her allergy problems and mentioned that sneezing seventeen times with jewelry in the nose might not be fun. I brought up the fact that I, too, had been thinking about a tattoo, in hopes of making it as appealing my sensible shoes. Then she asked me if there were Church prohibitions against these things, I answered as best I could. She seemed genuinely disappointed that there were no out and out prohibitions against body decoration.......so we lowered the ante on that front. I will not be drawn into a game here. And if it turns into a game, I know I have the wits to win. (I already mentioned that I was thinking of a dotted line on my back, with the words Stab Me Here. She groaned. I didn't disclose that I ripped that idea off of Melvin van Peebles cut here line tattooed on his throat. When I was Martha's age I thought that was soooo cool. I didn't get my own, thank God.)