"That Girl's Got A Future In Politics!"

The last couple of days have been rough for this one. It started on Monday when we found out from her piano teacher that she wasn't practicing all of her songs like she said she was. You see, I don't play the piano and so don't recognize what she's doing - it all sounds the same to me. So she had extra chores because of her dishonesty. Then she came home from school Thursday and Jeff noticed that her backpack was overflowing with papers so he decided to help her clean them out. She often tells me that she has completed it on the school bus. I usually am pretty good at keeping tight tabs on her school work but have laxed off for the last month or so because I figured she was becoming responsible enough to take care of it. Silly me. She had 24 homework assignments that were either not done or that she HAD done but hadn't turned in. WHAT?!?!??? She's been lying to me??? My sweet little girl???
We had to figure out some kind of punishment for her that was appropriate for her age. She's too old to spank and this was more serious than having a nose on the wall or being sent to her room. SO we decided that she lost some privileges...one of which was TV. Well, it's been awhile since Jeff and I went on a date so we got a sitter and put our kids in her care. Before we hit the road, however, we explained to the sitter that Emma needed to complete her homework, practice her piano and that she also could not watch TV with everyone else later on. Add to the fact that the kids also were denied dessert for not finishing their dinner and we've got some very grumpy kids. (Sorry babysitter!)
We got home and Nicole told us the following about her stretch at the Wixom Zoo:
-Emma completed her homework and asked for a snack/dessert. She then told Nicole that they ALWAYS get dessert, no matter what. (Uh-huh. Sure.)
-The piano magically got locked somehow and so Emma couldn't practice her piano! No, she didn't know where the key was so she'd just have to wait until tomorrow when Mom & Dad were home to unlock it for her. (Poor baby! I know she was feeling pretty bummed about that one.) FYI - she knows where the keys are. They're in the same place they've been in for the last year and a half. Maybe she had a sudden case of amnesia?
-Mom and Dad won't mind if she watches a little bit of TV just while there was a sitter there. She was boooorrrrreeeedddddd!!!! No one was playing with her! She started by crying and throwing a tantrum to get her way. Then, when she saw that the crocodile tears weren't working, (this is the good part) she came out of her room with a dollar bill and told Nicole that she'd give it to her if she was allowed to watch the tube.
So, watch out, my friends. She's figuring out negotiation skills early in her life and is a grand master at changing tactics mid-stride. With those mad skills one day she may very well be some one's senator, governor or even the president of the United States!