The Bribe Report

When we got in the car to take Addie back to Missouri, I told her that I had a “challenge” for her. She loves doing challenges. I explained it – she could not say:

• How much longer?
• How long til we get there?
• Are we almost there yet?

I told her I would update her from time to time on how much longer we had in the car and that any time she asked me, she had to give me $1 back. At the end of the trip, she got to keep whatever money was remaining in her possession.

She did so good! She only lost $1 (and I gave it back to her at the end of the trip).

She had fallen asleep and slept for about an hour. She woke up and before she remembered the challenge, she said “Are we almost there yet?” so I stuck my hand in the back seat and said “Give me $1.” I felt bad since she was just waking up and wasn’t remembering our challenge and I explained to her that was the reason I was giving the dollar back – she wasn’t still sleeping and not thinking correctly. You can bet she’ll use that excuse again.

Towards the end of the trip . . about Tulsa, she got to where she would say “Are we in Joplin?”. The first time, I said “It’s 2 hours til Joplin” but then I realized she was asking how much farther in a roundabout way. I didn’t say anything about it but when she’d say “Is this Joplin?”, I’d say “What did you see that makes you think this is Joplin?” and when she realized I was beating her at her own game, she stopped that little trick.

When we started home yesterday, I told Vince “I’m going to miss her so much!” He said “She does grow on you!” I think that’s his way of saying he’s going to miss her too.

Last night when he locked the doors, he said “No more midnight trips to the sewing room!” because every night just about the time we’d fall asleep, she’d remember something she left in the sewing room and we’d have to make a trip over there in the dark.

She’s a funny girl.