The Contest

Picture it.
5am I am putting the tea pot on the stove.
I turn around and here comes Jbug in her long Jon Jammie's with her hand in her pants scratching her butt and yawning at the same time.

Now anybody that knows Jaden well, knows that when she wakes up in the morning she has the look of a 20 year old after an all night er...the "don't talk to me for at least five minutes" look.
I continue to get my mug ready with honey, and as I do I hear" hey mom where is your coffee?"
Normally I am making coffee in the morning but I have been fighting a soar throat and cold so I am making tea.
"Oh I am making tea to make my throat feel better bug."
Jaden just stands there in all her morning glory and looks at me.
I say " what do you need bug? you hungry yet?"
"No. I just don't understand all of this tea mom."
After i laugh, she gives the "hey don't laugh at me" look.
So I stop laughing as she walks away to her toy basket and plops down in front of.
She starts pulling out toys and looks at them....I can almost read her thoughts"boring toys".
She begins pulling all the toys out one at a time and tossing them behind her in reckless abandon when I come in the living room and say" dude what are you doing? Your making a huge mess over here bug."
She looks around at the scattered toys and shrugs her shoulders.

Background story:
Jaden and I have been reading a story at bedtime about a little girl named Francis who has a hard time going to sleep at night because of all the noises animals make at night. Her father explains to her that its a crickets job to chirp at night and that its the winds job blow the branches on the trees etc. So now whenever I ask Jaden to do something she replies " yep that's my job, huh mom?"And whenever I do something "its your job momma" Normally its my job to make coffee in the morning and its her job to eat her breakfast in the morning.

Back to the story:

I stand there in the living room looking at Jaden, who is now standing up with hands firmly on hips and looking at me. (Super Grump)
"Pick up some of these toys please" I say as I hold my tea.
"I'm not going to work today mom" she says and walks off to our room, closes the door and gets back into bed.
I go into our room, pull the covers off of sleeping beauty and say "hey, its time to get up. I want you to pick up some of those toys too." And I walk back to the kitchen to get her breakfast ready.
I turn around and there she is again.
Hands on hips.Long Jon Jammie's. Messy hair. Eyebrows slightly angry.

I say" Jaden are going to pick up your mess or not?"
She replies" I told you mom, I am not doing my job today!"
"Jaden, pick up your toys." I say.
"mom, make coffee and then I will pick up my toys."
"Excuse me?" I say.
" When you do your job I will do mine."

Then we stand there, starring at one another.
We are now heavily engaged in what has become a routine in our household when small issues become big issues for no reason, and we both know the only way to resolve them is by shrugging it off....the starring contest.
Jaden makes the same face I do when I try not to laugh so its hard not laugh. Shes good though,tiny hands on tiny hips is funny stuff.
Finally she breaks, and walks away to pick up her toys while laughing.
I won. I won. Thank God.
It is one of the hardest things as a parent, to discipline your kid when they are being funny. She was being defiant, but funny and it was tough.
The starring contest seems to be a happy medium for us though.
I won.

Mommy 1,152 wins
Jaden 7 wins