Calling My Bluff

A couple of weeks ago, at the end of a fun, but very exhausting weekend out of town, I learned a lesson...be ready to show your cards when called on a bluff. It went something like this:

The four of us returned home late afternoon. Greg and I unpacked the car, and actually unpacked (something that if ever, rarely, happens). We tend to be the kind that have to take days weeks to unpack. Greg even went a moon-walk size leap further and vacuumed out the car! Needless to say, we were tired. We decided on a very nutritious dinner for the kids (popcorn, deli meat, grapes, cheese), and attempted to get them in bed at a decent, if not slightly early, time.

Greg and I then cleaned up the kitchen from the meal we had just slaved over for the kids, folded laundry and put it up stacked it in laundry baskets (I mean, really, did you think I was that good?!), started another load, and decided to have our dinner on the couch. We had some leftover Costco chicken salad (amazing) and wheat thins. Upon the first crunch of our cracker and us selecting a show to watch, out emerged two children from their respective rooms. "We're hungry" (did I mention that when we did feed them that five star meal, I made sure and asked them eight times if they were full or wanted anything else) were the next words out. This as they are eyeing my dinner.

At first I said what any good parent would say, "No, it's bedtime. You boys need to get in bed, we have an early morning tomorrow and you both are going to be exhausted."

"But I'm starving." followed right after with "yeah, we staaaahhhhving".

Several looks back and forth between Greg and I, all the while the vultures are eyeing my crackers, and I out of my mouth come the words (directed at Greg), "we have some broccoli in the fridge"; then to the boys "you want some broccoli? If you are hungry, you may have broccoli."

Glee spread across my children's face while shock spread across ours.

"Yay! Yay! We want broccoli!"

So, as not to go against my word...

The boys ate an entire head of broccoli, smiling the entire time, and proclaiming their new found love for the vegetable.