The Food Market and Politics

It's sunny now in CA. It's rainy here. Sorry, I had to compare. My kids compare, too and that's when the Food Market begins. They discuss what he got and why, why did she get less, what will I get later and, of course, what will he get if he ate his vegetables. But she LIKES vegetables. So that's not fair. "Fair is a complexion, desired by many, true, yet a skin condition" I want to say to skip the bickering routine once and for all but no, nothing will take my kids' mind off their usual routine. Hey, who am I kidding? It's my routine too. I secretly LOVE the Food Market routine, because at a certain point in time, just after the great disappointment of whomever is not getting dessert or what they WILL get for dessert, a little bit before the usual upset of the end, they start THE FOOD MARKET. "I'll give you this if you'll share your dessert with me" says the little one, she's the brain-in-training. But the older knows better, he knows she'll work her charm and get away with much more than was bargained for and so he calculates his steps carefully. In the end they reach an agreement that would have put experienced politicians to shame, so detailed and full of nuances it is, I feel proud of my strategically conniving kids. So I sit at the dining room table and think of what we should fight about next.