Anyone up for Checkers???

You can skip this first section until the bigger type below.  This is just for my record.

So, as our potty-training saga continues, the bribes (yes, at times, I am a bribing parent) have become a little more substantial.  M & Ms evolved into chocolate raisins, which have since been accompanied by "special outings."  

Sadie would go a few days and have NO accidents at all!  In fact at 4:30 the other morning, I heard someone going into the bathroom and it was Sadie.  She got up in the middle of the night and went potty all by herself!  (But, even at 4:30 in the morning, she remembers to collect on her goods and I had to get her a chocolate raisin.)  

Then, there were those other, all too frequent, bad days.  So, I've been collaborating with friends, family, and even our sitter and Brian and I decided that stubborn Sadie was going to make sure this was worth her time!  So, among other "treats", Sadie knows that if she goes an ENTIRE day at the sitter with NO accidents, she can go out for a treat.  And, like any other kid, she picked McDonald's.  Yippeee.

Now that you have a little background to the story (actually, it's more for my record):

Our McDonald's is only a couple of years old so it's also got a little area with touch-screen computers to play simple games like Sudoku, and, you guessed it, Checkers.  

Knowing Morgan's intellectual capabilities, but also knowing she's only 4, I thought I'd see if she could understand the game of Checkers.  She loved it!  We only had time for one game, but by the end, she was laughing hysterically every time she jumped me.  And, because she caught on so well, I had no qualms about beating her by one move!  Call me ruthless...

This afternoon, during nap/quiet time, after our reading, Morgan asked if she could watch a movie.  

As she was looking in the cabinet for a movie, she said, "I changed my mind.  Since you and I are both so good at checkers, we should play that instead."  (I'm not exaggerating--those were her actual words!)  

And, so we played.  And, when I made a good move (or set her up for a good move--I can be a nice mom!), she said, "Great move! You're amazing!"  (once again, her actual words).  

Over dinner tonight, Brian asked if he could teach her chess.  It looks like I'm being outsmarted by a 4 year old...