Pancakes for Peace

Sierra has been invited to a birthday party this coming Friday night at Chuck E. Cheese.  Jeremiah is not invited.  Why would he want to be invited?  The party is for a little girl and the theme of her life is Princesses.  This party will be a bunch of Princesses at Chuck E. Cheese.  Since I've never stepped foot inside a Chuck E. Cheese I am only able to imagine what that will be like, but I'm pretty sure Jeremiah would not want to wear a tiara to gain admission to the party. I could be wrong, though.

This morning when Jeremiah woke up, he did his usual routine.  He laid in bed and hollered MOM!! Can you scratch my back!?  followed by a long silent pause, then an impatient sigh followed by PLLEEASSSE?

During the obligatory morning back scratching, I asked him what he wanted to do on Friday night while Sierra is at the party. 

Big mistake.  He was mad as a wet hen that Sierra would be going to Chuck E. Cheese and he would be stuck doing....anything with his mom. 

Some significant baiting of his sister followed, bad words were used, consequences for not being nice to your sister were listed.  Then it was time for breakfast.

Both kids wanted pancakes.  I made 3 pancakes, but here is what happened to the first one.

The house became quite, um, smoky, and both kids lobbied forcefully that they should NOT be required to eat in the smoky kitchen.  I resisted, noticing that as the discussion went on, they were not arguing with each other, but with me instead.   United We Stand! they seemed to be saying.  Divided we have to eat in the smoky kitchen!  United we can watch TV upstairs during breakfast on a school day!

So, united it was.  Such a simple thing.  Why don't any of the parenting books tell us that by burning a pancake we can start the movement for World Peace Right in Our Very Own Kitchens!