It's a Race

Evan is sometimes a bit competitive.

Last night after I finished reading them their books I noticed that Vivian and Evan were dawdling instead of going to bed. Jo glared at me as if it was my fault (she had cooked dinner and cleared up - which did give her the moral upper hand). So I resorted to lazy parent trick #1 - make it a race. Both kids ran down the hall to be the first one in bed. When I got there, Vivian was clearly in bed while Evan was still grumbling.

Evan: "Vivian says she won"
Me: "Vivian is in bed. You aren't".
Evan: "Vivian - it wasn't a race"
Vivian: "It was"
Evan: "Vivian only says it's a race when she wins"

Evan jumps into bed and quickly covers himself with his blankets. Vivian is still sorting her comforter out.

Evan: "I won"
Vivian: "No you didn't - I was in bed first"
Evan: "No - the race was to see who is covered up first. I won."

This morning I'm in the kitchen fixing them breakfast (salami-omelet breakfast tacos). I hear Evan grumbling in the hallway. "Vivian - it wasn't a race. You only say it's a race when you win."  

Reminds me of what an old sailor on Lake Travis said when we were tying our boats up at the dock. "If you're both sailing in the same direction, it's a race".