How to Get Alex to Agree to Anything

First, promise him Macaroni and Cheese. Then, produce a computer game.

I took him to the Marriott Lincolnshire yesterday afternoon. The plan was to have dinner and stay at the hotel, then see Aladdin at the children's theatre in the morning.

It was already dark and freaking cold when we arrived. We get to the room and I say:

"We can order room service and watch football right here. Or we can go downstairs to the bar."

He wanted to go to the bar. Nice.

We watched the Vikings go down. And the Eagles. Then we went up to the room and I loaded the game. Dora the Explorer and the Backpack Adventure. I am still amazed by the way this child - not yet four - totally gets the computer. What this picture does not show is the Giants/Panthers game on the television. He insisted on both.

Then we had some Charlie Brown Christmas and he went to bed with little fuss.

Aladdin was not so successful. He freaked out and we had to leave. Back at his house, I asked what the problem was. The loud? The dark? The people?

The people. He doesn't like actors.