Keeping it Real

Well, the kids are no longer undefeated, Parents have scored one.  We do have a long ways to go to catch up, but it's always nice to even the score a little.  While I am a slightly biased reporter, events transpired somewhere along these lines.
Ella and Madeline were playing with Gabby, who always makes them second guess the validity of their parents requests.  After several failed attempts to have them come inside for bedtime, Ryan decided to have a sit down talk with Madeline and Ella.  Now, Bethany (my younger sister) has some experience with Ryan's sit down talks- and she confessed to mom and dad that she would much prefer to have mom and dad yell at her than one of Ryan's sit down talks.  When we worked with birthmothers who would milk you for everything, we would sometimes intervene with what we called a "Come to Jesus" talk.  Ella had a Come to Jesus talk last night.
Miraculously, she was too tired to talk when she finally got in from playing with Gabby.  After the whining, rolled eyes, rebellious looks, and why's, we finally had a good conversation.  Then, we asked her to got ready for bed, and she refused.  Ryan came to me and told me he was getting ready to spank her.  I asked him if he thought that was what was best, as we have a goal to use spanking as a very last resort.  He spotted the "if you don't get out of bed and get dressed quickly you'll get squirted" water bottle on my sink, where I'd used it just that morning.  "No", he said, "I think this would work better."
He went into our bedroom where queen Ella was sitting on her throne reveling in how she had won when Ryan sprayed her for all he was worth.  Ella is like a cat, can't stand to be wet unless she is playing in the water.  She went to bed quickly, and I have hidden the water bottle, because the girls have threatened that they are going to get us.
Today, we are working further on quick listening.  It's exhausting.