The 8.38am standoff

Tuesday evening, Mimi's room, just before bedtime

R_E: Well done Mimi. Hands are washed. Face is washed. Teeth have been brushed. The Bog Baby has been read. Good girl! Now, listen. Dad's back is a little bit soar. So will you walk to school tomorrow? Not all the way, just from the little roundabout to the school, all right?
L: PAPA! PAPA! PAPA? Was a T-rex bigger than a whale? Bigger than a blue whale?!
R_E: Luca, I am talking to Mimi. No, I've told you already. The blue whale is the biggest creature that ever existed.
Mimi? All right will you be walking to school tomorrow?
M: Yes Daddy [enthusiastic tone of voice] Tomorrow, I walk from the little roundabout to my playschool!
R_E: that's a good girleen
L: But Papa? PAPA! PAPA! PAPA? The T-rex, was it bigger than the sperm whale ?

Wednesday morning, 50 yards before the little roundabout:
M: Daddy, I don't feel like walking, you carry me to school
R_E: but Mimi! Last night you said you'd walk to school
L: PAPA! PAPA!PAPA!!! Was a T-rex bigger than this house?
R_E: not bigger than this house, as high as this house. Mimi! I'm very disappointed [very disappointed tone of voice]
M: I don't want to walk [don't want to walk tone of voice]
L: PAPA? PAPA! PAPA?!?! Was a T-rex bigger than a whale?!?!
R_E: Mimi? Last night you said: "I will...
L: PAPA! PAPA! PAPA!
R_E: Bigger than some whales but not all of them! Smaller than a blue whale!
Mimi!! You said: "I will walk to school tomorrow"
L: [intense yet very brief disappointed silence]
M: [suddenly sheering up] Yes Daddy! Tomorrow I walk to school!
L: PAPA! PAPA! PAPA?!? Why are blue whales the biggest living things ever? It's bo-ring!
R_E: [rapidly losing his cool] Luca! I'm trying to talk to Mimi!
Mimi!!! You promised! Do you want me to miss my train, is that it? Do you want me to get into BIG trouble with my boss, is that it?!?!
L: [Sulking. It won't last...]
M: I DON't want to walk [the guilt trip does not wash on me tone of voice]
R_E: Ok, Luca, let's go to your school [walking off] Mimi is walking to her school on her own, she's a big girl now you know
M: [wailing] Wait for meeeeeee!!!
L: PAPA! PAPA! PAPA?!? But Mimi is not as big as a T-rex. The T-rex was the biggest!
R_E: Will you walk now?
M: NO!
L: PAPA? PAPA? PAPA?!?! Was the T-rex bigger than a baby blue whale ?

Mimi changes her mind all of a sudden and saunters past us on her merry way to school. End of standoff.