Bargaining

In the sweetest voice possible, you'll hear "But Mom...."

You might think it's going to be a whine, but it's not.

Thomas' newest tool for gaining whatever he wants is "...we haven't had a cereal bar/gone to the pool/watched a movie/eaten pancakes in a long time. A long time, Mom."

"But Mom. It's been a long time."

Indeed it has, my boy. It's been a long, long time.