bake a cake

SO this is how punishments go in our home:

A little over a week ago I funbust Cara (yep, that's our word for grounded) for being mean to Sam (again! or still!). 2 weeks no fun. "I wish he was never alive!" she yelled at me as we were getting into the van. I will never understand why I give her such a punishment when in reality it only punishes ME. I can do without the TV being on or a video game taken away but the moment I take her friends away, I only funbust myself. So..last Friday the kids had off of school again and Cara really wanted to go to a friend's house and I really wanted her to go to a friend's house but I couldn't take back what I gave out. I (and her) needed to endure another week together...in the same house.

Sam so kindly offered another idea. If she will be his servant for a day, on Friday, she could go play with her friends on Saturday. I agreed to this offering. In the morning Sam asked Cara to massage his feet. He asked her to make his bed, make him breakfast, and he kept asking. Though this whole servant thing was quick amusing I had to lay down some guidelines. Sam could only ask Cara to do something for him every 10 minutes-which I thought was extremely fair. As the day went on Sam was asking less and less until I reminded him that she is still his servant. Cara got all mad and what not at me for reminding him. I then proceeded to dish out some ideas to help Sam.

"Ooo, Sam you could have her feed you dinner." I happily exclaimed. Sam laughed. Cara did not. "Stop! Stop giving him ideas!" she yelled at me (if you haven't realized, she yells at me a lot). "What Cara? Your his servant. I think you should feed him dinner." "I'm going to throw his dinner at his face!" Well, hopefully we all know where this is going. Her servant day was over and she was back to being funbusted for another week. 

Cara was not accepting this. I know in her smart little head she was concocting yet another scheme to get out of punishment. Here is was Saturday. Sam went to work with Zach. I was doing yard work and the kids were playing with there friends out front. All except Cara who was looking out the kitchen window watching Olivia play with her friend.
"Mom, can I bake a cake for Sam?" "Yeah, sure." I answered her. "Then can I have my friends back?" With a deep sigh I agreed. And that's exactly what she did. She baked him a vanilla cake with lemon frosting written on top was "I'm sorry." It was sweet. When Sam returned him she presented him with his cake.

We are all happy. Cara can play with her friends. Sam got his own cake. Sometimes I need to be flexible and let the kid's repent their own way.