My failure.

See this little imp? He is my nephew. His name is Nixin. He is four. I tried to bribe him. I failed.
A little background is required. Nixin is kinda shy and I don't get to see him very often because he and his family live near Duluth. So I like to offer incentives to Nix to help him overcome his shy nature. I usually play on his love of sweets, most especially chocolate. I have in the past been known to say things like "Nixin, I'll give you this M&M if you give me a hug." What? Don't judge!

On a recent trip to the farm, we got to celebrate two birthdays, mine and my nephew Noah's (Nix's big brother). On the night we ate my birthday cake, I noticed the incredibly fast way that Nixin shoveled in his cake and how he was particularly infatuated with the frosting. hmmmm... a seed was planted.....
So, two days later, when we celebrated Noah's birthday with this fabulous Bakugan cake made by my aunt Claire, I volunteered to do the cutting of the cake to put my plan in motion. And here is how it went down...

ME: Nixin, I'll give you this frosting if you tell me who is your favorite? [as I pointed to myself and showed him a spatula thickly covered with frosting]

NIXIN: [no response]

ME: Come on, Nix. You can have all this yummy frosting if you tell me that I'm your favorite. Now, who is your favorite? [as I continued to try to entice him with the globs of frosting]

NIXIN: [crickets]

ME: Don't you want the frosting? All you have to do is say that I'm your favorite. [using my best begging and pleading voice]. Who is your favorite?

NIXIN: [very quietly and without any hint of a smile he says]..... Abby

My entire extended family bursts out in laughter. And then Nixin cracks a bit of a smile. I pretend to pout [ok, it was real]. That little punk was playing me!

but he seriously does love Abby more than all the frosting in the world!