Waiting for the win-win situation to emerge.

The other day Iris and her cousin H had a completely incommensurable difference. H wanted 5 more pick up sticks and 4 marbles. Iris wanted all the pick up sticks. I talked, listened, and eventually Iris went off to do something else.

While I was doing such a delicate thing I was totally engrossed in the moment, and H and Iris, and so when I'd finally got to the end I looked up to see what was going on with my adult guests and I discovered I'd had an audience. They had interestingly varied expressions. Shannon's looked like professional respect, Traveler's like a tourist watching a police negotiator (a little mind-blown but interested), and Sean and D both seemed to be feeling profound relief that it wasn't themselves in the hot seat that time.