I gathered my three children by their ears and forced them into the bathroom of my parent's house in Chicago yesterday because, in all honesty, I ran out of analogies.

I asked them to imagine a toilet stuffed with paper and what would would happen if another scrap was added.  "It would overflow."  One of them said.  "Precisely!"  I exclaimed.  I went about my business, re-connecting with my family over mother's day weekend, giving myself a pat on the back for my awesome analogy and superb parenting skills.  Only the house was too quiet just minutes after my important lesson in the bathroom.  I crept down the first floor hallway that once housed my parent's bedroom but now is home to Apolonia.

In broken Polish I heard three American children from Cleveland, stutter and repeat three times over...

"Prosze."  (Please)

"Cukierki."  (Candy)

"Dziekuje."  (Thank you)

"Babcia Pola."  (Grandma Apolonia)

I peeked, through the doorway and witnessed the eighty-seven year old woman dealing candy one kid at a time.  Again!  For the fifth or sixth time that day.  I watched as they quickly got rid of any evidence.  My brilliant analogy was short lived.

They had different strategies to earn their keep.  One read.  One danced.  Another talked.  A hug equaled one piece of candy.  A kiss was two.  A book read was three pieces of Mamba.  And so on.... and on and on.

It's a good thing their father is a dentist.

Because my kids ingested about fourty-five dollars worth of candy this weekend. At least they all became quasi fluent in Polish.

"Babcia Pola.  Prosze cukierki."  "Dziekuje."

"Grandma Pola.  Please candy. Thank you."