The Shopping Expedition-Part One-Learning Flexibility

Those of you who are avid (?) regular readers of this blog, probably are aware, by now, that shopping with Ricki can be an exasperating experience. Lately she has definitely been better. It seems that limits and prizes DO work.
So yesterday noon before I rushed out with Ricki after school, to re-order a pair of eyeglasses, I promised her a bottle of drink from a store if she behaved herself at the optometrist’s. (No, the spectacles misplaced on Friday were not found yet, despite thorough searching.) Ricki was moderately good in the eyeglasses store, although she did act up a tiny bit. But basically she was OK, and her prize of a bottle of drink was coming to her.
Therefore on our exit from the store, she pointed to the cooler in the falafel store next door, and with my agreement, entered. On a spur-of –the-moment, knowing that no one else would be home at lunch, I asked her if maybe she wanted to have falafel here for lunch, saving me from cooking. She agreed, and I placed an order.
However, as he was placing the falafel balls in the already-smeared-with- humus pita, Ricki said: “No Pita”. I ignored this wondering how she thought she was going to have pita-falafel without pita.
Well, Ricki really didn’t want the pita. She started telling me that she wanted a plate full of falafel balls. I tried to explain that it just isn’t sold like that. At that point the proprietor asked what she wanted. I explained, and he said, “For 2 shekels I can give her a few falafel balls on a plate. So what if it is a bit different?”
I suddenly realized that he was right. There is no crime in wanting to eat something different. I need to listen more, and be more flexible. And Ricki needs to learn to speak up more quickly.