So I buy a cookie for both M and C at Whole Foods. M is sound asleep in the stroller and C eats her cookie as we head toward the Metro. By the time we arrive, C has eaten her cookie and M has just woken up hungry. As we wait for the train, I hand M her cookie and at that point C says "you're not supposed to eat on the Metro."

I mumbled some rationalization and let M proceed with her cookie, feeling slightly guilty.

Later, for some reason, C said "Go Redskins!" at which point I said the Redskins weren't in the playoffs and wouldn't be playing today. C asked "why" and I responded that they didn't win enough games, that they had had some tough breaks as one of their players died during the season. After some talk about crime and punishment, I felt even guiltier for setting the example for C that you could break "little" laws but not big ones.

I'll try to do better.