one step ahead...

Scene: Living Room, sofa
Main Players: Ana, D
(I am just a fly on the wall, observing quietly)

(Ana starts jumping on the sofa...)

D: Ana, you know better. No Jumping On The Sofa, OK?

Ana: But Appa, I am not Ana, I am a frog.

D: OK, frog. No jumping on the sofa.

Ana: Appa, I am not jumping, I am a bouncing.

D: OK, frog, no bouncing on the sofa either; and that goes for Ana too.

(temporarily fazed but not beaten, Ana jumps around again on the sofa)

D: Ana, Frog, what I did I tell you? No Jumping Or Bouncing On The Sofa, OK? Jump on the floor if you like.

Ana: But Appa, I am just hopping.

D: OK, frog, Ana, no jumping, no bouncing, no hopping on the sofa... do it on the floor if you must.

Ana: No Appa, I am a cricket, not a frog. I am a hopping cricket.

(D and I suppress our welling pride and smiles, and he keeps a straight enough face to drive home the point thusly :)

D: Ana, Off The Sofa, please. Sofa is for sitting on, or lying down, OK?

(Ana accepts the strong tone from D for now and decides to sit on the sofa, upside down - with her legs on the head rest and her head dangling down, twinkling her bright brown eyes naughtily at D hoping for a reaction...)