You have to go potty first...

I will be the first to admit that sometimes, in order to get what I want from my toddler, I will hold things and/or people over his head.
I suppose it's not always fun to have to perform the morning routines. Heck, sometimes, er most times {hee hee} I have to skip straight to making pancakes (and totally checking emails) before I get to brush my teeth.
Without fail, the first words out of Tweetie Pie's mouth every morning are "I want a cheese stick". All before his eyes are even open! If I fail to redirect within the next 2 seconds of this request, he's jetted off the bed and he's at the refrigerator door - just waiting for me to hand him that little stick of white glory.
So I have to be quicker, quicker than a 2 year old and do you realize how much freakin' energy they have at 9 am? (Yes, he can and will sleep until 9, I 'm lucky, I know, and I am thankful for it). So I have to wipe off the Sleepyhead Mommy face and put on that stupid fake "I'm super happy to be up" face and then I smile and say "Cole, you have to pee before you get a cheese stick".
To which he replies, "ok, ok, ok."
He pees. "I want cheese stick now."
$uC*! What else can I pony up?
"We're going to go over to Emma's house to play but before you eat your cheese stick, you have to wash your hands."
So he washes his hands and then I jump in and say "Good job Cole. Now, we have to brush our teeth ok?"
He whines, his tummy growls, and I just know I'm about to lose him so I say "If you brush your teeth now, you can eat your breakfast in front of the tv."
Sold.
That is until I need him to walk away from the tv so I can get him dressed.
Finally, after a mini meltdown, I pry him into the bathroom with me so he can comb his own hair and as I am brushing my own teeth, he says to me "Mommy, you want this?"
I turn to him, and see that he is holding one of my lady napkins. You know the kind...
He holds it up and asks "Mommy, you want this?"
"Yes dear, give it to mommy. Please don't open that."
He says "You have to go potty and then I give it to you."
Just like that. My toddler showed me how much it sucked to have something held over your head.