great compromise

Tolliver is becoming a top notch negotiator.

There was one day a few weeks ago, as he was packing up after playing at RoRo's, that he presented her with two scenarios.  One, he could take home a single train, or two, he could take home a sling shot and all four balls that go with it.  He was angling for the second, and seemed to think actually asking to borrow five things might be too much, so proposed his options carefully.
He brought home the slingshot and four balls.

Not long ago the boys caught a frog in a local metro park. We promised the boys they could keep the frog for one overnight, in an aquarium habitat they would build.  Tollie wanted to keep it for two nights before returning it to the woods.  We held firm.  So he changed his strategy and started asking about trading in the frog for a cat.  Or a dog.  He listed, all Alex P. Keaton-like, several reasons he thought we should agree.
We let the frog go the next day, and did not acquire a new pet.

When Grandma Jan offered to take the boys to lunch recently, I assumed Tols would choose McDonalds, his long-reigning favorite.  Tollie loves getting happy meals with Grandma (in fact, McDonalds only sells happy meals to grandparents, as far as we're aware) but this time he upped the game, suggesting instead they go for bigger burgers at Bob Evans, and then to Target for a new toy.  Because he hatched this plan beforehand, I was able to discourage the idea, suggesting instead he just enjoy lunch and a toy from McDonalds.

While he routinely holds very firm in his rightness, he is also four and generally covered in dirt.
Still, he is learning to reason, and to present a good case, and I suspect any continued practice in the art of compromise may serve him well in the future.