I am playing Star Wars Stratego before work this morning, thanks to losing a bet to Benjamin. By losing the bet, though, I already won the game.

As I was preparing my breakfast this morning, Benjamin was avoiding his.

“Dad, can we play Bingo?” he asked. Never mind that he was pushing Uno in my face. Bingo, Uno, anything would do to distract me from enforcing his morning musts: Eat breakfast, get dressed, make bed and brush teeth.

“After I eat my breakfast,” I replied, trying to lead by example.

“OK,” Benjamin said.

“Want some cereal?” I asked.

No dice. He wasn’t falling for that move.

After my breakfast, I headed for the shower, but I had to pass by where Benjamin was hanging out in the living room.

“Ready to play, Dad?” he asked.

“After I take a shower,” I said. “How about if you get dressed too?”

“In a minute,” he said, matching my words in principle. I was foiled again.

After my shower, I peeked my head outside the bedroom door, to see why the dog was barking. Benjamin pounced.

“Ready to play, Dad?”

“I think I should get dressed first.”

In the next instant, he proverbial light bulb flickered over my head.

“Hey, Benjamin. I’ll race you. I’m going to shave and get dressed. See if you can get dressed and make your bed before I finish.”

He looked at me, head tilted slightly sideways, pondering the challenge. I pressed on.

“OK, on your mark… get set… go!” I ran back to the bathroom, but heard no footsteps running up the stairs. Drat! Undaunted, I re-emerged from the bathroom.

“I’ll tell you what, Benjamin. We’ll make it a bet. If I win the race, I’ll go do my work. If you win the race, we’ll play a game.”

Going, going, gone! Benjamin sprinted out of the room toward the stairs. I strolled back to the bathroom, savoring my upcoming victorious defeat.

Minutes later, Benjamin burst into the bathroom. “I won, Dad! I won!”

“What!?” I shouted, feigning surprise while in the middle of a leisurely shaving stroke. “How’d you do that so fast? Wait a minute…. Did you brush your teeth?”

“No.”

“Then I still have time to win. Quick! Go brush your teeth and see if you can still beat me.”

Benjamin spun on his heels and raced from the room. A minute later he was back.

“I won, Dad! I won again!”

“OK, go set up the game. I’ll be there as soon as I get dressed.”

Game, set, match.

Postscript: Benjamin “won” the Stratego game. I’m still not sure of the rules. At one point he moved what was supposed to be a stationary bomb and wiped out a large portion of my army. Halfway throught he game, though, he did eat breakfast. Granted, it was sliced cheddar cheese and pepperoni, but honestly I prefer that offering over the Lucky Charms he’s been eating the last several mornings. Of course, Benjamin left it to me to clean up the game, so my victory was short-lived. As they say, you can’t win them all.