Kids.

I love my kids, but man they can scare you.

My wife and I believe in alternative punishments (if the kid hates wearing green then have them wear green as a punishment etc.) and sometimes they don't work.  One kid made a mess so we had her clean it up, it was in the shower so we had her clean it up with water from the shower, and wouldn't you know it, the water was cold.  She hated it at first and then she started having fun sliding in the bathtub.  Turns out that after the initial complaint she didn't care about the cold water.  Every time we do a some punishment she doesn't like it at first and then she doesn't care.  Her brain becomes acclimated to the discomfort (or to the dislike) so quickly that it doesn't really count as a punishment anymore.

One child is going to kindergarten this year.  She went in to be tested; the school does that to see if they can skip some things because the kids already know it.  I think she was trying to drive them crazy, or me.  Ask her to count and she will do it wrong and giggle.  Then, later on she'll do it right.  If you ask her to count a small number of toys she might tell you "1,2,3,green" and then giggle again.  And she's stubborn.  Stubborn like a cast iron mule that was pissed off.

The youngest?  Even more stubborn.  I can't wait to go back to school again.  I'll miss seeing them all day but they are truly driving me crazy.