Mean Mom Gets Soft

Help! I don't know what has happened to me!
This morning I made it over to Home Depot to purchase more yard waste bags so the kids and I could finish bagging up the piles that are laying on the grass. I fully intended to force ask the kids to help me, because I am a Mean Mom, you know. But something strange happened.
The kids were already outside (Eager beavers, don't you think?) but when I went out I found they were engaged in a game. I was watching a friend's kids this afternoon, and the boys and girls had joined forces for a Battle of the Sexes rendition of Capture the Flag.
They were running around, yelling and laughing, planning their strategy to take the victory and somehow I couldn't bring myself to ask them to stop. I think this post from Ann Kroeker may have influenced me...I was thinking about how good it is for them to be running around outside, having fun, and I decided, I can do this bagging myself. I should let them enjoy themselves with this game.

So I did.

Fellow Mean Moms, do you think I need help?
Could this move on my part come back to haunt me?
Will I regret being n-n-n-nice???
If you think I need to get my head checked, please, please save me before it's too late!
I think there is still hope. I hope there is still hope, anyway. I have a lot more raking to do. There are plenty of dead leaves and foliage around the yard. There will be many, many more bags to fill. The kids aren't out of the woods yet. There is still work to be done.
I can still be mean get them to help me out.

I may have gotten soft today, but it won't last forever. I promise. Mean Moms of America, I will not let you down!