Smart Cookie

An entry by Aunt Laura

Maya, Julian and their handlers (Mom, Dad, and Baba) visited my house in Riverside to recover from Mexico, and prepare for Disneyland.

Amongst other things, their duty was to test the child proofing of my house. After finding a miniature Dora the Explorer plastic doll and Connect Four travel game piece tucked away in Maya’s caverns checks, I gave my self a “FAILING” grade (yikes). Julian busied himself with the hose, watering the back grass and himself at the same time. This was fun for a little bit, but then I thought better of it (worried I would get in trouble with the handlers). It was too late though; he discovered something fun and did not want to stop. When I tried to discourage him he turned the nosel on me!

The best part of the evening was when Julian decided to run in circles through the maze of mattresses stroon about my house, without any clothes on! Maya thought this was very funny and started chasing him, she made about one lap for every three he made. Jeremy got in on the fun too, pretending to be a one-legged monster chasing but not catching (its more fun for the kids that way says Jeremy). All of this right before bedtime, mind you (boy, were we making the handlers job difficult that night!).

Later, as a bedtime snack, I offered Maya a little vanilla-waffer cookie. As I was reaching to get it Mom came in and sent me a worried look (oops Aunt Laura did it again!). She was right to be concerned. I gave Maya one cookie and told her she would have to enjoy it, because she was only allowed to have one. She slipped it between her checks and two seconds later, mouth still full, began saying “Coo-key, Cooooo-key, Cooooooooo-key” in the cutest little pleading voice. Knowing Maya’s trademark chipmunk maneuvers, I encouraged her to eat the one that she was holding in her checks. She finally did (that is I think she did—you can never be completely sure because she has hidden pockets in there). Then she started up again “Coo-key, Cooooo-key, Cooooooooo-key”. I tried to assuage her, “Maybe tomorrow you can have another one.” Of course this did not stop her, at 20 months there is no concept of tomorrow. “Coo-key, Cooooo-key, Cooooooooo-key”. Luckily the handlers came to my rescue with a diversion, “Maya do you want a strawberry?”

The next day, to my surprise, she awoke and the first thing she did was go to the cabinet where the cookies came from, and started saying all over again “Coo-key, Cooooo-key, Cooooooooo-key”.