Ella on Cookie Thievery: Mama Took My Cookie

Ok, so I have relayed this story to friends about 100 times, but I wanted to get it down before I forget about it. The older I get the less I remember.

So about November of 2004, we plan a weekend at Gram's cottage. To attend the number something annual Urbanna Oyster Festival. I grew up in this tiny town, so the annual pilgrimage to loads of fried foods, mediocre art, lots of boats, some ok music and loads of drunken people is close to my heart. I won't lie, I actually love it. I believe the girl has been to every one since her birth.

The Oyster Fest is always the first weekend of November. So we pack up and are set to go. Now, knowing our darling is going to be going first by Gram's work and meeting Gram's boss etc, we (I) dress her ever so cutely. I remember vividly. A lovely little off-white cable knit cardigan with a silk tie in the front.

Being silly, I left my husband in charge of getting the girl into the car while I got a few more things from upstairs (because really it takes a ton of stuff to travel with a little one).

I return downstairs to the garage to see him loading her in the car. Me: "What is that in her hand?" Him: "A cookie." Me: "Why does she have a cookie?" Him: "Because she wanted one." Me: (knowing that she at this point in life did not like chocolate chips and these were the cookies we'd baked the night before that she continually somehow ate around the chocolate chip and then spewed the melted, slobbery chip out of her mouth saw a problem).

So, I contemplate...then I decide I MUST wrentch the cookie from her hand. She's just holding it at this point not actually eating it. So I say "Give mama the cookie" Her: (Having few words but one in particular she knew well) "NO."

Me: "Please give mama the cookie." Her: "NO, my cookie!" So I (being the kind of benevolent dictator I am) take the cookie. SHE WAILS. From the garage all the way to the top of the driveway.

Here's an aside parenting lesson for you all: If you are consistent and don't cave your children will not wail for long. If you are inconsistent and cave often, they will scream bloody murder until you give in because they know EVENTUALLY you will give in. Hubby and I are a united front on this - no means no, yes means yes, maybe means maybe. We do not CAVE.

SO ... she wails. From the garage to the top of our driveway. Pulls herself together and happily watches her movie all the way to gram's work. Along the way she chats with me, tells me she loves me, tells me about her movie and so on.

We arrive, climb out of the car, and make our way to gram's office. After 3 hours in the car we all need a good stretch. The girl is still chatting with me. Happy as a lark. Then. She spots Gram. She turns and looks at me with a "now you are gonna pay look" and looks at her gramma, makes her way over to gram, climbs on her lap and says, "MAMA TOOK MY COOOOOOKIE" with a frown.

Gram: "What? Mama took your cookie?"
Her: "MAMA TOOK MY COOKIE!" with a look on her face as if she's saying Mama beat me with a stick and sent me to bed with out dinner.
Gram: "Oh honey, Gramma will get you another cookie"

It amazes me that for 3 HOURS a 2 year old held that kind of a grudge!