She's onto me...

I used to be able to escape to the dining room to decorate cookies and Mia wouldn't really understand what was going on in there.  I don't think she ever realized that the things that I would decorate were actual cookies...I think she just liked to look at the designs and characters and pretty colors.  That time has passed. She's totally onto me.

Over the past few weeks Mia has become extremely curious about my cookie creations.  Usually I bake during the day while she's napping and by the time she wakes up the cookies are packed away and won't be brought back out to decorate until she's fast asleep for the night.

So the other day I went in to get her after her nap...she's standing in her crib and I say "Hi Mia!" and she looked at me and said "Smells like cookies."  And she waited for me to answer and I just kind of stood there.  And she said it again..."Smells like cookies, mama."  So I came clean....and I said "Yep!  Mommy made snickerdoodles while you were sleeping."  ("Snickerdoodles" is now her favorite word...but it comes out "Nickernoonles")  We came downstairs and this little detective child looked all around the kitchen for evidence and she just kept saying..."Nickernoonles....where ARE YOU?"  It was so darn cute....so I broke down and gave her a cookie.  That was the beginning of the end.  Now she's unbelievably aware that there are always cookies in our house...she is definitely her mother's daughter with this psychic ability to locate baked goods.

A few days....and many repeated requests for more cookies later....we took Mia to her 18 month checkup at the pediatrician.  Now this sweet little angel of mine has been to the doctor so many times in the past few months.  She's had like 6 ear infections, multiple checkups, a visit to the ENT, and even some Children's medexpress visits.  I feel so bad when she has to get poked and prodded because she's so good about dealing with it.  She even says "thank you" to the nurses and doctors.  I completely forgot that she was going to get shots at this visit so when the doctor said it I just felt so terrible so I blurted out..."You can have an elmo cookie when you get home!"  Oh crap.  I had made elmo cookies for a customer that week and I knew that I had a couple extra...that wasn't the problem.  I just knew that she wouldn't forget about my promise and now she would know that all of my decorated creations are edible. 

in one hand is the elmo cookie...and in the other
hand is the sticker from the doctor.  SO CUTE!

So of course...the whole way home Mia talked about the elmo cookie and she was so excited.  We got home and she went straight to the dining room and waited for me to uncover the tray.  I removed her shirt (hello, elmo is like all RED icing) and put her in the highchair (no red icing walking around MY house!).  At first Mia was a little bit sad about eating elmo's eyes....but that quickly passed and she went to town and ate the whole darn cookie.  This. Kid. Loves. Cookies.

So this past week I was working on some Winnie the Pooh cookies and I thought...I'll just save one for Mia.  She's really into Winnie the Pooh right now and she would love it so much.  And then I thought about it for a minute and changed my mind.  I think I'll just take a few minutes and go read her favorite Winnie the Pooh book with her instead.  As much as I'm a believer that a cookie isn't gonna hurt her...there was a much bigger revelation going on in my mind.

So why am I writing this post?  Well I had a major parenting realization with this whole cookie obsession ordeal.  It's a really good thing that my house is constantly filled with things that Mia would really like to have...because it gives me great practice in learning to tell her NO.  She needs to understand that just because there are Winnie the Pooh cookies or bright pink star cookies, or even elmo cookies in the house, that they are not always for her.  When she comes into the dining room and peeks over the edge of the table and says "oh wow....HI POOH!!,"  I simply say..."Yes, Mia!  Mommy is making these for our business. These are for a little boy's 1st birthday party...isn't that great?"  And mostly she says "yeah!"  Of course we'll have the occasional meltdown...that's normal.  But I won't give in.  I think it's really important for her to learn this lesson early and often.  It translates into trips to the toystore or to the Disney Store...or even the grocery store.  She needs to know that she can't always have whatever she sees and I'm the one who is responsible for teaching her that.  So that's just one more small lesson that this business has taught me...and a lesson that I'm forced to practice week after week.  Who knew that I would learn so much?

Next week's lesson for Mia...how to tie a perfect bow with 7 inches of ribbon...because mommy is getting really tired of doing  it!  Just kidding....I'll at least wait until she's 3 years old to really put her to work :)