One thing I love about kids is how you can catch them doing something and in response they’ll flash the most innocent face in the world at you and totally deny it.

This afternoon, I gave Breanna a chocolate-covered cookie. She enjoyed it and then asked for another one but I said no, one was enough. Unfortunately I had been distracted by something (the phone? A loud noise? Something shiny? Who knows?) and had left the bag open on the end table. Naturally, Breanna wandered over and took one out. I decided to let her, because eh, one more cookie, big deal. I saw her glance at me out of the corner of her eye and then she snuck back over to the television where she was watching Free Willy (or “Fish” as she calls it, firmly convinced that the giant Orca is a fish. And also, there’s some stellar parenting, eating cookies and watching a movie, go me!). She ate it as discreetly as an almost-two-year-old can. When she was done, she was quite pleased.

And she looked at me.

Breanna: Hi Mommy.
Sherry: Breanna? Did you just eat a cookie?
Breanna: (looking at fingers, then at me) No Mommy.
Sherry: Are you sure? Maybe you had a cookie?
Breanna: No.

Sherry: Your face is kind of messy you know.
Breanna: MESS! MESS!
Sherry: I think you ate a cookie.
Breanna: Cookie? Peeeease?
Sherry: No more cookies, Miss Smuggler.
Breanna: Okay Mommy. See Fish.

And then she went back to her movie, convinced, I’m sure, that she had pulled a fast one on Mom. Yeah, right.