HAVING MY COOKIES (AND EATING THEM, TOO)

There is nothing that can come between me and my Nutter Butters. I kid you not.

Recently, my 5-year-old niece was over, and she decided to "hang out" in my room as I was cleaning and putting things away. She started picking through all my things: DVDs, CDs, magazines, pens, and even picture frames that sit on the window sill. I was barely paying attention to her when I noticed that I had a "snack pack" of Nutter Butters on the side table beside my bed. I honestly didn't think anything of it, until I noticed Lexie making her way toward it.

All of a sudden, a slight panic set in, and I sort of slowed my pace with the cleaning to see what Lexie was doing. At first, I instantly thought that she wouldn't even pay it any mind. My bro and SIL do an amazing job of teaching the kids about what's good for them, and what's not. I figured that cookies aren't generally a part of my niece's favorite things to eat. But in a second, a flashback came to my mind: The last time I was at my brother's place for dinner, my SIL had brought Lexie with her to pick-up food. When they returned later, I remembered that Lexie asked her mom if should could "...have my cookie after I eat my dinner?" At that realization, I looked at my niece as she moved in what seemed to be a slow-motion-like fashion. She reached out for the pack of cookies on my nightstand, and I turned white as a sheet.

At this point I had to make a decision in case she decided to ask if she could have them. Being her Godfather & uncle, and knowing in my heart that I love my niece to NO end, I figured that I'd just suck it up and give her the cookies if she asked. So in that brief instant, I knew that was what I was going to do. Here is how the conversation went:

Lexie: "Ninong, what's this?" (I noticed the wanting glint in her eye.)

Wen: (Pretending to not have been paying attention...) "What's what?"

Lexie: "This." (She was waving the pack at me at this point.)

Wen: (Non-chalantly) "Oh, those are my medicine cookies for my cough." (Add a fake cough here.) "When I eat it, yucky medicine comes out. It's so gross."

Lexie: (Immediately putting them back on the side table.) "Oh..."

I'm evil, I know. And I felt even more evil for lying to her! But then she got on top of my bed, and started jumping gleefully. Usually, I'd give her the look, and she'd get off the bed immediately. But I decided that she deserved this round since I terribly lied to her just so I could have my cookies... and eat them, too.