The art of talking to adults has never been a strong suit for either Joey or Clara; Joey gets shy and tongue-tied, and Clara is far too busy with her own kid agenda to make time for chit-chat or pleasantries.
But Molly May is another story. She spends a lot of time sitting on my lap, sucking her thumb, and absorbing adult conversation swirling around her. Or ensconced in her carseat, taking in the minutiae of everyday life, including the names of her sibling's teachers, the names of their principals, the names of their friends, the names of their friends' siblings, and, inevitably, the names of their parents.
There's nothing in this world that she does quite as well as sliding her thumb out of her mouth, walking purposefully over to an adult -- even an adult she barely knows -- and bravely starting a conversation. Mostly about toys or food (as if I haven't already packed an arsenal of both).
"Mrs. Moon? Excuse me? Can I please play with Abigail's toy?"
"Excuse me, Mrs. Daugherty? May I please have some of your chips?"
"Patty, may I have four cashews? That's how old I am."
She is rewarded every single time with adults exclaiming over her politeness, and lavishing her with even more than she asked for.
"Oh my goodness, if you ask that way, you can have anything you want!!"
Which apparently emboldened her to the point that she reached a new level of begging the other day at a swim meet. After being turned down twice by Mommy and Daddy for a trip to the Snack Shack for candy, she hovered uncertainly in the corner of our tent, considering her options and sucking her thumb. Finally, she strode purposefully over to Joey's best friend's parents, and got right to the point.
"Mr. and Mrs. Moon, may I please have some money?"
The uproar of adult laughter and consternation made her retreat and reconsider... for now. I have a feeling she will be cajoling, pleading and batting those eyelashes for a long time to come.
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