Thief!

Babykins had a fantastic time on our cruise.  There were a couple thousand people trapped on a boat with nothing better to do than dote on her.  The waiters brought her favorite foods at dinner before she even asked.  The youth staff told her how smart she was.  Complete strangers ohh'd and ahh'd over her dinner dresses.  It was Babykins paradise.

I noticed, though, that a lot of people like to play a game with toddlers that they probably think of as cute. I think of it as stealing.

It goes something like this:

Stranger:  Oh, look at your cute purse!  It's so cute, I'm going to take it.  Look!  I've got your purse!

Babykins:  Giggles and reaches out for purse.

Me:  Trying to decide if pushing them down, taking back the purse, and telling them to steal from someone their own size would be an overreaction.

Obviously, I don't find this game as amusing as everyone else.

It didn't stop with the purse, either.  During the cruise, people took her chapstick, shoes, and a box of raisins.

Then one day, someone popped the pacifier out of her mouth, and I watched as Babykins tried to decide if the game was still fun, or if it was time to let out a scream that would let everyone know what she thought of pacifier thieves.

I quickly intervened, informing the gentleman that taking the pacifier was a bad idea and he should give it back quickly (I may have given him the look, too).  Babykins was quickly handed back her pacifier, and disaster was averted.  It was a lesson, though.  Taking candy from a baby might be easy, but it's generally not a nice thing to do.