Everyone Loves A Cookie

If I had a story to tell about Angelina, then you know I have a story about Caroline... Here goes... On August 16, 2010, I sent my 5-year old off to kindergarten as "Caroline Mann" - because that is her name . Well, a few days later, as I was walking Caroline into the kindergarten playground, I heard two little girls standing on top of the jungle gym yell, "Good morning, Cookie". I didn't pay any attention to them because I don't know anyone named "Cookie". I did pay attention, however, when Caroline yelled back, "Good morning." Before I could ask Caroline why those girls were calling her "Cookie", some kid walked by & said, "Hey Cookie, after you put your backpack down, wanna play". Despite my best interrogation tactics, "That's just what the kids call me now," was the only explanation I could get out of Cookie.

So the following week at school, as I am standing on the sidewalk watching Caroline play, I overhear some woman tell her daughter, "It's okay, honey, don't be shy... If you want to play with Cookie, just go over to her... Cookie seems very nice." After her daughter skipped off to play with Caroline, I approached the woman, pointed at Caroline & asked, "Did I just hear you call her "Cookie"?" In response, the woman said, "Yes, I did ... Isn't that a cute name?" I told her that I thought it was cute, but a little strange. THEN the woman got real close to me, looked around to make sure no one could hear & whispered, "I think Cookie is her real name." HOLD UP - that's when it hit me- this woman had absolutely no idea that she was talking to Cookie's Mom. This is also when I realized that there are people who actually think I named my child "Cookie". Feeling a little shocked to be on the receiving end of gossip about my own child, I pulled back from the woman, and said, "What? No - that is NOT her real name"! Then I got the, "Do you know her parents"? Yes, I do know Cookie's parents - I also happen to know that Cookie's Mom picked the wrong time to stop drinking.