Doesn't play well with others...but she can play them, all right.

So we're in the checkout line at the library yesterday, and the kiddo wanders over to two wire-and-bead toys which are thoughtfully placed right where bored kids need them most. She starts moving the beads around, organizing them in some esoteric way, when another toddler type zooms over and starts horning in on her board. She squeals and looks to me for assistance, but I only say, "Sorry, it's just like the park, we share all of the toys with other kids, here." She shoots me a withering, "Thanks a lot, Mom!" look, and turns back to the kid. I don't hear any more squeals, so I assume they've worked it out and I start reading my book jackets again. I can't help but be attuned to the murmurs of the Kid Channel, however, so when I hear another exchange I sneak a look back at the short people.

My dear sweet child is standing by the other toy, the one she didn't want to play with. She is fingering the beads eagerly, and talking to the kid. "Look Boy, it is very good! It is a very cool toy!" I watch, fascinated and slightly embarrassed at my daughter's grifting skills, as the boy is caught hook, line and sinker, and moves over to the "cool" toy. Satisfied, the bandit moves back to her original toy, and gets to work.