Grandpa's and cookies

It must be a sort of a genetic predisposition when people become grandparents that they want to spoil the grandchildren.

I see that in my parents and in Andy's parents, although for them this is their sixth grandchild. It's the first one for my parents.

The things they would do for him.

One thing I don't understand, however, is the fascination with cookies. My dad, more so than my mom, is adamant about giving Ivan cookies (very plain cookies, but still). Obviously, he loves them. So now my dad keeps buying packages of these wheat cookies called Maria. Ivan has even conditioned himself to stand in front of the cabinet, which he can't reach, and say "kek, kek," waiting for someone to give him a cookie. And throwing a temper tantrum otherwise. (There was also a time about a month ago, when he threw a cookie temper tantrum because he didn't want me to give him a cookie; he wanted to take it himself from the package.)

Then two weekends ago, when we were visiting Andy's parents, the same thing happened. Turns out, when Ivan spent a week with them over Fourth of July (which was over a month ago and I was quite surprised that he remembered), Andy's parents, his dad, I presume, fed him cookies. Ivan even learned where he needs to stand in the kitchen and wait and cry out for a cookie to be retrieved from a cookie jar.

As soon as we got there, Andy's dad materialized with an animal cracker in his hand and proceeded to feed Ivan. And then he kept the cookie/s in his hand while Ivan was roaming around the house, coming back every so often for another bite.

It turns out, it wasn't just one animal cookies package Andy's parents had--but his dad, and it was his dad, Andy's mom said--went out and bought a Costo-size bag of individually wrapped animal crackers packages for us to take home. We did take it home, but the bag still sits unopened in a closet. Ivan' hasn't seen it yet. Hopefully, he won't. And probably, I'll be the one devouring the cookies.

And on a related commentary:

How does Ivan know which foods to try or not, when I have a new food I want him to try, is beyond me. He is always very eager to try what I have in my hand, if it's a sweet, but absolutely refuses to touch it, if it's something healthy, like vegetables. How does he know what's what without ever seeing it or tasting it before, is really beyond me. Can he smell it? Is it just on the basis of looks? Is my attitude different?