Coco has been glued to her cousin. I can safely say this in almost a literal sense. For a week, Coco has followed her big cousin everywhere she’s gone. And her big cousin has been kind and, I believe quite thrilled, to have a built in friend. The two play this Ninetendo DS thing and “chat” and train their puppies, and bark commands to the tiny screen.

Coco bought the little machine in the first few days we were here. She used her own money. I’m hoping she’ll make some sort of positive connection to buying it with her own money rather than me doling out the cash. I’m sure some of that is in there, but at the age of seven there are still plenty of moments where she comes inches to destroying it. I try to let her be responsible for it’s care and up keep (it is cheaper than a real dog, or guinea pig come to think of it!), but I’ll see it laying on the edge of an arm chair or placed in a spot her seven year old brain thought was perfectly safe. This morning, she placed an Iced Animal cookie on the screen and traced it. I suggested possibly the oil in the cookie wasn’t good for the sensitive touch-screen.

As I prepared Addison’s spinach-salmon goo for his breakfast, Coco and her cousin talked to their puppies on the screen. One time, Coco said something and her cousin didn’t understand what she said.

Is that how you say stop in Spanish? she asked.

No, she replied. Coco told Lulu her computer dog to sit. Coco then turned to her cousin and asked:

How do you say stop in English?

The two girls looked at me as I laughed and laughed. This little game machine was well worth the money.