Majic tricks

15 month old Joshua sits on the floor playing with his magnetic plastic cookie (one of his favorites). When the round cookie is placed in the round hole on the toy tray it plays a little song. Josh examines his plastic cookie in all ways. The taste must be thoroughly checked multiple times. What does it sound like when dropped? Why doesn't it fit where the triangular cookie goes? Josh really gets to know his toy. He rubs it on the top of his face to get a good feel. Then he moves himself to a standing position using the couch to keep his balance, but only with one hand because he must keep cookie with him to hold while standing.
Suddenly poof. . . . . the cookie is gone! It was just in his hand and it vanished right in thin air!. He looks down on the ground, carefully scanning back and forth. He understands that once cookie leaves his hand gravity will inevitably bring it to the floor. But its not there? He looks at his mother with confusion? Where could it have gone? He looks at his hand again, but the cookie is still not there. Eventually he learns to forget about it and let bye goners be bye goners.
See his twin sister has this uncanny ability to snatch things. Really! for a 15 month baby, her hands are quite amazing. I cannot count the times I have carried her from one room to the next and not noticing until I put her down that she has something that was on the counter as we walked by like a spoon or something from the wall like the small wooden sign that says "Moms kitchen". I have been in the middle of eating my cereal on the couch when she manages to snatch my spoon right out of my hand. That's not the half of it. Since she has a twin brother she has also developed the skill of keeping the item she snatched away from anyone trying to get it. This is a skill she learned out of necessity, otherwise Joshua would have everything she ever picked up (he tends to be a little bit bullish like that). So Lilly has learned to twist and turn and maneuver her way about, so as to keep her stolen item opposite whatever side you are on. She can switch hands in a blink of an eye. Always keeping it in whatever hand is furthest from you. Had Lilly not been the twin of a very aggressive boy, I doubt she would have this pretty impressive ability.
So we couldn't help but laugh when Lilly was sitting up on the couch and Josh was standing on the floor leaning against the couch with his toy and Lilly managed to snatch it right out of his hand without him seeing. It was as if stealth baby came in under radar with a move so quick none of us saw it completely.

I am not sure but lilly may be somekind of baby ninja, if only she could walk.