How Green Becomes Wood

Ivy stared at Lex for a moment and then held up a block which had the front half of the Loch Ness Monster on it and said, "Muyya!" but to non-Arabic speakers, it may have just sounded either like nonsense babbling or maybe baby-speak for monster, although the board read simply, Nessie.
But then she saw Kiki playing with one, and distressed, she stood up and said, "No!"
 
"Nessie!" Lex said, who had no idea what Ivy may or may not be saying. "Very cool." She saw Kiki playing with the block was upsetting Ivy and stood to interfere. "It's okay. I've got it," she told Ivy and picked up Kiki. "Can you pick up your block?"

Kiki looked grumpy but let Lex move her.
 
Ivy quickly went over and retrieved her block, which she held close to her chest for a moment. With the most serious face an eighteen month old could muster, she scolded Kiki by saying, "Vee!" before returning to try and figure out her puzzle. It was very tricky, and it took a lot of her concentration, but she was really doing her best to solve it.
 
"Vee?" Lex repeated to herself questioningly. "Good job, Ivy. You are doing very well."

Kiki was highly unimpressed by Ivy's attempt at scolding her and slunk out of Lex's arms to bathe herself.
 
Now that her blocks were no longer being stolen by the cat, she was enjoying her puzzle again. After a moment, though, she looked up and handed one of the blocks to Lex, deciding it was acceptable to invite her to help.
 
Ivy held the half-circle with the tail end of the Jersey Devil in her hand and looked at it carefully. She did manage to put it in the circle spot, but one which combined it's body with a Salawa (a cryptid similar to a Chupacabra but was native to Egypt). She then frowned, knowing this wasn't right, and looked up at Lex.
 
"That's close, but not quite right," Lex confirmed. She pushed the upper end of the Jersy Devil toward Ivy. "What about this one? Does this one fit?" She picked up a different piece and looked it over with some amusement. "Oh man, if my mother saw these, she would throw such a fit! To me, it looks a little less terrifying than half of a cow. I don't know why, but I always thought splitting animals in half was messed up. Makes sense for matching, but still looks messed up."
 
Ivy picked up the piece and looked at it before rearranging the puzzle to make it make sense, babbling back with Lex as though she were very seriously holding the conversation.

A little while after she had finished the puzzle, the front door opened and Cooger stepped inside, "I hope you don't mind me letting myself in," he called out, kicking his shoes off, "Don't threaten me with a bat or nothin'. I just finished up the job I was on, and didn't want you to have all the fun without me."
 
"Hardy har har," Lex said, standing up and stretching her back. "No, I won't threaten you with anything more dangerous than changing a dirty diaper, and I think you're safe from that for now." She walked over and greeted Cooger with a quick kiss. "We're doing puzzles right now, but I think Ivy's about ready to move on."
 
He bent down to kiss her back, "Thank God she's moving on, I don't want you to learn she's already better at puzzles than I am,"

Hearing a familiar voice, Ivy's head shot up and she quickly ran to him, happily yelling, "Oogie!!!"

"Hey, Kitten!" Cooger exclaimed, kneeling down to catch her before lifting you up, "I heard you've had a hard day! Have you been torturing Lex?"
 
Lex snorted at that admission and smiled as she watched Ivy run to her uncle. "Nope. We've been having a pretty good time, all things considered. She still has a lot of feelings about what's happening, but she's willing to be distracted now. The cat helped with that."

Kiki came padding up, also recognizing Cooger's voice and demanding her own share of attention.
 
"Cats are great at that," Cooger replied, kneeling down to scratch Kiki behind the ear, "How are you doing Kiki? Are you being a good distraction? God you're getting big," He whistled, "Poppy is about half her size, I think."
 
Kiki purred happily and leaned into Cooger's pets, pushing against him and weaving around him when he dared to try to stop.

"Alec's been taking good care of her," Lex chuckled. "Ivy, can you tell Uncle Oogie what Kiki did with her paw?"
 
Ivy had just about forgotten everything with Kiki sticking her paw into her mouth and was instead happily just grabbing and petting Cooger's beard. It had only been a little while since her father had shaved his, but she missed being able to hold onto it so much. It didn't occur to her in the slightest that it was her fault it was gone.

"What did you do with your paw?" Cooger asked Kiki, as though he truly believed the kitten would answer.
 
Kiki did not answer, but she did look very proud of herself.

"Little Ivy was crying and distressed. Enkidu was a good boy," she directed that at the dog, "and tried to make her feel better. Kiki went over to investigate... and stuck her paw in Ivy's mouth."
 
Cooger made a face, "I do not know if I love being called that by you," He looked down at Ivy, "What do you think? We could go outside if you want. I'm trying to think of all the sort of messy activities her Dad doesn't let her do."
 
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