Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar?

Every two weeks or so, I am forced into a fresh realization that Max has grown tall enough and smart enough to circumvent another of the many barriers Ian and I have constructed for his safety. I will get everything all set up and Max-proof, and then he will learn to climb a new furniture piece, or open a new cupboard door, or reach a new electrical outlet, and the whole system will need to be revamped. This morning, I gave Max a few ABC cookies for a snack, and then left the box on the kitchen table, well beyond the reach of Max's baby arms. Or so I thought. It turns out that Max has grown tall enough in the last week or so to outstrip my estimate by a fair margin. I heard a wild cackle of triumph a few minutes ago, while I was distracted by the ringing phone. I trepidatiously turned around, to find Max helping himself to the box of cookies. He stole them off the table, poured them all over the ground, and commenced helping himself to the choicest cookie morsels. When he saw me looking, he quickly stuffed as many cookies as he could into his mouth by the handful, puffing out his cheeks like a cookie-eating squirrel saving up for winter. The cookies are now under lock and key in the pantry, but Max is mad at me for stealing them from him and refuses to eat his lunch. I don't know if we'll be purchasing this brand of cookie again any time soon.