Who's In Charge Here?

Lucy and I are both feeling a bit under the weather. Just a cold, but miserable nonetheless. She started it, and I knew I was in big trouble when she gave my nose a big slobbery lick on Saturday. Lo and behold, a massive head cold followed by intense sinus pressure and a tidal wave of snot. Lovely. This is Luce enduring Costco this morning:

Why were we at Costco? Well, that's a bit of a long story. As I said, we're both getting over pretty miserable colds, but I'd already committed to having Anna's friend Sofie over for a playdate in the afternoon.

Anna's best friend Sofie has a brand new baby brother. To help out, we've been having Sofie over for a playdate every Friday afternoon so that Sofie's Mum can have some precious bonding time with her new bundle of screams, poop and vomit.

To the uninitiated, playdates sound like extra work, but it turns out that more children in your house actually means less work. It sounds completely counterintuitive, but it's an absolute fact. They entertain themselves, Lucy naps, and you're left throwing snacks at them occasionally and intervening when someone (Anna) won't let someone else (Sofie) be anything other than the prince. I wish someone had told me this years ago.

Back to Costco. I wasn't worried about Sofie catching our cold. We've both had it for a week now, so we're very likely no longer contagious, and they really haven't been anywhere near me, except to grab some goldfish and baby carrots. What I was worried about was it being sod's law they would have a massive bust up and I would be left playing entertainer whilst feeling like death warmed up. I decided to play it safe and go and buy Tangled on DVD - just in case the BFFs turned WTFs.

Lucy is fairly impossibly headstrong, so you can imagine what she's like with a cold. We had literally taken two steps out of the front door when she started crying about the sand! in my shoes! I can't possibly walk! because of the sand! the sand! THE SAND! THE SAND! MY SHOES! MY SHOES!! You get the idea.

Oh the agonies. I bundled her in to her car seat, did a quick swab down with a baby wipe and she finally calmed down.

Let me tell you - no-one was more surprised than me, when 10 minutes later and about to get on the freeway, she suddenly appeared behind my right ear, crying "Pee Bo!!".

I hadn't buckled her in. She was thrilled.

A quick pit stop, and all was righted. We carried on to Costco, where they didn't have Tangled - because it's not out yet - ha ha ha bloody ha. And so I decided to give up and go home for a cup of tea.

--Updated to add: the playdate went swimmingly, the girls played mermaid princesses outside in the puddles (novelty!!!!), Lucy napped upstairs, and I wrote this masterpiece.