Saturday, 21 July 2012

Babies Everywhere

A few observations as we leave a baby clothes shop. Inside, J had been smiling at everyone with less success than usual.

Me: I suppose the problem with taking him into these shops is that there's too much competition.
W: True. In a baby shop, he's just another baby.
Me: Too much cuteness around perhaps?
W: Maybe. Though he fought his corner with the smiles.
Me: At least the shop assistant was cooing over him.
W: But there's something else that concerns me more.
Me: What's that?
W: In a shop full of so many babies, it's really hard to know if it's yours who has pooed.
Me: I hadn't thought of that.
W: You can now...
Me: What...? Oh... I see.

John Lewis changing room, here we come.

Tuesday, 10 July 2012

Drop Offs and Pick Ups

J has started nursery one day a week and is also doing settling-in sessions. He's not always too happy about it. I arrive at nursery to collect him and see J in floods of tears. 

Me: Hello!
Sandy (nursery assistant): It's your Daddy! 

J looks up, still sobbing and reaches out for me. 

Me: It's OK, it's OK. It's Daddy!
Sandy: He's been really good today...
Me: I was worried because he was so upset when I dropped him off this morning.
Sandy: He was, but after a bit he played with some toys, spent some time outside and was generally OK. (to J) Weren't you? 

J is a little calmer now. 

Me: I'm glad. It's difficult when the only thing you see is tears.
Sandy: He has been having a nice time. We even took a picture.
Me: You did? 

She heads into a nearby room and retrieves a polaroid.It shows J concentrating hard as he stands at a table smearing red cornflour paste everywhere. It's quite a thing to see him through another person's eyes, getting on with things in his own time, quite separate from Mummy and Daddy. 

Me: Wow, look at that.
Sandy: Yeah, he had already upended a bowl of green cornflour on the other side of the table. You can just about see it... 

She points and then proudly holds up the red top he was wearing this morning, covered in green paste. 

Sandy: I think he really enoyed himself.
Me: Looks like it.

Later, at home. 

W: Do you think they took that picture just to reassure us he's OK while he's there?
Me: It worked.
W: True. So now it's just us who have to get used to missing him. 

We're still working on that one.