Tonight's events

After a relatively painless childrearing day today, I was left as usual on a Sunday to do the sleep routine on my own.

Here's how it all went down tonight.

We got ourselves into the house with minimum fuss. What I mean by minimum fuss is that Avalon did cry hysterically for "Daddy" on the 3 minute car ride home. But stopped once I told her she's having a special time with Mummy tonight and we're going to have frothy milk together before bed. (Happy days! Frothy milk for Avy means milk with some cinnamon sugar on top and for Mummy means a big cup of espresso!)

After laying Willow down, putting Avalon into her highchair with some food and getting the nappies off the line (thankyou 33 degree day for drying them proto) I went ahead with preparations for our "frothy milk" which was cut short by Willow's hunger cries. Ok, leave the frothy milk, Avy can go to bed a little later. Willow is fed her top up formula bottle, and put upstairs to bed, and I'm back on task. Milk out of the fridge, machine on, cups at the ready.

I look over to Avy. Her finger is up her nose AGAIN. Grr. "No fingers in noses Avy, I'll get you a tissue"

Avy: "Pea in there" (sheepishly)

Me: "Is there a pea up your nose?" (getting more tense)

Avy: (quickly responds) "Yes"

I race over and tell her to "blow it out" into the tissue. Unfortunately, children only know how to blow out once they've sucked air in through the nose first. The pea creeps further up. Ah! Getting more tense. (Avy somehow bypasses my tissue and sticks her finger up there again, lodging the pea further up.) Ah again! Think, Nicole, you're a smart woman (ok, debatable...) "Avy, blow really hard this time"

She blows and I see some green, and am able to squish the top of her nose now so that the pea comes out with a triumphant "pop" onto the table. Completely covered in snot. Gross. Oh well, at least it's out. Relieved sigh.

Quick as a flash, Avalon's hand darts out and grabs aforementioned pea and puts it into her mouth. Oh, ok, so that's grosser.

She smiles at me and says "yum." (feeling a little ill now but trying to hide my disgust). "Sure, sweetie. Don't ever put peas or anything else up your nose again! You will get very sick."

I realise that time is ticking and the frothy milk still needs preparing and eating. My precious night time is seeping away. I reconsider the bowl of veges and replace it with some playdough so I can finish the milk before it's midnight.

Next thing I know, Avalon is completely choking. I didn't even see what happened, but I get 10 points for a good guess. She's swallowed the playdough. A BIG chunk of playdough. And now she can't breathe. (stressed sigh) "Avalon, are you ok?" (much choking and coughing later, she can talk again. But now she's holding her throat and there's tears in her eyes.)

Avy: "Sowwy Mummy"

Me: "Did you eat the playdough?"

Avy: "Yes" (Again, sheepish)

Me: "Don't ever do that again, Avy! You'll get a sore tummy.

Avy: "Peter Wabbit...no eating...uh uh..." She recites what she knows of the Peter Rabbit story where he goes to bed with a sore tummy after eating all the veges in Mr McGregors' garden.

I'm now considering whether or not to continue with the plans of special "Avy and Mummy" night. But, I figure that I want to be a Mum of my word. So I go full steam ahead and ask God that she doesn't die while I try to fulfill my oath.

As I'm sitting here typing away, I assume that you can gather that God kept her around. You might also be able to guess from my amused tone that my espresso was indeed savoured with enthusiasm.