Denny the Duck in disgrace

Denny the Duck has recently overtaken Pig and Jane as Caitlin's Favourite Toy.

He's a rubber duck and she's taken a real shine to him. He shares her bath before bed and then she insists that he keeps her company in the cot as well.

She used to HATE having her hair washed with the shower and would make a massive fuss about it. Then Denny the Duck started having HIS head washed with the show. He made an even bigger fuss!

"I WANT MY MUMMY" screams Denny the Duck (I try very hard not to move my lips for this kind of thing. I'm not a great ventriloquist but Caitie seems to go with it).
"I WANT MY DADDY! I DON'T LIKE THE SHOWER!" Denny the Duck cries.

Caitlin finds this very funny and insists that Denny MUST be showered.

"Don't be silly and horrid, Denny", she tells him seriously, "The shower will make you clean".

This little play acting has changed her from a complete pain to a complete joy on hair wash days! So I was inspired to go a step further and use Denny to encourage potty training.

Oh dear, I know. It is terrible the lengths to which a desperate Mum will stoop.

You know how these rubber duck toys fill up with water from the bath? And they have a little hole in them? Well, after bath time, Denny the Duck goes on the potty (Caitlin doesn't seem to think it odd that Mummy gives him a ferocious squeeze at the same time). And low and behold, Caitlin is suddenly keen to use the potty before bed time too.

So far so good.

The only problem? I didn't mention all this to Tom, my lovely husband. I have him very well trained since he's stopped commuting. While I put Caitlin to bed, he cooks my dinner! But of course, that meant he'd missed the Denny potty saga.

Over the weekend, Tom came up to keep us company at bedtime. She told Daddy that when she went in her cot, Denny must come too.

"Hang on, sweetheart, he's full of water", said Tom, and without thinking, he squeezed the water out of Denny all over Caitlin and her towel.

But Tom wasn't prepared a) for the sheer amount of water that Denny holds and b) for the strength of reaction he got.

Caitin was HORRIFIED. FURIOUS. DISMAYED.

"DENNY'S DONE A WEE ON MY TOWEL!" she wailed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Tom and I tried very hard not to laugh but we couldn't cheer her up until I removed the towel, promising it would be thoroughly washed and "cleaned" Caitlin with a wipe.

Denny was banished.

"You should have used the potty!" she told him, "Go away and think what you've done!"
And no amount of Denny's heartfelt apologies could persuade her to forgive him. Which is quite harsh really considering she never gets into trouble for her own "accidents"!

The next day she did tell Denny they could be friends again.

"But DON'T DO IT AGAIN", she told him firmly.

More stories soon!

Ellie x