Beal Beal! Beal Beal!

This week, I took Caitlin out to lunch with one of her friends from nursery and the friend's Mum. It was carnage!

Caitlin and I go to this coffee shop quite often, just the 2 of us, and she is usually angelic. I bask in the approving glow of the old ladies who lunch there. They usually coo over my daughter and tell me what I great Mum I am (such ego boosts are always welcome).

Taking her with her friend was a whole new story.

The first thing that happened was that both of them sprinted in before we could catch up with them, grabbed the homemade greetings cards for sale and brandished them around, to the disapproving glares of everyone else.

“Caitlin!” I hissed, “Is that your thing?”
“No…..” she says, slightly shamefacedly.
“Do we touch OTHER PEOPLE’S THINGS?”
“No”, she replies sadly.
“Then PUT IT BACK!”

I put Caitlin in her booster seat as usual at the table. I like booster seats as I can strap her in (control freak). But! Her friend, Fabi, sits in a grown up seat.

“Why’s Caitlin in a baby’s chair” asks Fabi.
Caitlin looks dismayed.
“Because Caitlin isn’t as tall as you and that way she can reach the table”, replies Fabi's Mum, faster than the speed of light.

Next I put on Caitlin’s bib.
Fabi doesn’t have a bib anymore (oh dear, am I babying her too much? Mum insecurity mode ON).

“Why’s Caitlin wearing a baby’s bib?” asks Fabi.
Caitlin looks dismayed and tries to take the bib off.
“Because Caitlin is wearing a prettier dress than you!” says Fabi’s quick thinking Mum.

The worst part of the lunch was the NOISE. They were tearaways! Caitlin and Fabi were so noisy that I got ticked off by one of the old ladies who lunch (opps! very upsetting for me who can't bear disapproval, especially of my Caitlin!).

When Caitie and I went to the loo, I thought I'd grab the chance to get my Caitie back in line and whispered to her, “You and Fabi are being very noisy. Do you think you can be a bit quieter for Mummy as we’re disturbing the other people?”

Mistake.

Caitlin was too excited for reason.
And mentioning noise was a Very Bad Idea.
She has a game with Pig (one of her soft toys), involving Pig (who has a voice much like Dot from Eastenders) declaring “I don’t like noise” to which Caitlin replies with a large number of high pitched shrieks.

Yes, you've guessed right. As soon as I mentioned noise, the high pitched shrieks happened. Along with a lot of silent screaming in my head.....

But the rowdiest moment was probably when the 2 hoodlums both held their cheese sandwiches to the sky and declared: "Beal, beal! Beal, beal!" like a war cry.

"BEAL BEAL! BEAL BEAL, Mummy!" they chorused.

(At least, it sounded like "beal, beal". I hope it wasn't "kill, kill").

It turns out Fabi, Caitlin's friend, has been chanting "beal, beal" for sometime at home. So has Caitlin. Both Fabi's Mum and I are completely bemused as to what it is. Any ideas?

Oh by the way, since I last wrote, I came up with a Brainwave about The Boat.

I promised Caitlin she would get a sticker every time she used the potty and when she had enough stickers to fill up a large chart, she could have a boat like Isaac's. She was inspired enough to take potty training very seriously and has earned the boat already.

Oh, Denny has been forgiven. But he is rather outshined by The Boat at bathtime now.

Best wishes

Ellie x