Monday

5:30am and Zelda came in to wake us for a snuggle. She went by way of daddy this time so I could pretend to sleep and not be disturbed, but all to soon the BBC today program came on and it was really time to get up. Coffees, a shower and down stairs I zipped to make lunch for my husband, and breakfast for all three of us. I was in serve mode.

Meanwhile, Zelda was not getting ready and I was getting increasingly stressed. I had decided not to go into work today as Zelda was sick all weekend and I felt instinctively, as you do, that I would have to be home for her early arrival from school. I was not wrong.

1:00 and the call came. Zelda had a high fever and complaining of a headache. It took 20 minutes to get to her and in that time she had a nose bleed and got sick. There she was, sitting on a chair in the office looking really pale and sad. Luckily we got a lift home from the Lolly Pop Man who also drives a taxi!

2pm, and as we entered the house, she was sick again. I reached for a tea towel with one arm and stretched the other to a cabinet where I pulled out a plastic bowl. Here I was doing a juggling act while leading Zelda to the bathroom. I couldn't help but to feel sick myself by this time.

2:30 and Zelda is ensconced on the couch with a Tinkerbell blanket, watching CBeeBies and eating bananas, toast, apples, grapes and drinking mint tea. Most children want to sleep and cuddle when ill, mine wants to be served. Where did I go wrong????

6pm and the grazing finally stopped. It was upstairs for brushing teeth and bedtime routine.

6:30 and we were both snuggled up in bed reading books. I kept saying it was late and she needed rest, but my energizer sick bunny would not hear it. Read me more, tell me stories is all that kept coming out of her mouth when it was time to turn the lights out. I told a story, I tickled/scratched her back...she was just not tired.

7pm, I gave in. I left her with some books to read by herself and put herself to sleep. This is what she wanted instead of the alternative which was me snuggling her with the lights out. At 5 she is so head strong and there are no alternatives but to let her get on with it.

Time check-7:17, I am wondering if she has fallen a sleep yet. I am feeling quite queasy myself. I think I will go and read some books in bed too and put myself to sleep. Perhaps she is on to something! Perfect.