"Two is Trouble...Four is More"

Our Australian friends left us to fly back to Sydney.  Egg is most unhappy about this.  It appears that he has developed his first proper 'girl crush' on his little Aussie friend - who is all long blond hair and infectious giggles.

The two of them spent the fortnight cuddled up together, whispering, swimming, hatching plans and watching movies together.  Inseparable they were...even insisting on 'sleep-overs' most nights.  (Dumps was incredibly lenient about the whole 'three in a bed' thing - perhaps too much so - but won't dwell on that at the minute.)

The three year old little boy who by all accounts should have gotten on like a house of fire with Dumps...spent more time in back seat shenanigans, fighting for seat space and defending himself against the established hierarchy he unwittingly walked into.

As far as Dumpie is concerned, he is ruler over all.  Mostly this is because Egg could care less about status and lets Dumpie have his way.  This other little boy did not share the same opinion.

Thus most of the trip was spent running to and fro at the first sign of a wail, and trying to ascertain who was at fault (usually Dumps), what had happened (a shove?  a pinch?  biscuit theft?) and what was to be done about it (usually very little but a good telling off, given that there were often no witnesses save a slyly grinning Dumps proclaiming his innocence, and a very angry red-faced three year old pointing fingers across the room in anger).

Despite all this, the three adults present (myself included) managed to prevail upon a lovely local girl to babysit for us on two separate occasions - giving us ample opportunity to sample the local cocktails and fine cuisine in restaurants which don't cater to spontaneous food fights, mid-meal tantrums and cushion throwing.

A fine holiday was had by all.  They shall be sorely missed, and we don't know when we'll next see each other again.....it could be a few years (sigh).

So Egg continues to pine for his new 'best friend' and bemoan her absence...Dumpie continues to, in copycat fashion (and not entirely believable given his behaviour), 'pine' for the little boy, and the husband and I come away from the experience with renewed respect for those who choose to continue procreating up to the tidy sum of four.

Two kiddies is full on.  Four is just...well...mental.  Unless one is possessed of the patience of a saint, has enough money to afford full-time LIVE IN help (we had two Balinese ladies on the go and still!), and has GIRLS...I just don't know how one is to survive the experience with nerves and other relevant mental faculties intact.

As parents to four headstrong, close-in-age daughters, it is nothing short of a miracle that my own parents are still sane, functioning human beings, living outside of an institute for the mentally and emotionally challenged.

Hats off to you both...how did you do it?!

Respect :)