The Mother of all Meltdowns

What do you get when you cross a sick baby and her refusal to nap that day?
Yes, Vanessa has been a sick little girl. You know the illness, the one where gobs of snot can be seen dangling from her nose. You run for a tissue and as you emerge from the bathroom you dash forward in slow motion, watching in horror as the back of her chubby little hand wipes the snot clear across her cheekbone and into her hair.

Lovely mothering moments these.

So she’s been oozing snot and coughing and running a tiny fever and refusing to nap. Last evening at approximately 6 o’clock my husband was serving us dinner (for those of you not in the know, the darling man cooks every night for us) and Vanessa was very grumpy. We hoped that putting a little food into her belly would keep her quiet make her feel a little better. I put her in her high chair and gave her a bowl of rice. But, oh, the horror! I stirred it up and blew on it! Instant tears and shouts issued forth. It was obvious by the tone and rapidity of her baby babble that she was cussing me out for it. Hubby and I glanced at each other, both obviously inclined to ignore it. But ignoring it did not make it go away. The tears continued and in a moment Hubby wondered if she might prefer her rice on a plate. He dumped the bowl out onto the plate and all of the sudden we had a convulsing child hitting her head on the back of her chair. Oooooookay. Definitely not what she wanted.

“Do you want down?” I asked removing the tray and placing her on the floor.

Instant screamification, jumping up and down, then falling to the floor and writhing. Hubby and I were trying hard not to laugh but never before had we seen such a display. We obliged her by putting her back in her high chair and eating our meal in company of her tears and snot and angry noises. Finally she picked up the spoon, ate the rice (which was now back in her little purple bowl) and didn’t make another peep. We jammied her, she gave us kisses and we put her to bed hoping for her sakes and ours that she would get well soon.