‘Mummy my bum is orange!’ squeals Mayhem from upstairs.
I wonder what he has done. He likes to draw on himself but we haven’t got to that area yet. I hope.
‘Have you done a poo?’ I call back.
I am hopping around the high chair in the kitchen as Midnight throws squashed banana at me.
Milk wanders in. ‘No, he hasn’t done a poo, he is just looking at his bum in the mirror.’
‘Oh good,’ I say.
‘He’s talking about bums all the time,’ sighs Milk.
I nod sympathetically. I am hoping Mayhem’s interest in bums will not be as long lasting as his interest in Captain Jack Sparrow. He manages to shoehorn the infamous pirate of the Caribbean into every conversation he has, no matter who he is talking to, or how tenuous the link.
Now he has started talking about bums, I rather miss the mischievous Jack Sparrow.
‘I’m looking at that lady’s bum bum!’ he shouts when we are out shopping, and runs off, weaving between rails of clothes until he reaches a mannequin wearing a dress.
I find him with his head under the cloth.
‘This lady hasn’t got a bum!’
I look at the mannequin. She hasn’t got a head either but that doesn’t seem to matter.
Midnight wipes banana into his eyes and starts crying.
‘I’m doing a poo now!’ proclaims Mayhem from upstairs. I imagine a whole loo roll being shoved down the toilet.
The front door opens.
‘Daddy’s home!’ screech the boys as if they have been holding their breath for the last 14 hours.
‘I’m wiping my bum and there is treasure in the toilet!’ Mayhem tells his dad.
I wave banana hands at my husband as he goes upstairs to investigate.
I hear him groan. ‘But that’s £1 why have you put £1 down the toilet?’
Mayhem mumbles something about Davy Jones’ Locker and laughs, ‘Look! It’s on my poo!’
I sink to the floor wiping bits of potato and half eaten cucumber into a small soggy pile as Midnight leans over and grabs at my hair with sloppy fingers.
While the bath is running Milk comes in wearing full camouflage.
‘You look great!’ I say. ‘Are you hiding from someone?’
His face crumples. ‘You! I’m hiding from you and you ruined it. THIS IS THE WORST DAY EVER!’
Yes, it is pretty bad,’ I say, noticing a large blob of baby snot on my shoulder.
I explain to Milk that camouflage only works in certain environments and definitely not when standing in front of a fridge spattered with milk and banana.
He nods sullenly and runs into the garden. I know he will be hiding in his den.
After a moment he comes back. ‘Mummy?’
‘Yes?’
‘There’s poo in my den.’
‘Rabbit poo?’ I say hopefully, lifting Midnight out of his highchair.
‘No. It’s quite big.’
Of course it is, I think. ‘Did you touch it?’
Milk shakes his head.
‘Good. Let’s go up for a bath.’
There is a loud grunt from the bathroom.
‘Is everything OK?’
‘No, it is not OK. It’s a Euro,’ says my husband.
‘What?’
‘The toilet treasure wasn’t a £1 coin, it was a Euro.’
‘Worth sticking your hand down the loo then isn’t it, given the value of the pound?’
‘Not quite what I expected as soon as I get in from work,’ my husband huffs.
I hand him the baby and he gives me a look. ‘What are you doing now then?’ he asks.
I smile at him. ‘I was planning on sitting down for 15 minutes with a hot cup of tea, while watching Wimbledon highlights, but actually I’m about to scrape regurgitated food from the kitchen floor, crawl deep into a child’s den to remove a human poo, and then cook us dinner. Do you want to swap?’
‘Bath time boys!’
Milk and Mayhem 