Soft Play, Sickness and Vintage Dolls

Our tale begins last Sunday when some of Boo’s school friends invited her to a new(ish) soft play centre near where we live.

We hadn’t visited before and it was Baby G’s first time. We all enjoyed it and the siblings had a great time in the ball pit.

I was filled with joy at how much G did enjoy it as his big sister had never been overly keen on soft play but even she was more adventurous than she usually is.

On Monday, things started to go down hill. Into Tuesday morning, Baby G woke up and had been sick. I changed his bed, gave him some milk and he went back down but on Tuesday some quite nasty things have been happening at the other end and, while they have improved, it is still not back to normal.

I am afraid, the soft-play germs have hit and hit G in a major way.

I have been reminded why we stopped going when Boo was a baby.

In Wednesday evening, Hubster started being sick and, praying Boo and I had missed out, I went to bed. 15 minutes after my head hit the pillow, G was crying and it was a full outfit, sleeping bag and cot sheet change.

Some 15 minutes after my head hit the pillow again, Boo cried out and I dreaded going in. I just knew what would await.

I wasn’t wrong.

A bed change and pyjama change followed then another bed change, a 1am shower (for us both) and I decided to camp out on her floor.

Little sleep was had but at 8am when they both woke up, she seemed a little better. There was a lack of appetite and I kept her on light things but she was much better than she had been.

I kept her off school yesterday too as I didn’t think she was 100 per cent but by lunch time, I’d wished I had sent her.

She decided she wanted to play with her dolly. This is the dolly she received as a gift from Baby G when he was born and it is called George.

We pretended to bath the dolly in a toy bath and then I found some of her brother’s small clothes and we dressed the dolly.

Then I remembered I had my old doll from when I was a little girl upstairs so I got her out.

Boo decided she did not like the old dolly and, if I’m honest, I don’t really blame her. She hasn’t aged well.

I got her in Spain over 30 years ago and her ears are green from the cheap earrings she must have worn. Her skin is discoloured and she had such a big hole in her bottom regions that we had to put a nappy on her. I actually think she is bigger than Baby G.

The lovely thing about the experience though is that my lovely Nana who never got to meet my babies had knitted loads of clothes for my doll and I put the bonnet on Baby G. It fits perfectly so I think I am going to wash it, attach some ribbon and use it. At least a little piece of my Nana will be near us.

What a week. So far, I have escaped the bug but I am seriously considering some form of alcohol to congratulate myself for getting through it.

We won’t be going to soft play for a long time.