My Favourite Time of The Day...

As soon as the clock shows 16:59 I begin to shut down my computer. It signals the end of the working day.

It’s the start of my favourite time of the day. 

Special time with Leo.

I pick him up from Granny’s and make sure we have blankie in our midst, as there will be no peace without it.

We cook up some food and eat our dinner with Daddy, and then it is bath time before getting ready for bed.

This is the time I love, the time I crave all day every day.

Hair freshly washed all tussled back in a towel dried hair ball. The baby smell rising from his now clean locks, looking almost angelic. But then I realise that the next mission, the biggest of all is upon us. Getting one wriggly, fidgety, arm flailing, leg kicking monster into his nappy and ready for bed.

Suddenly this angelic little boy looks cheeky, and I notice the halo upon his head beginning to slip. He begins to run, he knows Mummy’s plan and he will not be going into the nappy without a fight. 

I lay him down, the nappy already open and I’m ready to work quickly. But he is just too fast, with one swift roll to the left he is up and on his feet. I catch him and try again but this time he rolls to the right, laughing at me as he runs away. I retrieve him and try again only this time he pulls himself forward giving me a loving embrace. He seems to have relented, and allows me to lay him back on the floor. The new found co-operation gives me the time to get him into his pajamas and ready for bed.

With the mission completed and Leo’s halo restored to full brilliance I get his bottle of milk ready, and sit myself down on the sofa. Finally.

Leo lets me know that he want’s blankie, he always has it with his bottle of milk. 

Blankie in one hand and milk in the other.

He snuggles in and gets into his special nook that he always does during this special time together. He lies still and contented as we quieten down for bedtime. 

After the mayhem of working, preparing dinner and finally getting Leo ready for bed, we have our time. Our special time.

A time where it is just Leo and I, where we have nothing to do but sit in the glow of each other and snuggle tight. That is our only job at this time of night.

It is this time I look forward to each and everyday, not because it signals bedtime but because of the quality time we spend together, that he cuddles in unlike any other time of the day.

When bedtime comes at 7pm, he goes off to bed closing his eyes tightly knowing how much he is loved and dreams soundly.

007 Mission - Search & Rescue: Sophie The Giraffe

Mission Notes
Sophie The Giraffe was last seen safe and well in Leo's clutches on a brisk walk home from town. Sophie was nestled securely inside Leo's cosytoes. Upon release from the cosytoes for Leo's entertainment and play....Leo dropped Sophie without Mummy's knowledge.

Upon a check point it became apparent that Sophie The Giraffe had jumped ship....Your mission is to send out a search and rescue team....Find Sophie and bring her home safe and well, for Leo's future enjoyment and companionship....

Now GO!

The Mission Unfolds...
It is un-clear just how long Sophie has been missing, and whether or not she had been left by the river whilst feeding the ducks, or was lying helpless on the side of the road wondering if she would ever be found. All that is known... was she is missing.

I 007 agent Mummy took an oath to serve and protect Leo and all his beloved toys, and now one of them is missing. I will not sleep...or eat until Sophie is found and returned back to her rightful owner!

Our story unfolds on a sunny winters day on Saturday 28th January at about 3pm...Leo was happily playing with Sophie before her disappearance on a walk home...or so I thought...

The cosytoes was un-zipped to enable further play and Leo must have taken that small opportunity to throw Sophie over-board...but where? There was no squeak from Sophie to alert to any problems...just silence.

I looked around the push chair and immanent area...No sign. To save ourselves a walk back to town I continued the short walk home to enlist a team of help. We jumped into the 007 agents car and doubled back on ourselves!

Upon our initial sweep of the area...There was no sign of Sophie at all. We drove around the whole area...we finally reached the realisation that Sophie may have been Giraffe napped and as the minutes rolled by, the chances of finding Leo's beloved Sophie became slimmer, and slimmer.

We turned the car back around and decided to call the mission in: Sophie was gone. I couldn't help thinking that we had given up too soon, but if Sophie had been Giraffe napped - We had nothing to go on. What an expensive toy to loose...

Then on the drive home...we saw the silhouette of what looked to be SOPHIE!! There she was, lay on the pavement next to the church. It had to be her...How many Sophie Giraffes do you found lay around on the streets!? It HAD to be Leo's Sophie!

I slammed the car in to a halt on a junction and put the hazards on, I enlisted my other agent to quickly jump out of the car and retrieve Sophie before she came to any harm!

Sophie The Giraffe had been found safe and well! Nothing a wash wouldn't solve. She looked a little shaken but relieved that 007 Agent Mummy and her search and rescue team had found her!

The Aftermath
Sophie the Giraffe was given a thorough clean up. She was returned to Leo who beamed when he saw her. Mummy Agent made Leo promise that he would never throw Sophie over board again. She told Leo the story of Lotso in Toy Story... How Lotso was never the same after being left and forgotten.

Leo cooed in acceptance, pleased that Sophie was back where she belonged.

Sophie says
'It was a scary day...I know Leo meant me no harm and I count my lucky Giraffe spots that Agent Mummy found me. I now intend to put the events of that day behind me and focus on making my Leo smile'

Today....
Sophie and Leo are still the best of friends....

Mission Lessons
Keep a close eye on all Toys... Just in case 007 Agent Mummy needs to perform such actions at a future date.

Well done 007 Agent Mummy! Look after Sophie now little Leo xx