We have play dates at Play Up at the Museum of Modern Australian Democracy (Old Parliament House). I normally pack crackers or corn thins and a fruit. Today I decided to pack cabanossi, grapes, sliced apples, cacao slices and corn thins. Clover grazes from breakfast to lunch and I get the hungers too.

She started her first course of cabanossi when we arrived (10:40), usually she’s into her second snack after finishing her breakfast at that time so I was surprised she lasted. All was well until a staff member told us that only dry food were allowed (never heard of this before). I swapped it for corn thins and Clover was fine. She ate, ran off then came back and started unpacking the bag (she helped me pack it). She wanted cabanossi, I said we couldn’t so she named everything else and looked so sad every time I had to say we couldn’t. I said we could eat it at a cafe afterwards to which she said “now?” since we hadn’t been there for very long, I convinced her to stay.

When we left at about 12 we headed home (I forgot about the cafe). As we got closer to our place she piped up with “I eat lunch in cafe?” I was like “uh…” tried to say we can eat at home and then go to a cafe. She didn’t like that. I said we have to change everyone’s nappies first then go. She didn’t like that either and wanted to get changed in the passenger seat (we were in front of our house). We did go inside and I changed their nappies.

I tried to sway her to eat at home and she kept saying she wanted her merienda. I said we can still eat it at a cafe but we can eat lunch first. She wasn’t convinced. To her the order of eating was merienda at a cafe then lunch. Perhaps because during the week we don’t head out to cafes so once I said that we’d eat in one there was no going back.

After sitting by her as she let her emotions take over, the more I could see she needed sleep (and food). We got back in the car and headed to Lyneham. We circled three times because 12:30 is a popular time. Clover asked if we were there and I said we had to look for a park and by the time I looked at her she was asleep. And I was famished.

I don’t like it when they fall asleep in the car. Iris not so much because she sleeps anywhere but Clover has one nap (if that) a day and it always stings when she sleeps in her car seat. I know she needs it so I waited. 

I parked in a leafy street and sat there. As she started to stir I drove off she woke up like a light and was ready for pizza. We found a carpark pretty much straight away and ended up at the Turkish Pide place as it had couches. We ordered and settled/took over.

Iris laid down, rolled over, inspected the cushions, her toes before wanting to crawl off the couch onto the floor (she didn’t by I’m sure she would’ve). Clover looked around in amazement, naming and asking what was in the fridge, fetching us plates, opening the cutlery and digging the spinach, feta and tasty cheese pide (not so much the spinach). I had taken out her merienda and we polished it all off.
It was great to have a new place to go to that didn’t mind us bringing in our own food, rearranging the table and it no one batted an eyelid that I had a baby lying down and a toddler mesmerised. That’s what it should be.

I haven’t slept much and I keep having 9:45pm epiphanies especially as I dive back into my Brain Body Medicine Certificate and reading Big Magic. My brain is tired and I’ve become hyper aware of what triggers me. I’m being Sadness in Inside Out and letting the emotion sit with me, wash over me then watch it melt away. It has helped me a great deal this week. And I noticed it a lot today.