I look good on Thursdays

On Thursdays I look good.

If you dropped into my place at say around 1pm there would be a tidy nay immaculate house, washing wafts on the line, the laundry basket tamed and sorted and sitting on the dining table. The floor is devoid of it's usual layer of spattered pureed fruit and specks of cheese and the dishwasher is stacked.

Poppy is either a: clean and happy and playing or B: magically asleep, which is usually unheard of at this time of the day. It is a scene of domestic bliss - and I will not be part of it. In fact I would not even be in the house.

Because Thursday mornings is what I like to call 'Dee day'.

Dee is my friends nanny who I have borrowed for a princely sum to take care of Poppy while I go to uni this semester on day a week (having not been able to secure a spot for Poppy in Ivy's childcare centre - despite being on a waiting list since 2009.)

Now I've experienced the magic of using a nanny my life may never be the same, though sadly unless I rob a bank the experience will end mid July for us. As a friend said to me recently when she found out we were using a nanny. "Oh man, having a nanny is like flying business class....once you've done it, you'll never want to go back to economy."

And so it is true. Having someone come to your house means you can swan out the door when you are ready - whether your darling is still asleep, still spattering yoghurt around the kitchen or still in their jammies. There is no waking up a cranky child, stuffing breakfast into them and then stuffing them in the car to get them to a childcare centre where they will join the ranks of other snot encrusted babies lined up in their highchairs. No - there is nothing but calm and it makes me realise why all these godamn celebs and millionaires look so bloody good a few weeks after squeezing out their kids.

Sadly at 20 bucks an hour with no Govt rebate, this kind of bliss does not come cheap. The other night Ed and I were having our usual discussion about what we would do if we won the lottery. A few years ago our millionaire fantasies revolved around moving to Thailand, travelling 6 months of the year and buying a holiday house. The other night you know what our ultimate fantasy was? Building a bigger house with a separate apartment in the garden and unlimited access to Dee.....these days that would beat the best tropical island in Thailand hands down.

Some numbers

3 - is the number of colds that Poppy has had in 6 weeks

3 - is the number of days this week I have spent unable to do anything except hold a crying sick baby who doesn't want me to put her down, ever.

2 - is the number of colds I have had. I have one now which arrived the day the first one was just on its way out.

3 - is the number of people in the house who have also had stomach bugs.

4 - is the time of the morning we have seen more frequently than we would have liked to thanks to a sick baby and a weird almost 4 year old.

9 - is the time we have started going to bed in case we start the day at 4.

400 - is the amount of dollars we have paid in Poppy's childcare fees which we haven't been able to use because of reason number one.

0 - is the amount of energy I have - having been sick or looking after a sick child since about mid March.

0 - is the amount of time I have had to be able to do any uni work in the last 3 weeks.