Babysitting the enemy !!

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Geo: 16.3833, 103.933

It is fresh and windy this morning. Just before we leave for PHon Thong we discover that we - Jai !! - are taking care of the devil child from next door today. We do our shopping in Phon Thong and are on our way back, on schedule, when I get a puncture. I have to push the bike a good half mile before we get somewhere we can get it repaired. This was quite lucky as there are many places between us and town where it is miles before a garage of any kind. Even so, pushing the bike doesnt do my hip any good at all. We get back to the house about 20mins lkater than expected and find that Bom Bem, the devil child, has been dumped on Jai's mum. They actually get on really well having similar mental ages !! She watches us unload the shopping and insists on having a piece of dried bread. I tell Jai that she cant eat dried bread but as usual around here it is the child who is the boss and knows best. A few minutes later she is gagging, then being sick and crying. Oh yes, its going to be a fun day !!!!!!! By 10:00 it is apparently time for her to have a bottle of milk - plastic bottle and babies teet - and a nap. Is this normal for a 5 1/2 year old ? IT leaves a little bit of peace and quiet anyway. By afternoon I am strecthed out in the back garden and she is plaguing Jai whilst she tries to make her mats. By mid-afternoon it is time for another nap and as Jai's mum has come home by now as well, Jai rushes off to play cards leaving her mum to watch for Bom Bem when she wakes up. All in all it hasnt been as bad a day as I was expecting - well, not for me anyway !

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