water bottle

Someone who has lived only slightly more than 1000 days on earth has caught on to one of mommy's unhygenic tricks  - bringing out 1 water bottle for the purpose of delivering water to 2 kids. 

I have no qualms about letting them share a water bottle. After all, its just saliva and it saves me from carrying out 2 water bottles.

Carrying out water bottles I do not enjoy. They leak in your bag if you don't screw the cap tightly  so 2 water bottles enhance the odds of water leakage.  2 bottles weigh more than 1, not bad enough you are carrying wet wipes, their enrichment textbooks and crumbly biscuits which have a tendency to become a collection of crumbs finding their way to corners of the bag.

I brought out 1 bottle on sunday and before Shane went to reading class, I gave him a swig...I never let him bring a bottle of water to class because he doesn't close the cap properly and i can always tell which enrichment bag belongs to my son even if you remove the name tag - it is the one with soggy textbooks and water dripping out of the corners. Like mother like son.

When Shane goes into reading class, I take this time to be with Alix. Routine always is:

1. see the live crabs at supermarket

2. shopping treat of the week - glico pocky or yen yen biscuits

3. one spin on the mechanised helicopter or train

4. go to v hive the furniture shop for free spin on the rotating office chairs

5. go to diy shop to look at strange looking tools

With all this activity, she got thirsty and I offered her water off the spout of the water bottle. It was her pink water bottle, the one she carries to nursery everyday.

Alix: I want water.

Me: Here.

Alix: I smell something.

Me:....

Alix: I smell ko ko shane.

Me: .....

Alix: It is ko ko shane saliva!!!

Her super sensitive nose detected the alien traces of saliva!!! So I started offering ways to placate her.

Me: I can wash it. [using tissue to wipe] see clean already?

Alix: Still smelly.

Me: It is not shane's saliva. It is MOMMY'S SALIVA!

Alix: I don't want mommy's saliva!

This went on and on for about 20 minutes.  I considered letting her go thirsty but water is essential for survival. Factoring the cost of bottle of mineral water, the emotional cost of having her unhappy for the rest of the day and the possible impact of her refusing the saliva stained water bottle the next day in childcare (the place where children fend for themselves), I relented and let her buy another new water bottle.

In the hygiene battle, 3 year old wins:

Alix: 1

Mommy: 0