There was less chat from the workroom this day as he lay in his cot for his nap. The women were busily trying to finish his outfit. Robert actually dropped off to sleep – becoming more used now to his daily nap.
The next morning after his nappy change and feed they were ready to dress him in his new outfit. He looked glumly from his high chair as his mother held the nursery print dress up, bulging over the many layers of organza petticoats.
Once his pink tights had been pulled up over his nappy Sue made him step into the new nappy cover. The nursery print could barely be seen through the thick layers of frills which gave the nappy cover a much more bulging appearance.
He disappeared into the layers of organza, emerging as his mother buttoned the dress up the back while Maggie smoothed down his petticoats. When they were done he lowered his arms but found they were held out at a 45 degree angle by the petticoats. He could see in the mirror that the lower three layers of frills on his nappy cover were visible no matter how much he tried to push down his petticoats. “Adorable!” was the consensus.
Sue placed the bonnet on his head and pulled the ribbons. Four layers of frills drew in around his face and she tied it tightly in a bow under his chin. He turned his head this way and that and the frills now framed everything he saw. Sue made sure the ribbons from the pink bow on the back of the bonnet streamed neatly down the back – not that he could see that.
They made him walk up and down. The layers of petticoats rocked as he walked giving glimpses of more layers of frills on his nappy cover. They encouraged him to twirl as he turned and his petticoats swirled out revealing his full nappy cover.
“That’s SO cute! We should shorten his pink dress so he shows off the frilly nappy cover in it too”, Hilda suggested. “Good idea”, Sue agreed. “We can take a couple of inches off it above where it flares.” Robert sniffled. If they did that then everyone who saw him in either baby dress could see instantly that he was wearing a nappy.
When they had finished getting him to model his new baby dress Monica steered him to the play room. “Play with the letter blocks for a while”, she urged him. Robert flopped down on the floor in the middle of the blocks. He was now used to his thick nappy providing a cushioning effect. He sat there with his arms resting on his billowing petticoats momentarily contemplating that this was probably the only time his frilly nappy cover would not be visible.
He tried to pick up a block but couldn’t reach it over his petticoats. They were completely impractical. He got up on his knees to reach the block. He heard giggling behind. He looked in the mirror to see, behind his own face framed prettily by his enormous bonnet, the mums were admiring the view of his five layers of organza petticoats tipped up and around his fully frilly bottom.
“Now spell ‘CAT’” Monica prompted him. This forced him to crawl around to gather three letter blocks. He found the appropriate side of each block and arranged them in line clumsily, hampered by his mittens. They all clapped “well done!” as if spelling CAT was an achievement for him.
Eventually they went off on their cycle and left him in peace. When they returned they found him on one end of the large see-saw in the playground with all of the babies pressing down the other end which was the only way they could counterbalance him. They let go and he descended in a flurry of petticoats much to their delight.
When Robert saw the women had returned he went to get off the seesaw but the babies pushed him up in the air again and his pink legs dangled as they held him there. “Mmmmppppffff!” Robert protested as he leaned forward clinging to the handle. “Let Baby Bobbie down” Norma ordered and they reluctantly let him flutter down again.
By Friday his routine of nappy changes, bottles and feeds, naps and early bedtime had become his new normal. He played with his dolls, rattles and blocks because that’s all he had and could handle with the mittens.
The mothers were having a great time free from looking after the little ones – or not so little one in Emma’s case. They couldn’t believe though that Saturday had come around so quickly. Robert, on the other hand, thought the week had lasted an eternity.
Monica overheard the mums’ disappointment. “Well we actually have no booking next week so we could offer you an extension at half price.” Robert stopped on his rocking horse and looked up with concern. The mums looked at each other. A couple of them had to make phone calls to try to arrange it.
“Nnggghhh!” Robert tried to get his mother’s attention to make it clear he didn’t want to be another week in nappies. “You seem to be having a nice time”, she nodded at the rocking horse he’d been playing on for the last while. “Nnngh Nnngh!” he disagreed.
A few minutes later Angie came in. “It’s all sorted! We can stay another week.” They all clapped. Robert looked up from the floor where he’d been trying some new rattles he’d found. He frowned and shook his rattle with frustration but it was lost in the excitement.
Sue looked at him. “I think Baby Bobbie is going to need another dress!” “Oh I saw a gorgeous pattern of cerise hearts in the fabric shop in town”, Maggie added excitedly. Robert was desperately tugging at his mittens. He had to get out of this nightmare. But as ever his mittens wouldn’t budge and he sat there disconsolately in the middle of his puffed up petticoats.
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Topic: Shoulda gone to camp (Read 17543 times)
