Nell: Harriet has registered an official complaint.
Me: Why?
Nell: Poppy is getting too much attention.
Me: Who from?
Nell: David and Kev.
Me: Oh dear.
Nell: Apparently David spent hours playing Bitey Faces with Poppy yesterday and this morning Harriet had to sit by and watch Kev cuddle Poppy and call her his ‘Darling little Popsicle’. I quote.
Me: Well, she is.
Nell: Harriet says everyone knows that she is ‘Daddy’s Girl’ and his ‘Princess’.
Me: One doesn’t rule out the other.
Nell: That’s what I said. She says David used to play Bitey Faces with her for hours but now he is too exhausted and just wants to read on his lounger.
Me: Dave’s never too exhausted to play, or cuddle and I certainly wouldn’t call him a reader, although he enjoyed our book.
Nell: He liked the pictures and he loved the recipes.
Me: So what’s turned Harriet into a green-eyed monster?
Nell: She is just jealous.
Me: But why?
Nell: I think she’s having a Crisis of Confidence. It happens to us all. Even I have been known to request an extra cuddle.
Me: I’ve noticed.
Nell: Now, talking of monsters, did you hear that annoying Beefy this morning?
Me: No.
Nell: The wretched seagull has been sneezing all over the garden.
Me: It sounds like hay fever. There’s a lot of it around at the moment.
Nell: Yes. But it keeps shouting ‘Sorry’ after each sneeze and then Malcolm shouts back ‘Bless you.’
Me: That’s rather sweet if you think about it.
Nell: Don’t start.
Me: Maybe Malcolm should give it some honey and lemon. It’s probably got an awfully sore throat.
Nell: Certainly not. Beefies must never be encouraged. Everybody knows that.
Me: I know but this one might be the exception. Sorry.
