21-02-17 Lollypop Derangement

Tuesday 21st February 2017

Our evening was going very well – calmness after a two-hour nap was followed by Kingsley’s beloved train ride to the (not so beloved) Mall of the Emirates and then onto Carrefour for a lively yet manageable grocery shop. Our shopping trolley was full, and bellies also (thanks to the endless ‘live’ cooking stations scattered about the shop floor: beef patties, turkey breast, warm bread, London Dairy icecream, taste-testing fruits and even sushi).

Then we hit the busy checkout and at toddler eye-level the dreaded candy counters. PLURAL. Such endless variety of sugar and chocolate I normally keep Kingsley well away from via distraction methods however tonight the inordinately busy checkout threw me and as I was negotiating the grocery belt/pram/shopping trolley/pushy shoppers (one of whom by the way elbowed his way before me leading to an almighty tirade from my mouth) Kingsley became quiet enough for me to finally notice the quiet where usually wild howls emanate.

There, stuffed in his mouth was this …and for love or money I could not get it out of his cakehole. Kingsley, with one hit of highly processed candy, became hooked. For the next 20 minutes’ commute from Mall to Financial Centre, he sucked on the sugar so hard that his eyes widened and his pupils dilated. Kingsley got a dose of lollypop derangement; so uncontrollable in the bloody train too!

Rookie mistake – I am never letting my supermarket check out guard down ever again…