Ladies who lunch

Alice caught up with her Australian fairy godmother, Auntie Niki, this week and spent the day doing what Auntie Niki likes best - lunching and shopping. We added glasses of wine and a visit to see "Lawro" the cat to ensure complete enjoyment for everyone. Alice behaved very nicely around the shops, especially in Lisa Ho, where she took a tour around the bridal room, admired the goldfish in the garden outside [shopping with Auntie Niki is not quite your standard browsing in Target and heading for McDonalds afterwards] and relaxed while leafing through the latest catalogue.

As a reward for her patience and for complimenting the Lisa Ho shop assistant on wearing a "pretty dress", we went to Max Brenner for a chocolate babycino (consumed in less than 5 seconds through a straw), where she also received a Dora toy from the staff there, which she clasped to her bosom for the rest of the day/night.

I intended purchasing a tea-set, as Alice has started "imaginative play" to quote her Auntie Bethan. If you ask me she is just pretending to pour cups of tea because everyone we saw in England brewed up about 10 cups a day and Alice thinks that is what one does. While she will happily sip noisily out of a cup made from thin air, I had been thinking about some plastic c&*p to make it more fun for her. Those who know Auntie Niki will know that she takes consumption to whole new level generally. The tea-set became a Christening gift of a china tea service from the Donna Hay store. Alice played with it when she arrived home. She seemed to realise it was a class above and stopped the noisy sipping. It even comes with napkins (you just can't call them serviettes - they are too beautiful) which she has been dabbing at her lips daintily. Then she reverted to type and started banging the cups on the table, Oliver Twist style.

Very sophisticated...

Well, almost....

I think I might need to get some back up plastic c&*p, as I am not sure my nerves can take the stress of a china tea service on a full-time basis. However, it will definitely be treasured. Alice was altogether so excited with the day that she was unable to sleep that night and kept yelling "Nitti" from her bed.