A-Z Challenge Day 5 - Elephants

E? Let's see....Eczema? Elgar? Let's go for elephants. Interesting fact of the day: Did you know that classic children's song Nellie the Elephant is used to teach the correct rhythm of CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)? I certainly didn't.

An especial  favourite when our children were little was Mrs Large and her gang of mini pachyderms. Jill Murphy's Five Minute's Peace has been gracing nursery bookshelves for 30 years now and I'm glad to see that it's still being reprinted. It's a tale that will resonate with stressed-out parents everywhere as much as with their offspring.  Amidst the chaos of a typical busy breakfast time, poor Mrs Large makes valiant attempts to creep  off for 'five minutes peace,' with a cuppa and a decadently steamy and perfumed bubble bath.  Does she succeed in her mission? No prizes for guessing! What I remember from that stage was that the loo was the only place where you could get away for even a few minutes, and even then you'd do what you had to do to the accompaniment of plaintive wails and sometimes even to the sight of little fingers trying to sneak under the door. When Ms GP was really tiny and I needed a bath, I used to buy time by installing her in her padded baby rocking chair on the bathroom floor and then sing Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo from Disney's  Cinderella on permanent loop. What I wouldn't have given for Spotify back then!

Thirty years later, Ms GP prefers showers, I've gone up two dress sizes, and love baths so much that I've wrinkles to rival those of poor Mrs L.  The Large family have taken off in a big way (pardon the pun) and have even had their own TV series. I still think the first story was the best. So for stressed parents everywhere, here it is.