Coffee

He's usually such a well behaved child when we're out and about.
He's not one to sit in the pushchair and holler all the time and I let him walk in our last visit to Mothercare and he was a very good boy, he held my hand all the time and didn't make a grab for any of the merchandise. He seems to actually enjoy sitting in the trolley in the supermarket, the only trouble he's ever given me is that he once pulled a small sign off a shelf advertising a deal on sausages and he does occasionally like to reach out for the items on the belt as we're waiting to pay.
So, a trip into town isn't a big deal for him. All went well until we got tired and wanted a hot drink. Andy went for the coffee and I gave Joseph his bottle. The drinks arrived and I managed a sip or two whilst holding Joseph, but he's a big lad now and it wasn't really practical. Also he seems to think that he has a right to try and play with anything you happen to be holding at the time no matter what it is.
So, I put my drink down and tried to manoeuvre my wriggling toddler into his push chair. There was limited space available and I guess my fresh, full cup of coffee was just not quite out of reach enough.
I saw his little hand reach out. I tried to react, but you know how it goes when the inevitable is happening right before your eyes. I reached out but time itself seemed to slow right down. I saw the little hand grab the lip of the cup and I tried to steady the cup before it went, but I was just too slow. The cup tipped and hot brown liquid spilt everywhere.
When I say everywhere I really mean it. It was all over the table, it was all over the floor and it was all over me. A fair proportion of it had made it as far as Andy to make his day somewhat damper and more uncomfortable than he had planned. Joseph hadn't escaped the deluge either, but I had no sympathy for his whinging.
Apparently I told him off quite loudly and it was that that made him cry rather than the coffee. My thoughts turned to the fact that I had been rather looking forward to that large cappuccino, which was now nothing more than a brown lake with a few bits of foam floating on it. Damp and unhappy I went to ask for a cleaner as clearly this was not remediable by a few napkins from the rack.
The coffee shop were very nice about it, despite the mess and even replaced my drink for free which I hadn't expected.
I wish I could say Joseph has learned his lesson but I don't think he has. I have, though.