Thursday pick up.  It’s the weekend.  It’s the twins’ birthday.  As a surprise for all our September babies (that would be all 3) DH booked a night at Atlantis.  Aquaventure, here we come.

Thursday, 12:50:  Brandishing ‘Barnaby the Bear’ (‘BTB’) above his head, DS2 burst out of his classroom door.  He beamed at me triumphantly.  I burst into smiles.  My baby is responsible for BTB for the weekend!

Bet BTB  hasn’t been to Atlantis or Aquaventure yet this year!!

Barnaby the Bear is a national treasure on the junior campus.  Very much a coveted prize (I say that not knowing how teachers decide on his weekend living arrangements!).  Each Thursday BTB is entrusted to the care of a child from each class (Yes! BTB has been cloned and is used across 12 classes!) for the weekend.  BTB takes along his passport in which his carer is required to report back on his weekend with photos, pictures and a short narrative.  DS2 was even given a change of clothes for BTB; all kept in a plastic folder labelled ‘do not misplace’!

My camera was snapping away at every opportunity: BTB in the hotel room, at Aquaventure , sunbathing on a lounger by the pool, at a brunch, drinking chilled soft drinks by the pool, playing football at the Polo Club….

Somewhere in between all the splashy mayhem, DS2 announced that the girls call BTB, ‘Betty the Bear’.

DH and I exchanged confused glances.

‘Betty the Bear’?????? I splurted.

DD chimed in by vigourously nodding her head.

A cross-dressing bear?  Barnaby one weekend.  Betty the next.  How politically correct!

‘That might explain the gold, glitter sandals in his wardrobe’ commented DH.