We all love a good bargain.

Before anybody thinks that I have found an amazing website that gives stuff away or for next to nothing, I'm sorry to disappoint you all but this post is not about that. I haven't found anything for free (but I am looking). What I have found today though is that it doesn't matter how young you are, everybody loves a good bargain.

This morning, Marie was ready to go to school. Uniform on, teeth brushed, face washed, hair brushed, lunch box and beaker in her school bag, school bag by the door, runners on and coat at the ready. She had a bit of time on her and and was playing happily with Noelie in the sitting room while I was having my first cup of coffee of the morning in the kitchen.

Suddenly she comes into the kitchen carrying the remote control. 'Here, we go, I thought to myself, she is going to ask to put the telly on.' Usually I would allow her to watch a cartoon in the morning, if and only if, she is ready as per the parameters above. This morning, we had to leave a bit early as she was to give out the invitations to her birthday party next week to her friends in school. We did leave early but unfortunately, didn't make it on time due to heavy traffic (who would think it takes 25 minutes to travel 1 poor little mile! 25 minutes up, 5 minutes down! Argghhh!).

So in she comes, remote control in hand. The conversation went as follows:

- 'Maman, is that the right remote control?'

- 'What do you mean the right remote control?'

- 'Well, look'

The battery compartment was open and no batteries were to be seen.

-'Show me.'

She dully shows me the remote control.

- 'Noelie broke it, she adds'

- 'She didn't break it. This opens so you can put batteries in so that it works.'

- 'Yes, I know. But is it the right remote control?'

I took a look at the remote control and said: 'No, it's Noelie's.'

Let me explain, Noelie has developed a passion for anything we hold. Phones, books, cups, food, anything, you name it. If you have it, she reaches for it. That, of course, includes remote controls. And we probably are guilty of holding that thing quite a bit. We used to let her hold it (when not in use or being sat on), but then grew tired of the sound being muted, the channel being changed, the TV being turned off, or worse, the program that we had religiously paused so that we could watch it in peace being completely obliterated from our screen by those little tiny fingers (or gums). Not to mention the battle to regain control of said remote control (she has a good grip!) and then pressing the saliva soaked buttons (not the best sensation in the world). So Mr Foodie had a flash of genius. We have a spare one. The exact same remote control but never used. Still in the wrapper. When we got the cable in, the guys told us to keep whatever remote and cables we had before as well as the new ones they'd brought and we had put it away. So we gave Noelie her own remote control, one she could drool on, on which she can press all the buttons she wants without any interference to our own viewing pleasure. She has been delighted ever since. And that's the remote Marie was holding this morning. The rest of the conversation went as follows:

- 'Oh right, so it's the fake one.'

- 'No, it's not a fake one. It's a proper one but there are no batteries in it, so it doesn't work.'

- 'I'm going to tell her it's not a real one'(as if telling an 8 month old child that the remote she has is not real is, somehow, going to make her stop playing with it)

- 'No, you don't need to tell her that because it is a real one. Do you remember when the people came to put the channels in?'

- 'Yes?'

- ' Well, they gave us another remote, but told us to keep the old ones too.'

- 'Oh, that's good, 'Buy one, get one free!' and off she went, back to the sitting room, where I heard her say to her sister: 'It's a real one, but it just doesn't work.'

Everybody loves a good bargain, even 6 (soon to be 7) years old!