Brownie points

Nothing makes your wife happier than when you tell her your boss has asked you to go to a conference in London in his place, and of course bringing her and Mädchen along isn't an option because: (a) flights are expensive; (b) the dollar has about as much value as Monopoly money these days, so we'd have to take out a mortgage on our house to afford even the cheapest hotel; and (c) who really wants to take a 21-month-old on an intercontinental flight? Oh, and Mädchen seems to be getting sick, which she'll now have to deal with by herself. Something tells me I either need to do some very thoughtful shopping during my free time (subject to the constraints of (b) above) or be prepared to do some serious groveling (and babysitting) when I get back...