Not cut out for this working lark...

I'm sitting here falling asleep at 7.30pm on a Friday night. Sad. I've been working fulltime this week as my boss is on holiday, and I'm exhausted! I'm not used to this. Although the kids wear me out when I'm at home, this is too much. To be fair, Pete looks more knackered than me as he's been home with the kids all week. I don't know who got the worse deal.

I'm going to tell you about my children.
Ryan is twelve years old and he's had a very tough time. He grew up living with his real Mum and stepdad. They're Jehovah's Witnesses, and quite frankly have been emotionally(and more recently physically) abusing him. I could moan about them forever, but lets just say he is a very guilt ridden, angry and damaged boy. He came to live here in October last year because they'd started hitting him and we stepped in. Since coming here he's joined a football team(he wasn't allowed 'normal' friends before so wasn't given much contact with other children), started senior school(which he hates!), and has started to relax and behave like a happy normal boy. It's lovely to see. We've still got a lot of work to do, he needs to see counselors, plus we are taking his Mum to court to get supervised access. He is too scared to visit her alone, but he misses his half sister. It's been a tough few months, but worth it if he gets a chance at life.

Taylor is seven and is a sensitive and funny little boy. I can't even begin to describe him, he's magical. His personality lights up the room, you'd have to meet him to understand. He loves to draw, play football and cricket, and is Star Wars mad. He writes me little notes telling me how much he loves me(without me having to ask him!). He is great at acting, and loves being on stage. He's had the main parts in two plays since he started school and learns his lines really easily. I really need to get him into a drama club. He's helping us grow a vegetable patch, and is lovingly growing some tomato seedlings at he moment.


Isobel is 22 months old, and she talks non stop. She can ask for things now and answers questions. She calls her brothers Tator and Ryoo, and is always shouting orders at them. She is really getting into books(or 'doots' as she calls them), but has no respect for them and peels the covers off and chews them. Isobel is obsessed with music and gets hysterical if we don't turn the 'dances' on when asked to. She also has the funkiest dance moves I've ever seen on a toddler, she's a proper little raver(she takes after her Mum!). When she gets tired she just kisses everyone in the room(even total strangers), says 'Bye, wuv you' and takes herself off upstairs. She has a fiery temper and is a bit of a diva. If she doesn't get her own way she headbutts the wall for sympathy. She's a proper girly girl too and loves her shoes and having her hair done. She looks like Shirley Temple on a good day, and Worzel Gummidge on a bad one.

I can't wait to see what all three of them are going to grow into and do with their lives.