Confusing Day

It has been a strange sort of end of the week. The led up to today was really confusing and I was left not knowing what was happening about seeing Lucy this weekend with Lucy's mummy moving to Leicester this weekend and the extra expense that will cause to my already already stretched budget.

It all started with an email from Lucy's Mummy's boyfriend reminding me of the coming move on wednesday evening. It said that "access will not be affected" by Lucy moving and that I should pick her at nursery on Friday and take her back to Leicester. In reply I pointed out my access would be affected since I can't afford the fuel costs and that we should share the costs This email conversation went on for a while and by the end of the day I was left in complete confusion as to what was happening this weekend given I couldn't afford to take her back to Leicester.

Of course their is history to this, when the move was first mentioned in April and I said back then I couldn't afford cost of the petrol and I was told "you will have pay petrol but like you said, your children are important so I am sure you will work something out ". I pointed out there just wasn't the money and got told that Lucy would only be brought to me if she was visiting relatives in Rutland.  As usual no compromise was made back then and with the move happening still nothing has been resolved fairly.

By the start of today I was really starting to get worried as emails were going unanswered and I ended up calling the nursery to see if they knew what was happening. Drawing a blank with them and after another email, as noon approached I was forced to sent a text via the home phone to Lucy's mummy. The reply cam back saying she was expecting me to pick her up although the issue of how she was getting back was still unresolved. 

Most of the day was over shadowed by the events of the morning, but all the same it was lovely to pick up Lucy at noon and thank the nursery staff for all they have done for her. One of them said that "I didn't want her to leave" because I was taking ages to go, and do you know what they were right. It is a lovely little nursery.

Most of the afternoon, after we went to the supermarket to get lunch, was spent cleaning the house, while Lucy played in the family room. This consisted of finding the toys she had lost in the toy boxes at the back of the room. Soon she was making more mess than we were tidying but at least it was all confined in the family room and would be easy to clean up later. It wasn't like we didn't see her. Every so often she would appear asking for drinks or just showing us the things she thought she had lost. 

We were all so busy, that time seemed to past very quickly and before we knew it Catherine arrived home from school. Lucy heard her come in and after a hug they both went upstairs to play in Lucy's bedroom with the dolls house and the keyboard. This allowed us to quickly get on with finishing the kitchen off without interruptions and with an extra pair of hands when Emily go in from school. Unfortunately this didn't go completely to plan as moving the dishwasher caused a water pipe to develop a drip. So in the end we ended up with it in the middle of the kitchen waiting to see if the quick repair had worked.

Giving up on getting the floor mopped I got on with cooking dinner. Soon everyone was eating and having a laugh, before they all went back to playing until it was time to get Lucy ready for bed. 

Bedtime followed the usual routine with Emily and Catherine reading her stories while I found the things she had lost in the mess she made at the back of the family room. This gave them both time to read her a extra story each before I read her last story and tucked her in with kiss and cuddles from those she loves.

With Lucy in bed Emily and Catherine settled down to watch some television together while they relaxed before they joined he in the land of nod.

It seemed a strange day in someways but rather lovely in others. It was nice to see the fruits of our work and it was a shame we didn't get the last bit of the kitchen done. Lucy seemed to have a great time as did Emily and Catherine and at the end of the day that is the main thing.

Later in the evening I was thinking about the events of the day and I realised that having Lucy although not having the spare money to get her back was forced on me, not that I mind having Lucy. The fact I couldn't afford to take her back and that there were no agreed arrangements for getting her back seemed immaterial, after all who would want a three year old helping them move house. What is needed is better communication, understanding and some empathy.