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Smart Mart - Health, wealth and happiness
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Not been the best of days really although as a twist, the boys are staying over tonight....
They lost their football match earlier 9-2 though the second half of the game was much better. Came home, bathed them, had dinner and chilled this afternoon before taking them back at 5pm. Their house was in darkness and their mum half asleep upstairs so I made sure they were indoors safely and came home.
Phone rings at 6pm and its DS3 saying mummy still hasn't woken up and they haven't had any tea yet. Agreed to give it ten more minutes and asked them to ask her to get up but, you've guessed it, ten minutes later, she still hadn't got up. Anyhow, ended up collecting them and bringing her daughter home from her b/f's house to let her know.
Boys tucked up safely in bed now so I'll be taking them to school tomorrow and probably not going down to the football club just in case anything happens. :eek:
Getting tired of this. She had better not have started drinking again otherwise my tether will be well and truly reached.:mad:0 -
Woke up and took the boys to school which is a weird feeling as I rarely do it nowadays! Pulled back from having a word with the head as I cannot prove she's been drinking again so will wait until things calm down a little.
Still no phone call from her; might have expected a message thanking me or even apologising but maybe I'm asking too much or even have no right to ask for it. Anyhow, I'm not THAT bothered so won't mention it again.
After school run time, went straight to gym for a 45-minute workout then to Asda for the weekly shop. I'm going to make some New Year resolutions soon and one will be to do all the week's shopping in one go and not to keep popping in there. Spent £42 there this morning but that included my shower gel (£1.90, 3 for £3), £4 for a big jar of coffee and some meals for one. I know they're not particularly nutritious but they do stop me nibbling at night or during the afternoon and they are warming in this cold weather. Bought four today costing £5.60.
Came back home, weighed myself and found I had lost SIX POUNDS this week. :eek::T:beer::j . I knew with four gym visits this week plus a football match and a training session that I must have done more exercise than for a long time but combined with a decent looking diet, it really worked. I'm now at 20 stone 1 pound so I'm really hoping that a two pound loss comes next week; psychologically this will be a huge boost as I started at 22.0 and I would be 19 stone something next week!!
Signature adjusted accordingly.0 -
Just an additional post, cut-and-pasted from the other thread!
I appreciate that the numbers of interested "bookmarkers" is probably vanishing by the day but just wanted to update the situation for my sanity if nobody else's...
Had a phone call from the local Children's Services social worker today regarding the latest incident detailed a few posts above. They wanted to get my feelings on that particular situation and they also want to meet me on Friday at their office, basically to get my side of the story.
Turns out that I will also be getting an invite to a Child Protection Plan meeting in two weeks time. This will see a group of social workers, myself and the mother all determine a strategy for going forward from here with one option being putting the boys on the child protection register "at risk".
I still have mixed feelings about this move if it happens. On the one hand, at last the authorities seem to be moving forward and trying to work something out rather than just accepting things and saying they're sure things will get better and that the children are managing the situation well. On the other hand, it also means they think that they have serious concerns about the mother's parenting skills (well documented above) and that they want to keep an eye on things.
Personally, and I know I'm biased, I cannot see why awarding me sole residency is such a big deal. The boys stay with me two, sometimes three nights a week and love it here having stuck to that routine for six years or more now. I don't drink (mother is an alcoholic), I don't smoke (mother is a smoker of twenty years) and I don't bring a continual stream of unsuitable partners into the house (since 2005, she has introduced boys to six partners, myself one!).
Next year they go to a secondary school a hundred yards from my house. I'd happily consider a reverse arrangement to what is in place now (five days with me, two with her) which would allow her to get work as she is desperate to work having been on benefits since 2004. I work from home as a website administrator meaning that I could arrange my work around the boys rather than arranging my boys around my social life.
Sorry if this seems bitter but if, after all of this, nothing happens, I wiull be hugely disappointed.0 -
Better day today although I only saw the boys for an hour or so at football training. Took the session and then dropped them off home afterwards briefly seeing their mother.
This morning, had my gym goal setting session which consisted of my personal trainer arranging a regular workout for me to lose weight. Going to go on four cardio-vascular machines and five sets of weights and visit the gym three times a week in order to achieve my goals.
Rest of day spent at home except for collecting my daughter from the train station and taking her to Cabot Circus. She and her friend are staying here tonight after going to a gig in the city. Will drop her back into town tomorrow morning.
Having the boys from about 1pm tomorrow and have a few other things to work on the website and the programme too.0 -
A very good quote is health is wealth and another one is healthy wealthy make a wise. So if a person is healthy than he can do any thing. In order to make the good health you must do exercise daily and eat healthy food.0
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Haven't had a chance to read your other thread but wondered how Social Services knew there had been some incidents again?
Sorry things have not settled down, I have seen reports from CPP meetings and I think it is likely that given her level of 'care' towards her children that they will definitely go on the at risk register. I think it sounds a brilliant idea that the boys live with you but what about their sister - does she see her father?
(((Mart and family)))0 -
Eager_Elephant wrote: »Haven't had a chance to read your other thread but wondered how Social Services knew there had been some incidents again?
Sorry things have not settled down, I have seen reports from CPP meetings and I think it is likely that given her level of 'care' towards her children that they will definitely go on the at risk register. I think it sounds a brilliant idea that the boys live with you but what about their sister - does she see her father?
(((Mart and family)))
Hi EE and thanks for posting.
There was an incident a few weeks back, detailed here...
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=47958281&postcount=649
This was obviously attended by the ambulance and the police service so as she had been "in contact" with them before, the services talk to each other hence there is always an involvement now when anything goes wrong.
Their sister does see her father, every other weekend she goes to stay as far as I know. He had a breakdown last year so his new wife, the daughter's stepmum, takes a big part of her life which is good as she seems to be looked after well by her.0 -
Girls got back home at midnight last night so awarded myself a lay-in today as a reward for being a good dad and picking them up.
Dropped them back into town after they got up then came back home and worked for the rest of the morning till 1pm then I picked the boys up. Had to do the evening DX tonight then dropped boys home at 7.30pm and have chilled all evening really.
Received a reply from Social Services today which is detailed on the "Home Alone" thread and date is set for the Child Protection conference on December 12th.0 -
Morning DX this morning then to the gym for the third and final (probably) session of the week. The new workout was completed for the first time, couldn't believe my eyes when the computer told me I'd burnt nearly 700 calories off.
Worked then till 2.30pm when I went up to the school to take the school team. Playing a team that won the league last season, I feared a repeat of recent thumpings but they did very well and only lost 4-1, three of those goals came in the second half.
Back home and wrote up an interview with a Premier League keeper and now preparing for anbother busy day tomorrow. Looks like morning DX, shopping and gym (maybe) before meeting with Children's Services at 11am. Then lunch and picking the boys up for the weekend at 3.15pm. Finally, the football team are live on TV tomorrow night so doing the match report from the telly...:T
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Morning DX then into Asda for a top-up shop (£15 ish) before getting back home. Decided against the gym as the trainer said not to do too much too soon so worked for an hour instead before meeting the social worker ahead of the CP plan conference in ten days time.
Home for lunch, more work then rang the CCCS to arrange a phone interview. Really need to get this sorted once and for all so interview set for next Friday. Going to do as much as I can between now and then to make the process quicker.
Collected boys from school and we're back in now for the night. My team are playing live on ESPN tonight so will be doing the match report from the television pictures; no need to drive a 500-mile round trip tonight. :T0
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