Well it's been three weeks since SDs came to live with us and it has certainly has driven the stress levels up in the house. Because they are so close in age (5 and 7) they argue all the time (today resulting in the 5 year old spitting at the 7 year old!). Mealtimes are usually a battle (see previous blog entry) and the house is always in a mess (I wont even mention their bedroom!) They seem to have no respect for me or their father and any attempt we make to pull them up on their behaviour seems to go in one ear and out the other and the same thing happens the next day (or even the next hour!) This is possibly normal 5 and 7 year old behaviour but I haven't had the chance to grow into parenthood with them as they grow so it is a bit of a shock to the system. BM left for Switzerland for 6 weeks on Saturday (after telling us that she would be leaving on Fri so the girls couldn't see her off!) and promised she would send the girls postcards (we'll see!). Something which brightened my day though was that she received her child support payment requirements (we got a copy) and she told DH that it was a load of crap she didn't earn as much as the IRD stated and that she was going to plead hardship and not pay anything. Then she asked DH if we wanted to organise a private arrangement (fat chance). What she doesn't realise is that the only way you can get off paying is if you are in prison or hospital. In this case she is not the poor single mother who has no support (as she claims with her other two kids) but is the mother who has given up her children so IRD wont have much sympathy. Also they have the power to freeze bank accounts, take money from benefits and impose penalties if you don't pay so, she is in for a shock.