It's just been my daughter and me for the past week, and we've survived intact. My mother had acted as a surrogate mother to her before heading out of the country last week to attend a wedding.
So, I've been her father and mother for a week, responsible for everything. No real change from when I last lived with her natural mother.
We spent the weekend with my brother and his family. Their eldest daughter was 10 a few days ago and is six months older than my daughter. They didn't stop talking.
The biggest issues came up today. I had a meeting with my daughter's class teacher and the Deputy Head. It was a simple but important meeting, my daughter has the reading age of a 6-7 year old. She's 9 1/2 . We discussed whether there were psychological reasons for this but decided her education had ceased when I left the family home, two days after her 7th birthday.
She'll be tested for dyslexia and dyspraxia and a few others, just in case.
The social worker rang after we got home from school. She spent 20 mins talking to my daughter before getting me. Her first comment was that my daughter was bubbly, telling the SW anything she wanted to know, and a few more besides. Previously the SW said she would have to work hard to tease anything from my daughter. Evidence.
We discussed the fact that the ex wasn't calling her daughter and whether the ex was losing interest. More evidence.
The SW will interview my daughter in person on Monday. We're meeting in a cathedral city 20 miles from the former family home. This is the only place the ex can see her daughter, the judge said so. The SW will be there throughout.
One thing that was raised by the SW (in her conversation with my little girl) was the fact that she keeps saying that she'll go back to her mother after seven weeks and has started counting down (we're at three weeks now). This it seems is what her mother told her, presumably believing that the hearing on 15th October will reverse the decision. The SW has suggested to my daughter that she'll be staying here. My daughter's response was a very quiet "don't know", the only time she was quiet during their conversation.
While they were talking, the day's mail arrived - at 4pm! The snails were very slow today. In the mail was the first item addressed to my daughter. I handed it to her to open but knew what it was, her new medical card. The NHS has officially recorded her as resident with me. That is now sufficient to sort out her bank account, the bank wouldn't accept the court order.
On Friday 1st Oct myself and daughter will travel 'up north' to see my son. He still hasn't gone back to school but will now be tested for Asperger's Syndrome. More info when I see him, if not before.
Topsy
