Under the Stairs

Day 11 -Saturday

Although I'd like to believe that my sister has worked hard every waking moment over the last week to clear & clean the house, I know this is not going to be true as G, his mum & I turn up for another round with the house. This time is different though as she's not here. She decided she would go away for the weekend as she had planned some time ago. The thought of changing her plans to focus on her home & getting her children back obviously doesn't occur to her!

So we enter & Gs mum comments on the improvement of the entrance. I snatch away the praise given to my sister & confirm it was me that instigated this. To my disappointment though there are more pizza leaflets left on the floor and I try to convince myself they only arrived this morning.

I want to make a start in the girls bedroom, but G insists we do under the stairs as this will hopefully create more storage space for other things. I don't disagree as our relationship is becoming strained and I don't want to argue. I'm grateful for his and his mums help

He starts pulling out all the boxes (many), old vacuums (2) the abundance of carrier bags & other indescribable items that get passed to his mum for first triage (obvious rubbish or perhaps keep). I get passed to the 'perhaps keep' things to go through in the garden.

More out of date food in the original bag they were bought in over a year ago. So much arts & crafts material Hobbycraft would feel threatened if she set up shop. More shoes (I knew there would be!)

Three hours later we get there. Rubbish gone and keep things back neatly packed in boxes.

I say the rubbish has gone when in fact it's actually now piling up in the garden. It's taking over the garden and space is becoming limited. The SW said they would provide a skip, but this hasn't happened yet.

As we are finishing up & thinking of moving upstairs to the girls bedroom, my sisters 'friend' turns up to feed the Guinea Pigs (I don't think I've mentioned these yet, but is for another time).

From the moment she walks in the door she talks.... & talks.....words tumbling out her mouth.... Mostly along the lines of how awful the house is, how my sister keeps buying too much stuff, she can't say no to the girls, she's lazy, she's got a problem, she feels sorry for the girls, her children won't come her.

For goodness sake please SHUT UP!  Of course I don't say this, instead hurrying with the last bits and trying to make an excuse for us to leave.

Considering this woman is suppose to be my sisters friend, she spends a lot of time slagging her off and it becomes apparent that she doesn't know the girls aren't currently living here. I don't enlighten her. It's not place to.

After nearly 45 minutes I make our excuses & we leave. The friend says she will stay & do some sorting in the lounge. G thinks she will take stuff for herself. I hope so!

We leave feeling annoyed that we could've good more done had the friend not turned up, but I couldn't bear to stay with her around so that's that.