The Kids

I thought I'd mention a little about the kids. A few people seem to be asking so here it is.
Jamie and Bees are fine and I'm sort of coping with them. Knowing I have to to most of it all myself now with some help from Esther, Audrey's mum, means that I've have to go from being the hardliner that I was to being a bit more relaxed about a few things. Trying to take the middle ground between Audrey's position and mine.
Weekdays are relatively OK. It's getting them up and ready for school, which can be an issue as they just don't listen. They're kids right? It's in their job spec not to listen. So I have to try not to shout too much asking them to finish eating their breakfast and get dressed, and clean their teeth. Whilst they're doing (or not) that, I'm making their lunches and getting myself ready for the day.
Esther comes over at 08:00 and I leave for work.
When I get home at 17:00ish, I might chop a bit of wood, sit with them and have cuddles, talk with them about their day, surf the 'net, or start tea early. Just something short until I start tea by 17:30, ready to eat at 18:00. The kids are being themselves and occasionally help getting the place mats, knives and forks and cups for drinks. Teat at 18:00 and then I try to get them in bed by 19:00. It's usually 19:00-19:15. Occasionally they'll stay up a little later.
Bees will fall asleep within minutes unless she wants to sleep with Jamie. Jamie will read or get back out of bed and play quietly with his lego until he decides he's tired enough around 21:00 - 22:30. It's usually about 21:30 when he'll get back into bed or put his book down and sleep.
As I write this, it's 22:10 and Jamie has just come out to see me. The inside of his mouth hurt. I shone a torch in there but couldn't see anything and he's gone back to bed. Hopefully nothing serious like an infected tooth due to him not cleaning his teeth properly. He takes his Lego to bed. I hope he was just lying on that.
Just before I go to bed, I'll get the lunch stuff out and ready to make in the morning, get the tea pot and kettle ready and the breakfasts and clothes for school. It saves a bit of time in the morning.
So far, at weekends, we've been busy doing things, visiting people, shopping. I'm not sure what's going to happen when we have a weekend at home, doing nothing in particular.
I know I'm no good at arts and crafts. I had an attempt at making a small theatre with characters (bears) on long sticks. They were having a go at Goldilocks and the 3 bears. Or, as they say in NZ, beers. However, there was a twist and extra characters and one of the extra characters died and they had to bury them. There seems to be a theme of things dying and having to be buried. I'm hoping that these stories that Jamie seems to be initiating mostly, are their way of coping.
As far as how the kids are, they seem to be coping fine with no mum. They still squabble. Maybe a little more than normal. I'm not sure. They perhaps aren't getting as many kisses and cuddles as they're used to now that Audrey is gone.
There is no substitute for a mum's love but I try.