Family crisis. Well, my sister's family, but she is here now.
My niece has been caught lying, dating a 32 year old (a troublesome ex-neighbour with whom her parents already have a history) and self harming.

It will blow over of course.
But right now, the discovery that the little blue-eyed girl has been going behind their backs to this extend has sent explosions through the whole family.

And it's arrived here this afternoon.
Christmas looks like being pretty much cancelled :(

Anyone want to come round on Boxing Day?
Mum has food in for the 5,000, and we'll be four less than we expected. So an open invite for the first 4,996 anyway.

The above is why I might not be around anyway.

That's awful SG. I'm sorry about your niece. I hope she gets over this soon.

Oh my... the holidays tend to bring out the worst in some. I hope all works out for the best.

Hey, if there isn't a crisis, it isn't Christmas.

(The Cellar: putting the Crisis in Christmas.)

my left shoe is too small. wtf?

Why is that the funniest thing I've heard in a long time? Guess my brain is officially fried. Did you kick something with that foot, causing it to swell?

Get your blood pressure and your heart checked...

or shave it down a bit. Perhaps you could use a this

:lol:

Thanks all. Selfishly, I am concerned about MY mood and the mood of the 'rents. We're all on a major downer, when we'd previously thought everything was rosy in our garden. Rotten of me, right? Which makes me feel worse! But also that Mum & Dad as usual have pulled out all the stops for a great Boxing Day... Which can't happen now. And again, I feel rotten for putting their expenditure on food above a teen's welfare.

I didn't mention btw that my niece is 15. And she has at least been in contact with this chap since she was 14. She claims it's only been going on a few weeks, but then she has denied everything every step of the way until proved otherwise. She still denies any physical activity although sexual images were on her phone.

I'm torn between concern for her, worry about my sister's handling of it (screaming at my niece that she's destroyed their family...?) and worry that this is being escalated to an extent that she will run away to be with him given the atmosphere at home. NOT being a parent, I have a more laissez faire approach. Not to the coupling of a 15yo to a 32 yo, but to the lies and deception. I did it at 15 (lie I mean) as did my sister (the other I mean - I read her diary!)

Oh and my 12 yo nephew of course. Who was crying his eyes out when the police got involved and saying, "Just tell her that I love her and I want her to come home safe!"

Sorry to blurt it all out.
I've just been in the house with it for hours and (selfishly) needed to vent to people who know only me in this story.

Nowt selfish about that m'dear. Or, rather, it is selfish, but we are all selfish, it's part of being human. Vent away. To them you give your concern and support; with us you can share and express how it all affects you. This is how it aught to be.

SG its a shame that something had to rain on your parade after your happy x mas tree episode. Its so hard to tell the whole family can we please love each other and have a nice time? No one has died and things can be put right I hope for you and your family.

Hugs to you SG. You're not being selfish at all, you're simply being concerned for people you love. I haven't got any helpful advice to offer - but don't be hard on yourself, in the middle of all this, hey?

no...i found a pair of shoes that were in surprisingly good condition at the bottom of my shoe pile when i cleaned a while ago.... now i remember why i stopped wearing them. the right one fits fine....the left, not so much.

Glad its the shoes :)