FOSTERING - BETTER THAN CAFFIENE

It's 5.15am.

I woke up at 1.45am this morning and couldn't go back.

A new record. I've been hovering around the 5.00am mark for a year or two, the previous record for wide awake (as in no point trying to go back) stood at 3.15am. Sometimes I do go back and it's great to look at the clock and see 7.15am.

I'm not that bothered; it's surely a one-off. I was in bed at 9.30pm, cream crackered, fell asleep on the sofa. So I had 4 hours, 5 counting the hour on the sofa. If Maggie could run the country on 5 hours I can foster on 5. 

My significant other took over the bedtime routines.

I crept stealthily downstairs at about 2.30am although I've just found out I woke him. But he went back.

Inevitably I made a cup of tea. Sat in the kitchen.

Pfaffed on the internet.

I'd got a bit dozy because yesterday was my birthday and we sat around the kitchen table and opened my presents in the evening when everyone came home; there was a bottle of Prosecco then a chickeny thing with cole slaw (who isn't watching the pounds).

I got two nice bracelets, one with a matching necklace. My eldest son's girlfriend bought me the new Harper Lee book. Some foamy bath stuff, a face scrub. Significant other bought me a voucher for eyelash extensions because I asked for them. A pair of pocket secateurs. 

And about 9 or 10 cards in all. I opened them all at the table and sped through them. I always put cards on the mantlepiece for a few days after anyone's birthday.

There was a joke card from the dog which was addressed to "The Woman I sleep with whenever I want" (he sometimes hops on our bed, usually my end).

After the meal I was excused washing up and took the cards through to put on the mantlepiece.

I looked at each one again as I put them up, and noticed something I'd not noticed round the table.

Long-term foster child had written in big capitals "HAVE A NICE TIME" and "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" and a smiley face. What I'd not noticed - because it was written in the tiniest letters alone at the top left of the inside of the card where the eye never goes - was a single word:

'mum'

Not 'To Mum", just 'mum'. 

In terms of important breakthroughs this made the moon landing and Edmund Hillary climbing that rock seem as insignificant as they were by comparison.

'mum'

See, me and my Blue Sky social worker, we know how huge it is for this child to get where they've got to be able to do that.

Higher then Everest, further than the moon.

Significant other is up and boiling the kettle and we're about to go through all the details of this new development; it's what you do in fostering isn't it?

Significant other tells me the child asked him for advice; should it be "to mum' or something else and he'd replied "It's up to you, whatever you want to write, whatever you're comfortable with".

So it just gets better.

And the early wake-up doesn't matter; I can have a nap this afternoon.

You wish Doris. This afternoon it's your turn in goal.