I have 5 kids and the oldest is 9, im 17.

chapter 8.

Its been exactly seven weeks since my dads funeral , we seem to be coping ok. Tom is leaving for Australia tomorrow, I had to get a job and school has been ok, its almost April now, and the warm weather is starting to kick in. I think about Dad everyday and we all think about him at dinner sharing little snippets of memories. The day after the funeral I confronted Matt, after what he said to that women i had to call my mother. He called me his girlfriend,  when i awoke in his arms the next morning I asked him did he mean what he said and he replied only if that was what i wanted. He comes over for dinner three times a week and i see him in school everyday. 

It was five in the evening and I was helping Tom to pack his last few things, He was catching the bus from town to Dublin Airport at 2 in the morning, I cooked him a large Irish feast and the children gave him some presents they had made for him. I got together some money and purchased him an ipod i got Matt to update an ipod as we ' have a laptop. At 9 o clock, the kids and Tom had gone to bed, I sat in the sitting room and grabbed the post that i didn't have time to read earlier. Bill, Bill, letter, Bill Bill, wait letter ? We never got post other than bills, which were becoming hard to pay. I quickly tore open the letter and found that it was a solicitors letter reading, "The custody of Scarlett Johnson, Benjamin, Sheila, Cáitlin, Aaron and Gabrielle Byrne is awarded to Margaret Byrne for life." I dropped the letter and screamed with delight. After I had calmed down I reread the letter and saw that Scarlett's name would change to Byrne and that I was able to adopt the children, to have them as my children but only when i was 21. I found that the state will be giving me various benefits and children's allowance. I also found that there was an account that I could gain access to when I turned 21. I climbed the stairs that night with a smile on my face. For the first time in weeks I slept well that night. I woke at 1.30 AM to say goodbye to my big brother, he promised to stay in contact with us.After he left I headed back to bed and slept softly happy to see that my brother was going to make a life for myself, I often thought about going to college or taking a year out to travel, I always brushed them off and thought I have all i ever need. The next morning i woke at 7 and got my shower allowing myself only five minutes in it, I then filled the bath to the halfway line and woke up the girls, they recently turned 8 and were becoming troublesome, I literally dragged Sheila from her bed down to the bathroom and asked her to take a bath, I then asked her that the minute she went back upstairs to get dressed she was to send Cáitlin down straightaway for hers. I then went to wake up Benny he had his bath the night before so i asked him to quickly dress and to come downstairs to help me feed the animals and help with the cows. When I heard Cáitlin make her way back up the stairs I asked her to quickly dress and to come down and set the table, I also told her to get her dancing gear ready for after school, "and tell Sheila to get her football things ready " i shouted as she climbed the attic stairs. I heard squabbling and saw Scarlett and Aaron fighting over who got to go down the stairs first. I ran over to them and picked them up, they squealed in delight and I threw them on the bed that Scarlett slept in in my room, I still had to sort out a room for her and to fix up the spare rooms aswell. I thought to myself that after i finished in May while the kids were still in school I would do that. I grabbed a pink dress for Scarlett and a pair of old denim dungarees for Aaron and helped them dress. I then grabbed my sleeping baby from her cot and chased the other rascals down the stairs. They ran to the kitchen and jumped in their chairs, I was amazed at how Gabby had slept through this rumpus. I got the porridge that I had soaked the night before and stuck it on the hob, just as the kettle whistled Gabby woke up crying, I gave her a bottle of juice and placed her in her high chair. After 5 minutes, I pulled the porridge of the hop and poured it into 10 bowls, they were smaller portions than i usually had , that reminded me that I must buy some more. The twins walked in and sat down for breakfast, by now it was 8:10, Oh crap running late again I quickly fed Gabby and asked Sheila to go run and fetch the two farmhands and Benny. I ran upstairs to change Gabby i had nearly reached the bottom of the diaper box, huh another thing to remember. I was racing around my room when I saw last nights letter. I grabbed my school things and ran down the stairs. I raced into the kitchen and shouted to the kids that I am officially their real mammy and Scarlett was ours.we then ran to the car and piled it up with today's event material. After school I collected Gabby, and Aaron from creche, and dropped Scarlett of at Ballet, I ran to the printers and printed off 50 CVS in the hope that if I handed them in maybe a job would be on the offer. I then raced around handing them into any business that i saw in the hope i would get a call. I hopped back into the car and realised the time, 5:15. Oh the kids will kill me, I raced to the school and collected Benny and Sheila from soccer practice, I then raced to pick up Cáitlin from Irish dancing, I then picked up Scarlett from ballet, and drove to the swimming pool where i dropped off the elder 4. Scarlett was finished swimming at half six and the other three were finished at 7. I raced to the supermarket and grabbed the absolute essentials such as shampoos, baby wash, diapers and such. At half six I picked up Scarlett and we waited for the eldest children to finish, It was half seven before we got home, At 9 o'clock all children were fed washed and homework done and they toddled off to bed. I was starting to relax when i received a phone call to say that my job application had been accepted in the chemist down the road, I would work for 4.25 an hour and I would work from half four to half 6 on weekdays and 9 to half one on Saturdays, I was delighte and was told i would start next Monday evening, I was preparing the lunches for tomorrow when the phone rang again I picked it up and found that i was offered a job behind the bar at my local pub. I would be working for 3€ an hour and i would be working monday to thursday from 8 -11.30 and from friday to sunday from 7-1.30 with double pay on sundays. Delighted with this revelation i headed to bed.