Steve from England

So far it has been 40+° each day. The hottest temp we recorded today in the car was 45.5°. It´s like facing a load of hairdryers on full blast. Right now it is still well into the 30´s and it is gone 9pm. Our airconditioning unit is not coping. It is still keeping us sub 30° but it just is no where near as cool as it normally is. The wind is really powerful and things are flying around all over the place. I am being lashed by a blind just writing this. The forest fires are still raging away with two towns now evacuated. Thankfully we are not affected by it at all. Thanks to the way we arranged our days we just skirted around it. Had we decided to do our island tour today then we´d not have been able to as the places closed were vital and on the only practical route back home. Palmitos Park didn´t have any butterflies which was just really odd. Deej has pealed quite badly but the rest of us are doing OK. The poor kids can´t sleep very well because of the weather being so hot and both Da

So far it has been 40+° each day. The hottest temp we recorded today in the car was 45.5°. It´s like facing a load of hairdryers on full blast. Right now it is still well into the 30´s and it is gone 9pm. Our airconditioning unit is not coping. It is still keeping us sub 30° but it just is no where near as cool as it normally is. The wind is really powerful and things are flying around all over the place. I am being lashed by a blind just writing this. The forest fires are still raging away with two towns now evacuated. Thankfully we are not affected by it at all. Thanks to the way we arranged our days we just skirted around it. Had we decided to do our island tour today then we´d not have been able to as the places closed were vital and on the only practical route back home. Palmitos Park didn´t have any butterflies which was just really odd. Deej has pealed quite badly but the rest of us are doing OK. The poor kids can´t sleep very well because of the weather being so hot and both Da

Temps most days been around 28° but today we went up to 42°. All in various stages of burning and tanning. Van not as bad as expected and managed to do the mountains even with the aircon on. Spending way too much as always. Done the water park, only John and me have been on the dunes, the sand is really too hot. Monday is Palmitos Park. Resort very quiet. Apparently, someone has had a visitor today and not before time too! Now, I have a brandy with my name on it ... ttfn

Temps most days been around 28° but today we went up to 42°. All in various stages of burning and tanning. Van not as bad as expected and managed to do the mountains even with the aircon on. Spending way too much as always. Done the water park, only John and me have been on the dunes, the sand is really too hot. Monday is Palmitos Park. Resort very quiet. Apparently, someone has had a visitor today and not before time too! Now, I have a brandy with my name on it ... ttfn

I would like to thank 'anonymous' for their support and thoughtful words.

I would like to thank 'anonymous' for their support and thoughtful words.

Just lately it seems that Matt is avoiding us whenever he can. I get the feeling he wants to talk, have given him the chance to do so but he's not interested. He did tidy his room earlier as I'd asked which was a positive step but I feel a rift is developing between us which is going to get increasingly harder to heal. Telling him to leave is one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make just like it was with Jermaine. I know Matt feels I am giving up on them but I am doing anything but. To me ... well, I have the memories of their whole lives in my mind and can remember the love I had for the pair of them when I first held them in my arms and that has never faded. For the rest of my life I shall love all my kids. The problem is, I too have an identity. I am a person entitled to a life and to have as much good from that life as possible. On top of that I also have to consider the effect on those in this house. Sometimes it can get to a point where it is so damaging that

Just lately it seems that Matt is avoiding us whenever he can. I get the feeling he wants to talk, have given him the chance to do so but he's not interested. He did tidy his room earlier as I'd asked which was a positive step but I feel a rift is developing between us which is going to get increasingly harder to heal. Telling him to leave is one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make just like it was with Jermaine. I know Matt feels I am giving up on them but I am doing anything but. To me ... well, I have the memories of their whole lives in my mind and can remember the love I had for the pair of them when I first held them in my arms and that has never faded. For the rest of my life I shall love all my kids. The problem is, I too have an identity. I am a person entitled to a life and to have as much good from that life as possible. On top of that I also have to consider the effect on those in this house. Sometimes it can get to a point where it is so damaging that

I asked Matt earlier to behave like an adult and let him and I sit down and see if we cannot sort out his financial mess. He refused point blank. I had already made the decision that this was to be his last chance. Because he said that I have said he cannot come on holiday with us and has to move out by August 25th and have given him that notice in writing as well. He reckons there is no point in talking about it as he has no control over his spending so there is nothing to be done. I have asked him to give the phone he currently has to Deej and it is actually his on loan to Matt. Both Jonny and James have said they'll still be going regardless of whether Matt is. You know, it's a horrible thing for a parent to have to kick their child out of their house and potentially their lives. I just cannot see matters improving if he stays here, indeed, they'll just get worse. Maybe the threat of being homeless when he doesn't pay any rent to the council and being declared bankru

I asked Matt earlier to behave like an adult and let him and I sit down and see if we cannot sort out his financial mess. He refused point blank. I had already made the decision that this was to be his last chance. Because he said that I have said he cannot come on holiday with us and has to move out by August 25th and have given him that notice in writing as well. He reckons there is no point in talking about it as he has no control over his spending so there is nothing to be done. I have asked him to give the phone he currently has to Deej and it is actually his on loan to Matt. Both Jonny and James have said they'll still be going regardless of whether Matt is. You know, it's a horrible thing for a parent to have to kick their child out of their house and potentially their lives. I just cannot see matters improving if he stays here, indeed, they'll just get worse. Maybe the threat of being homeless when he doesn't pay any rent to the council and being declared bankru

Dear Mrs Herriman ... or should I say 'Jane'? OK, this may mean nothing to someone I have not been moaning to recently. Mrs Herriman is the head teacher of Daisy's school and disliked by many. For several months I have been in touch with Daisy's class teacher, Mrs McDonald and her maths teacher, Mr Winful. We have got along just fine to the point we were not friends but on a first name basis. After a very preachy session in the school on Wednesday evening during which Mrs Herriman spoke at length about how wonderful the staff were at the school I wrote in to feedback my experience. It was positive in places but also constructively critical in others. One point I was making was that the school had asked parents and carers to share their email addresses as this was a very good form of communication yet, on none of their letters did they list the email address of any teacher. I happened to give the email address of 'Kizzy' McDonald as an example. The reply letter I

Dear Mrs Herriman ... or should I say 'Jane'? OK, this may mean nothing to someone I have not been moaning to recently. Mrs Herriman is the head teacher of Daisy's school and disliked by many. For several months I have been in touch with Daisy's class teacher, Mrs McDonald and her maths teacher, Mr Winful. We have got along just fine to the point we were not friends but on a first name basis. After a very preachy session in the school on Wednesday evening during which Mrs Herriman spoke at length about how wonderful the staff were at the school I wrote in to feedback my experience. It was positive in places but also constructively critical in others. One point I was making was that the school had asked parents and carers to share their email addresses as this was a very good form of communication yet, on none of their letters did they list the email address of any teacher. I happened to give the email address of 'Kizzy' McDonald as an example. The reply letter I

It just seems like it. Allergies, I hate my allergic rhinitis as it makes many things unpleasant or, more accurately, less pleasant than they should be. Just thought I'd share that and especially to that woman in Tesco who felt like a one woman advertisement for Avon smellies in Tesco the other day. Matt has seemed moderately more sensible these past few days. It is most unlike him so I am waiting for it all to return to normal (I hope it doesn't) is latest girlfriend, Ann, seems really nice and one of the first if not 'the' first one he has brought around to spend some time with us and not just locked the door behind them as they go direct from the street door to the bedroom. Kinda, well done there and also for turning a shite situation at work into something that can be worked with ... now just don't screw that up. Daisy is troubled but not opened up to me about it yet. She is clearly depressed about something. The move for Jermaine went really well yesterday, cou

It just seems like it. Allergies, I hate my allergic rhinitis as it makes many things unpleasant or, more accurately, less pleasant than they should be. Just thought I'd share that and especially to that woman in Tesco who felt like a one woman advertisement for Avon smellies in Tesco the other day. Matt has seemed moderately more sensible these past few days. It is most unlike him so I am waiting for it all to return to normal (I hope it doesn't) is latest girlfriend, Ann, seems really nice and one of the first if not 'the' first one he has brought around to spend some time with us and not just locked the door behind them as they go direct from the street door to the bedroom. Kinda, well done there and also for turning a shite situation at work into something that can be worked with ... now just don't screw that up. Daisy is troubled but not opened up to me about it yet. She is clearly depressed about something. The move for Jermaine went really well yesterday, cou

Matt and I went out earlier and found George, we will miss him, he was a wonderful cat, one of the few about which I cannot think of anything bad to sa y. He is now buried in the garden. Thank you George, we love you

Matt and I went out earlier and found George, we will miss him, he was a wonderful cat, one of the few about which I cannot think of anything bad to sa y. He is now buried in the garden. Thank you George, we love you

Kids and Pets that is. George has been missing a couple of days, he may come back, he may not. It seems only John and I have noticed he's not been around, food is not being eaten. We both hope he is OK as cats like him and Tilly don't come around very often and we'd be sad to lose either of them ... time will tell. Daisy was told by her mum yesterday that if she wanted to stay in town with her mates then she'd have to have Zoey with her and she (mum) was not bringing Zoey home to fit in with Daisy's social life. On this point I have to say I agreed with her. I spoke to Daisy and told her that if she didn't include Zoey in what she was doing then I'd expect her home. Needless to say, she didn't and Zoey had a very boring time down town. It is also obvious that Daisy has been drinking booze from the cabinet not to mention arguing with me in the same way as Matt does and then complaining I treat her like Matt. Speaking of Matt. Matt has a girlfriend called

Kids and Pets that is. George has been missing a couple of days, he may come back, he may not. It seems only John and I have noticed he's not been around, food is not being eaten. We both hope he is OK as cats like him and Tilly don't come around very often and we'd be sad to lose either of them ... time will tell. Daisy was told by her mum yesterday that if she wanted to stay in town with her mates then she'd have to have Zoey with her and she (mum) was not bringing Zoey home to fit in with Daisy's social life. On this point I have to say I agreed with her. I spoke to Daisy and told her that if she didn't include Zoey in what she was doing then I'd expect her home. Needless to say, she didn't and Zoey had a very boring time down town. It is also obvious that Daisy has been drinking booze from the cabinet not to mention arguing with me in the same way as Matt does and then complaining I treat her like Matt. Speaking of Matt. Matt has a girlfriend called