Ding Dong The Witch is Dead! - Living in fear of the Step-Munchkins

The picture above represents perfectly how the Evil Queen would like to see me! However, for those people who are familiar with the musical 'Wicked' (a particular favourite of my twins, who have matching Golinda and Elphaba necklaces! This is for when they actually like each other!), you will know that the Wicked Witch of the West wasn't that bad! Neither am I really that wicked!

Now, as much as they might drive me crazy at times, I love the Step-Munchkins. They are seven and four years old, and have already been through the emotional distress of seeing their father leave their mother (and, in effect, them) for me. They have also had the emotional upheaval of gaining a half-sister, courtesy of me and their father.  This was not planned, I might add, as the Step-Munchkins were conceived through IVF as were my twins as, apparently, both the Wicked Step-Mother and Prince Charming are infertile! Please don't think that I don't feel guilty about this because I do. That is the main reason that I have been the driving force behind Prince Charming's quest for contact and a decent relationship with them over the past three years.

However, they scare the hell out of me...especially when I am left alone with them. The only thing that has ever terrified me this much in my life (and the friends and family who know me will testify to this!) is The Moomins! If you have never heard of them, please Google them! They are characters in an ancient Swedish cartoon and look somewhat like hippos! If you are wondering why they terrified me this much....watch this episode! (Please don't watch with young children present!).

So, why am I so terrified of the Step-Munchkins? On a less serious note, it is because one of them is a boy! Those of you who have children of only one gender will hopefully empathise with this. Having only had daughters, I really did not have a clue about boys (Yes, I do teach them...but they don't live with me, thank God!). I remember changing my nephew's nappy for the first time and the shock of seeing extra bits that had the potential to erupt all over me at any point!

However, the main reason I am terrified of them is the influence that their mother has exerted (and still is exerting) over them. We are more than painfully aware of their potential to lie, from their father's experiences involving false allegations to the Police of threatening and aggressive behaviour. We have sat in meeting after meeting with Children's Services listening to Social Workers recounting their various meetings with the Step-Munchkins, in which the children have repeated the same things over and over again, word for word. Have they never heard of Parental Alienation and 'coaching'?!

To date, the worse accusation aimed at myself is that I once called their mother "a bitch" in their presence. I must admit I probably have called her a "bitch"...and several things that are slightly stronger in content...but NEVER in the presence of the Step-Munchkins.

However, on one occasion, I took the Step-Munchkins to their swimming lesson whilst their father was at work, but it was only afterwards that I realised the massive risk that I had taken. I had helped them to get into their swimming costumes, dry themselves and then dress themselves afterwards. The potential consequences of this could have been horrendous. Had the Evil Queen chosen to, she could quite easily have 'coached' the Step-Munchkins into making allegations about me that are almost too horrific to consider. As a mother and a teacher, the consequences of such an allegation would have been catastrophic for both my family and my career. I vowed never to put myself in that situation again.

On a positive note, the fact that the Evil Queen hasn't stooped this low does suggest that there might actually be a glimmer of good in her...either that or she just hadn't thought of it!

It is almost impossible to have a normal family life, when there is the potential for everything that happens  could be misconstrued or twisted in order for The Evil Queen to continue her vendetta. I avoid being in the vicinity when I know the Step-Munchkins are getting dressed, I cannot put my daughter in the bath with her four year old half-sister, I have put a lock on my bedroom door, I physically freeze when they try to hug me...and the list goes on.

Everything I do, when the Step-Munchkins are here, is controlled by fear...the fear of the power of the Evil Queen.