I don't know whether to laugh, cry, be angry..................stumped!

Heard from my sister today.

To catch anyone up who doesnt know my situation - my sister met a US soldier about 6 months ago through a mutual friend that she 'got together' with on-line - they talked on Skype etc for the last few months and when he returned home to his home in Gerogia she decided to go and visit him on December 4th.

She was meant to fly back on the 19th but her flight was cancelled.

So she swapped airlines to fly through chicago instead for this morning

Her flight got cancelled this morning and she now cant get home until the 27th December. :( Effectively missing Christmas with her 5 year old daughter T.

Spoke to my mum this morning who has my niece - she had no idea about what was going on.

She said my sister has not brought one present for my niece for Christmas and my mum is skint until Christmas Eve which she is working and then she has T after work so cant shop! :eek:.

So I spoke to my niece and asked her what was the best present she could get from Father Christmas - her answer was a doggy on a lead.

So I went off in search, my local town was sold out of everything bar one

which cost £59.99. I went to Argos, put it in the price checker thing in the hope someone would have returned one of the others as a doubled up gift etc, put in the number for the expensive one and it came up with the price of £49.99 - ok so £10 off.

Rang my boyfriend to talk me out of it and explained the situation and that I would use my money not the winnings and his reply was 'she's near enough your baby, so buy for her like you would Benji and your sister can shove it. So I got her her doggy as her main present from us, we already had a stocking made up for her as her present. She now has a selection box, tube sweets, coins etc. We also got her a glittery jewellery box which was £1.50 in Home Bargains and 3 princess and the unicorns books from Poundland. Plus Ow has just walked in with 'the princess and the frog' on DVD for her and a pair of pink pyjamas with white snowflakes on for her. :T He may be a grumpy old man but he is a softy at heart.

He did ask if she has everything she needs to go back to school too but I've no idea about that so will ask my mum later.

Am seriously considering asking my sister if she'd rather sign T's care over to me and she can just carry on as she is. Although my boyfriends view on this is "why should I raise her baby when she should be doing it, or if not my mother can do it" - so if it came down to me taking my niece full time or keeping my family together I may face the prospect as a single mummy to three come the new year!

I mean my sister apparently is abroad with no money to her name, and no working phone so effectively stranded in the USA.

Sorting T out today for Christmas though has made me realise I haven't heard anything about my other niece since March! so I made a start to get in touch with my other nieces father L - he took custody of her in Christmas 2009 after suspecting my sister wasn't caring for her properly and she is coming along lovely. He replied within about an hour saying me and my family could have full access to S, left his mobile number, promised me a school photo when she starts school. Said he's happy to meet up so me, Ben and holly can spend time with her as she's really shy and doubt I could prize her off her daddy.

Either way I now know T is ok for Christmas and I dare say I'll be picking her up a few more bits between now and her getting her presents! Even if it is just some stickers and little bits etc.

Stressed............................