Thank you everyone, for the advice and support (and tough love too
) before and for the kindness and understanding after
I had been letting the folks here know that I won't want to talk about it, and just a "sorry for your loss" and get on with things, please, and all the adults have respected that. But the kids ...
However, they are so open and matter-of-fact about it all that in fact it's been quite cathartic, being able to talk about it the same way, openly and matter-of-fact.
Today Ivy, who's 10, came round with a card she had made, and a flower.
The card has on the front a really rather accurate artwork of Dot and reads,
"Dot's good byes
I love you but I know you are a bit funny with kids."
and inside,
"To Sally
I'm so sorry. There's nothing I can do but I can say my goodbyes.
Goodbye Dot. I miss you, Ivy xxx"
I dunno, these kids. Makes you almost think perhaps the human race isn't doomed...