Anna - accept! Kids are great, when they arent your own. I have 3 now - plus 2 siblings (which of course have to be treated as God-Kids to avoid tears). You can spoil them rotten, feed them brightly coloured sweets and fizzy pop and just at the point when they go completely hyper and vomit - hand them back. In the early days, with my first, I was worried that she was always shy when I visited. A learned friend advised me that small children are essentially Pavlovian. The simple presentation of a packet of chocolate buttons instantly dispelled all shyness, that and a willingness to play "Gee-Gee". Many years later I am still known in swathes of East Sussex as "Chocolate Button Mike" and have minor back twinges.