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Posts Tagged ‘Roscoe’

That countdown clicked over!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on April 18, 2012| 4 Comments »

I looked down on the countdown timer for the move.  It clicked over to 1 month.  How is that possible?  I surely still have two months left, don’t I?

Things are happening rapidly and are a bit mind-numbing at the same time.  We have so many details flying around our heads that we’re just flowing along trying to make sure we do not forget anything.  We’ve managed to get everyone in for a last check up at the dentist and gathered everyone’s dental records as well.  We’re working on the medical records for all the boys now, and the eye-gouging process of attaining mine and DH’s.  Ours are scattered at several different “specialty” offices.  Ugh.

DH leaves for Liverpool on the 25th, and he won’t return this time.  He will remain there and work until we get there.  I am flying to Liverpool (Manchester, actually) on the 4th of May.  I will stay there until Friday, May 11th.  During that time we will be  looking at schools and at houses.

We’ve finalized our housing allowance and to say it is generous is an understatement.  The houses in that range are extremely nice. EXTREMELY.  Now the process will come down to which house will let us bring our dog.  Oh, Roscoe.  You tricky little thing, you.

Schooling is still all a bit vague.  I’m told we really can’t do anything about the schools until we get there.  But, not to buy or rent a house until we know which school we’ll be in.  But that we can’t apply to any school until we have a permanent address.  How does this make sense?  Ohio Virtual Academy is looking more and more appealing.

I am also in the market for a vehicle lease.  We will have a generous vehicle allowance (roughly 450 pounds per month), but I don’t know what that will get us there or what we should worry about in terms of insurance fees, taxes, etc. Any advice on that would be appreciated.

This is really happening.  Now if only I can stop stress eating and get back to exercising so I don’t fit the stereotype of the overweight American.  Is that still a stereotype?

 

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Dogs and Houses and Schools, Oh my!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on March 31, 2012| 4 Comments »

This is the view from DH’s hotel room:

Liverpool - Albert Dock

I’m thinking I want to go there, even if I do have to wear my winter coat all year long.

Today has been hectic and full. I spent a good portion of time yesterday scanning in all the birth certificates and social security cards, passports and transcripts for documentation needed. I have to write up a CV (I’ve never done that before) for my work Visa. Now to make my part time gigs of the last 12 years look interesting and exciting and competent. Ha.

I took the dog to the veterinarian to get his microchip installed. He has to be microchipped 21 days before we leave – this will give us a bit of cushion. He also has to be given a rabies vaccine *after* the microchip is installed. In other words, even though he had his booster less than a month ago, he gets to have another. Poor guy. Anyway, he will be in the kennel for the next week while we’re on spring break and THANK ALL THE HEAVENS there is no dog in the house right now. Sometimes he’s more work than the kids.

We got the numbers from DH’s work on our housing allowance and what they will cover for utilities, etc. To say it is generous is an understatement. I received the information, plugged it into rightmove.co.uk, and saw aristocratic manse houses turn up in the search results. I don’t want to clean that, thank you very much, and as generous as the allowance is, it does not include money for a housekeeper. They’re lovely manse houses, though. Lovely!

The entirely unhelpful relocation company has been fired by DH’s boss. I’m not sure when we get a new one, but am looking at schools in the areas we’re interested in. I’m going to just cross my fingers and hope for the best, knowing that the worst case scenario is that we homeschool the boys using Ohio Virtual Academy. And really, how worst case scenario is that? It’s a pretty awesome option, actually.

DH didn’t have to work at the hospital today, so he went walking in Liverpool, down to the train station and around the ferris wheel and carousel on the docks. He couldn’t get over how easy it will be to get to London. He’s getting more and more excited as the days go on. It’s palpable when we chat on Skype. He’s really into this! It makes me more excited as well, as if I weren’t already, moving close to some of my best friends and loves ever. ❤

So much more to do today: I need to take the kids to get their passport pictures taken in a bit. DS2 asked, "Why do we need passport pictures?". Can't get anything by that one. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to keep it from them. We might need to push our information sharing date forward.

Paper due today on – wait for it – Temple Grandin. I could write this one in my sleep. It's all about autism, actually, since the class is Abnormal Psychology. I am excited to tell you I'm pretty sure I'll finish my grad school at Liverpool University. Well, I need to do more research, but it certainly makes sense!

I have so many things going in my head, I am sure I'm forgetting something I wanted to say. But I'm also packing this evening to go to Virginia and Washington D.C. for spring break with the boys and DH. All you burglars who are reading my blog better watch out – the neighbor is keeping an eye on the place and he's vicious with a baseball bat!

So much. SO MUCH. Deep breaths.

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Blogging the transition

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on March 5, 2012| 19 Comments »

Life is filled with surprises, and I am so trite for saying it in just those words.  Still, it is true.  The entirety of this blog will be about dealing with the surprise that’s come along for us, rather quickly.  

DH was approached two weeks ago about a new position opening up within his company.  It is another 15-24 month project, just like the one he recently wrapped up in Detroit.  Only this one will not require him to travel M-F.  This one will require him to relocate. 

To Liverpool.

Yes.  That’s Liverpool.  UK.  Great Britain. Ye Olde Motherland (I suppose, despite the melting pot of the U.S. and the fact that neither DH nor I have much in the way of British blood, the only country we can claim to have split off from is GB).  

The transition is what I will blog, the experience of the ex-pat family.  Probably no one will be interested in any of this aside from a few close friends and family.  Still, I hope to get this down for my own sake, and to  have a documentation of the experiences for the kids to look back on when we return to the U.S. 

This is still very new, and there’s not much to say about it at this time.  DH will fly out for his first meetings at the client site on the 19th of March.  He may return immediately, but he’ll likely stay for a week or so to meet with more people, examine the status of the client site, and scout out the areas we may want to live.  He’ll also hope to get a good visit in with our friend E while he’s there.  

I am working on the kids’ passports (DH and I are already set) and the transfer/quarantine for the dog, Roscoe. The kids don’t know yet, we haven’t told them and likely won’t until DH gets back from his first trip.  It is likely the kids and I will stay here until the school year ends the first week of June. 

I’ve never had a wordpress blog, or any real blog outside of LiveJournal.  Bear with me through what is likely to be a really, really messy learning process.  

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