Nooooo not me - lol - Ive just been thinking that this emigrating lark reminds me of being heavily pregnant, when lots of people make lots of stupid comments all the time. The main thing annoying me at the moment is the people who question you about it all, where you going, when you going, what you taking? then they make the ohhhh sounds - your so brave I coudnt do it! as if there is something wrong with me for wanting to!!

Also the school run - particuarly before we got the visa grant - was driving me mad, I was dreading having to stand down the school and answer questions for all those people that want to know WHY im still waiting for my visa!!

Thank goodness the girls have only one and a half weeks left of school wahhooo..

I went to see a clairvoyant/psycic last night - not really sure if she was good or not - she asked alot of questions which I didnt like but the tarot and runes was pretty accurate with travel, new beginnings and moving home coming up several times. She also said to be careful because she could see a robbery or theft possibly whilst im travelling - great!!!!

Con has handed in his notice. 18 working days to go eeeek!

The girls handed notice to school - we have decided to withdraw them in 2 weeks (10 school days ahhhhh) as it is then half term and then they would only be at school 3 days before we go to Ireland and another 7 before we go to Oz. I didnt think it was fair on them to be in and out like that, or on the school to expect them to keep their places open like that - this way whoever takes their places at the school can start after half term.

Have to say THAT was scary - 10 school days!!!

Have book flights to Ireland 5th June to 17th June then off to Adelaide 28th June.

Everyone keeps asking me if Im scared or nervous. Im not, not at all, not in the slightest, I keep thinking maybe I will be, but then I remember being the same with my wedding day, and moving out of our house, the nerves never came, maybe im just that sort of person, once I know what I want Im driven and determined.

As long as I have my Husband and my children with me I am happy.

Im kind of glad we are going in the Oz winter because I am burnt to pieces, not sure why cause it has only been 20-23 degrees, I dont usually burn that easy.  At least this way we will be weaned into to Ozzie summer gradually.

Finally we received grant letter today - sorry for bad spelling, been on the champers wahhoooo.

Wasnt sure what to do today felt like should have been douing something but it was a pretty noneventful day really. I wanted everyone to party with me.

Am making up for it now *hic*

so much to do all of  sudden.  Con is handing in notice tomorrow then in 4 weeks we go off to Ireland for 2 weeks, back for 10 days and we gp to oz latst weekend in June!!!

Friday morning I had an email requesting police checks to be re-submitted, phew, it feels soooo good to have heard from them at last, and it came at a really good time as well, im not sure if I would have lasted another week of no news it really was getting to me last week. - all I have to do is suss out how to turn this document into a PDF hmmmm.

Ok so I never actually thought the visa would come through on my birthday but It is killing me reading the poeple getting theirs, it seems on our timeline everyone around us have at least a CO if not a visa and we have nothing.

Its my birthday and I bloody well will cry if I want to.

Whilst i am hand on heart excited when I see one of the fellow Augustees get a CO or a visa each and everytime I cant help wonder why it isnt us.

People from a few weeks after us are progressing way beyond us. I dont get it, DIAC claim its date order.

Feeling really low.

There really is no way of timing this all in is there, this is being stuck in limbo to the extreme.

We want to go to Ireland for a couple of weeks before we leave to go to Oz, thinking it wont be long for our visa (bearing in mind some the  same day and a couple of days after have grants) so I looked on Ryan Air - they have a sale £50 for the LOT of us to go RETURN!! How good is that......but only available for bookings till Thursday.

Last night I was thinking positive and thought I will give to Thursday and then buy tickets.

This morning I have an update from the email I sent to DIAC, you have not been allocated a case officer yet. aaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I want to cry. How much longer am I going to be sat here waiting.

Every morning I check my emails, when there is nothing I just wish the day away until the next morning when I can check again...its easy for some to say 'get on with your lives when it comes it comes' but we are just sitting waiting with our house sold etc.

Not sure how long Im going to last staying at Dads house, but we have no alternative.

I have had enough of being at Dads now. It was fun whilst it lasted but Im over it now.

The August bunch have had an amazing week for grants so hopefully not too longer. I just keep worrying about what might go wrong, its driving me nuts.

I still cant imagine us getting there, I was driving the car the other day and had this horrid feeling I was going to crash and be hurt and we wouldnt be able to go to Oz. - thats blinking NUTS!!! Im going off my mind!!

I havent been able to settle the baby into a routine since we have been at Dads, she has given up her daytime nap - so thats 2 hours a day less that I have to myself, I wouldnt mind and I know it happens in time but she isnt ready for it, she is sooo exhausted but just wont settle in the afternoon in the room. *sigh*

I wonder i it would be frowned upon to contact DIAC and offer favours *wink*.

Heres hoping for news next week......

We are now officially homeless!!! wahooo.....I think. *confused*

Nice to have it all done and dusted at last. I will give it till after easter and then get impatient about the visa.

says it all really

WAHOOOOOO

Well Friday the news came that the deposit had been sent through and all would be ready to go Monday Morning for completion on Thursday eeeek!!  Spent the weekend frantically packing and sorting bits, still loads to do, but im sure we will get there!

I am sat here literally clock watching, it is frustrating (and I know completely understandable) but nobody shares my sense of urgency, I cant trust things will be done until its there confirmed for me, have been distracted way too many times with this sale already.....come on phone RING!!!!

Con went to the London Expo yesterday, he was pretty positive really, although there wasnt THAT much for him, it was good for him to have some sort of contact with Oz, as so far it has been me and I think it makes it hard for him to feel 'real' about it all. He got a job offer but it is in a regional town way too far out, but at least it shows him that he has plenty of work to go to.

COME ON PHONE RING!!

Finally,  although I guess with no CO yet there wasnt an immediate rush but I could have done without my dozy G.P sitting on them for 3 weeks.....will be frantically chasing them all the way to Sydney this evening.

Also chasing up on the house today, if we are going to be heading for the 20th we need to exchange in the first half of this week, im getting rather bored of it all now.

I am kind of looking forward to moving into Dads, means there are 6 adults to share the household duties and lots of oncall babysitters wahhooo. Im going to utilise them all pmsl.

Talk about one step forward 3 steps back....

I was really holding hope for exchange beginning of the week, but oh no, the buyers had some boo boo on the mortgage offer, so that had to be recified. EA thinks we should be fit to exchange beginning of next week...im sure we have been saying that every friday since Christmas. ahhh.

FINALLY the Dr has written up the reports for my post natal depression and Olivia's UTI. so fingers crossed after 3 weeks it is going to be okay...fingers crossed meds should go of to LCU Monday/Tuesday....Gosh next week is going to be busy.

Just read about the blinking police checks, which may need re-doing grrrr. £35 a piece and Dh needs two!! not impressed, finally when I thought we had submitted everything needed they go and through a spanner in the works!

Its been a mad week for me, I went for allergy testing on wednesday and have found out I have strong intollerance to potatoes, yeast, WINE, BEER!, monosodium glutamate (be bye chinese) tomatoes and lots of other things that I love to eat 13 in all!! I have a very unhealthy tummy and have to go on a special diet for 3 months to fix it all. the diet basically consists of fruit, veg, and seeds YUM!!! NOT!!! oh well when the 3 months is up I should be a darn site skinnier....and have to admit to liking the banana, mango strawberry and linseed smoothie I just made for lunch.

I dont think I will be quite so enthusiastic next month when Im away with the girls in manchester and can only drink water!!!

Well we are now £810 lighter  this sooo better be worth it!!!

The meds werent too bad at all. Everyone is fit and well, I have to get a report done regarding my post natal depression and Olivia has to have a report done on her U.T.I - if anything is going to hold us up it will be that, although she was signed off and hasnt had any probs since so fingers crossed it all goes clearly.

Apart from paying, the worst part had to be being weighed  although I was lighter than I thought  so not too bad!!

Its looking entirely likely our visa will be here before the house is sold grrrr. I dont even want to think of that stress at the moment, our Buyers are just being messed around left right and centre and I think they dont realise the power of chasing these 'professionals'.

Still struggling to imagine us actually getting there at the moment, I cant see past the paperwork but Dh coughed up the money today without crying so that confirms his dedication which can only be a good thing! 

Im going out of my mind at the minute - ups and downs all the time.

Im stressed out badly with this house sale crap - I was adamant that it should be tied up before February and then they go and ask stupid questions about dropped kerbs and looks like its not going to be done by the end of hte week - poxy bloddy conveyancer doesnt return my calls until 2 mins before the end of hte day so nothing ever gets done, and I spend my days sitting by the phone waiting for an update.

As for the visa its going okay at the moment, plodding along I suppose  - some of the August applicants have their COs which is fabulous ad I have just booked us in for medicals and xrays for mid feb which has lifted my spirits. I like to feel like I am doing something, and I think thats a big part of my frustration, I like to be in control and busy, but I have come to a standstill, there is no more I can do with house or packing etc or with the visa and its like my life is in other peoples hands at the moment....its torture, I never realised what a control freak I can be.

Oh well, Im determined and wont give up so I am nagging the hell out of my conveyancer and got my medicals booked so on with the waiting game, fingers crossed. xxx

Being an Essex girl I am going to risk sounding horrendously like 'Chantelle' and for that I can only apologise but....

OH MY GOD!!!!

We got acknowledgment what a bloody relief, I cant tell you how good I feel, I have been going off my head, and I fear getting on everyones nerves....particuarly my fellow Augustees.xxx

We are off to see the Solicitor today to sign contracts so hopefully will be exchanging in the next week or so with completion not long thereafter. I feel so much better about doing it now we have moved along the visa process somewhat.

Ohhh its a smiley day!!

Im finding it unbearable at the moment, really really frustrating, I have seen this phase hit others but now its me and its painful. We were contacted for new Credit card details on the 30th Nov and that was supposed to take 7 days - well here we are 5 weeks later and they still havent taken the money, I called them prior to Christmas and it seems the hold up is with the invalids dept. I just want my money taken and I will chill - i promise.

We are a couple of weeks of being homeless - I should be stocking up on valium, it has been 10 years since I lived at home, never mind going back there with a hubby and three young children - I must be mad!

I want to know whats going on - thats the control freak side of me anyway - the sensible side (yes I do have one! is telling me to wait it out, its no good keep emailing and phoning as I am just slowing them up even more. But I want to be there NOW!!  *stamps foot*.

It better be worth it lol.

Just got email from DIAC asking for credit card details - waaaaaahhhhhhoooooooo - our file hasnt been recycled after all!!! Im so happy!!!!!

I called DH to let him know, 'thank f**k for that, I have to get out of this shitehole' were his words, think he is having a bad day at work lol.

A large glass of vino is well called for.

The trouble with doing a blog is that Im only ever inspired to come on if something Majorly exciting has happened (like that happens alor!!) or when I want to moan, but dont wish to inflict my dearly beloveds with my ramblings - I did a pregnancy diary two years ago, it all seemed relevant at the time, reading it back two years later its just a big long whinge about boobs, sex and cervical mucus ewwww.

Anyway, as for my visa.....im still bloody waiting, im really starting to worry now, all those bad things I have done in my life are coming to bite me on the bum now, this is my bad karma bite back time is it? Oh come on I wasnt *that* bad. Was I??

I realised I really need to get a move on with sorting out some of our crap...I mean stuff, there is so much and I am sooo sentimental. I have every piece of work the children have ever done in school, seemed a good idea when you have only one child, 3 artistic masterminds later and Im not so sure. I cant keep it all, can I??

Then there is the wardrobe full of clothes that I will NEVER fit into again, half of them, actually no, way over half of them I wouldnt want to wear again but they have some fond memories of being a size 8 party animal *sigh*  - what the hell am I meant to do with them? donate them to charity.....I can just see it now some old dear walking around in my lycra catsuits PMSL!

To add to the emotional overspill my 'baby' is two on Saturday, my god Im struggling with that. ;-( I wont have a baby anymore, no more excuses to still have my Pjs on at 11am, hair scrapped back and no makeup. On the plus side she thinks its great! Particuarly her new word 'MINE' grrrrr! Im having her friends round for lunch tomorrow, I must need my head testing! a dozen 2 year olds. Lets hope our Buyers dont come on a suprise visit!!