Rodfan

Hi,
Just wanted to let you know I think you are lucky! that your Son wishes to return with you..we tried that window of opportunity and headed back home after 2.5yrs and once or Son had just finished year 12. But he was determined to come back to OZ on his own he returned at 19yrs old after just 2 months to be with his new Aussie girlfriend!! and he was missing the friends he had already made in OZ. As a result we did not feel 'right' leaving him in OZ on his own and also felt' guilty' after all we moved him here in the first place so in the end we decided to move back to be with him at least we thought until he was a bit older.I am still not settled living here and as nice as living here can be sometimes, still yearn for home! but not sure we can afford or I can persuade OH to ping-pong again.

quoll

Try desperate and, as I said, he wants me to stay here, he needs to get the money for me to go home whenever I want! October will probably be on FF points anyway, I have enough for a couple of trips now! It's all to do with timing for family stuff really - I dont like to be away for more than a year for the aged rellies and things are happening in November that I wont want to miss. And when you are on your own and can be flexible about leave and such then it works out relatively cheaply. I'll probably be waiting for the next Qantas 2 for 1 offer before I take anyone else over!

I know what you mean about the cost of a trolley - I am often amazed at Waitrose (yeah, I know, posh or what - it's the closest to the aged rellies place!) when I get a good trolley load for L50 (with wine) which would cost me almost double back here at IGA. And the variety!!!!! I know there are only so many varieties of baked beans you need but to have the choice is mind blowing! I could happily spend an afternoon in Waitrose and have lunch into the bargain (love those in-supermarket cafes! for when you are perplexed by the range of baked beans and need a cappucino to give you focus!)

Meanwhile another warm and blowy day here, and the anniversary of monster bushfires which took out 500 homes 7 years ago. Bring on the snow!

quoll

Oh dear, never follow kids around the world is my motto! You have to look after number 1 and the kids will look after themselves I reckon. You do what you have to do to make you happy! I have one here and one in UK - they have their own lives to lead, I probably see the local one about once every couple of months and hear from the other one (by sms usually) about just as often! We have a great relationship with both of them though.

Once you realize you are trapped here and there is no going home, then it becomes 10 times more difficult to actually live here! Every little thing gets up your nose and you just feel ill at ease more often. Just IMHO.

Rodfan

Hi Quoll,

Well I've kinda learnt that lesson the hard way...trouble is he still lives with us, so do we kick him out?? also OH not so keen to go back, dilemma , Do I give up everything and go back where my heart belongs??

quoll

Ah a big dilemma! How strong are you? I started giving my boys "hints" from 16 - a Jamie Oliver cookbook here, a frying pan there, a set of towels etc and they pretty soon got the message. They had both gone by 22 (after uni) If you sold up and got really engaged with him about how he is going to support himself, where will he be able to live, what sort of employment will he find etc etc his enthusiasm may wane a bit.

Wouldnt be surprised if you up sticks and went (if you can persuade the OH) if the young fellow doesnt follow you soon after. Many young Aussies want the European experience once they have finished uni or got a trade or whatever it is that they do.

You are going to have to be pretty strong whichever way you turn really. It is possible to live here, of course it is, but you have to put yourself on hold while you do that and live a different sort of life - very much a compromise of your "you-ness", and that can be very wearing. If you go home then chances are you are going to have to be the one organizing it all and that too can be knackering. I dont believe that a country is worth giving up a good relationship for and so if your relationship is going to survive here but not if you go back there then that is what you have to do.

You can lay down your terms of compromise like I did - he wants you to stay, he has to pay for you to go home for a sanity hit whenever you want to.

Now, where is the {{{hugs}}} icon on this board? It's a real catch 22 situation isnt it?! Good luck!

ann m

You're my kinda girl

My kids are only 10 and 12 - is it too early to buy the cookbook?

And karma for the rest of your post - well written and full of kindess

dunroving

Have you tried wrapping their school lunch sandwiches in a train timetable?

ann m

No - but thanks for the idea

<wanders off, muttering to herself about where she last saw the freebie flyers for discounted saucepans>

Mummy in the foothills

I start them with learning how to do their own laundry at about 11, and go from there.

livinginreality

What in gods name was in the ladies trolley to justify that amount????The mind boggles!I thought the food prices (May last year)seemed quite reasonable!Toiletries ect were expensive but food seemed fine.

Mummy in the foothills

I was pretty stunned this summer at how little the grocery bills were.
I can not even fill a trolley here in a discount food store (no meatI buy that elsewhere) and easily spend well over $150 US dollars. And I'm mrs cheapskate, I buy store brands, use coupons, if it isn't on sale I don't buy.

Marmalade

I have to add my 2 cents to this one!!!

I am single, have two cats, and really watch the pennies when I shop. I am still amazed at how much I spend weekly on groceries just for me, and the necessary cat food, etc. Not cheap around these parts by any means. I use coupons too............

Mummy in the foothills

It sucks doesn't it?
I'm turning into a right whiner

Marmalade

Me too, I better stop posting about this or I'll get right depressed

kporte

I have informed ABC about this nonsense and the stats will follow in due course