Finally I'm back online after just over 3 weeks so I guess it's time for an update.

I left Toronto on July 13th after almost 9 years so here's the story so far.

The flight from Toronto to Belfast with Zoom was fine. The 5 year old slept and the baby didn't cry she was awake for the entire flight and sat happily in her car seat smiling and cooing. When I arrived in Belfast my parents and my brother had come to meet us and the biggest surprise was that my OH was there too I wasn't supposed to see him until August 4th. So that was on the Monday morning and OH had to fly to Edinburgh on the Tuesday evening.

Tuesday is when the drama began. My baby girl had been really Jet lagged and as she had missed a whole nights sleep by staying awake on the plane I wasn't too concerned that she was sleeping way longer than normal. Anyway about 4pm on Tuesday my OH heard her cry and went to check on her, he picked her up to change her diaper when she started to have a seizure so I called for an Ambulance (dialed 911 at first forgetting what country I was in) they arrived really quickly and off we went to the hospital. We got to the hospital and while we were in the ER she had another 2 seizures so we knew pretty quickly she wouldn't be doing home anytime soon. The crap thing was my OH had to leave to catch his flight to Scotland he really didn't want to go but I convinced him everything would be okay (I should mention our little boy had seizures when he was about the same age so I've seen this all before). So in total the little woman had 5 seizures and we ended up staying in the hospital until the Thursday evening. I'm so thankfully this didn't happen on the plane and that my family were all there for support.

So after a few days at the hospital it seemed things were settling down until we went for a drive and wee woman started to throw up. After a couple of days she was back to normal but my son caught the bug, it affected him really badly and I almost thought at one point I was going to end up back at the hospital. Thankfully that wasn't necessary, I was never so glad to hear him asked for something to eat after 3 days of only taking sips of water.

Anyway after all that things have settled down. My OH arrived home on Monday so finally this week I've been able to sort out a few things. Opening a bank account has been a bit of a problem for my OH as we are staying with my parent and therefore have no bills for proof of address. However the bank got around this problem by actually sending some one to meet with us at my parents house to prove we really live here. I was amazed you can't get a doctor to do a house call but the bank will.

So tomorrow's plan is to go and look for a house to rent.

So far even with the drama of sick children I'm glad to be home, and yes the weather is crap but I don't care

Wow Elaine sounds like you have had a rough time already poor you but glad everyone is ok now

Good to hear you are getting settled back home though and good luck with the house hunting, we are still trying to sell ours argh!!

Keep in touch anyway

Sinead

Elaine, so sorry to hear that both of your children have been very sick. So glad that they are feeling better now. What a drama for you and your family (maybe you should call yourself Flea the 2nd.......). Here's to smoother sailing from here on out for you all. Now everything else will seem like a doddle compared to what you've just been through.

Welcome home back to Northern Ireland, enjoy it

Here's to smoother sailing from here on out for you all. Now everything else will seem like a doddle compared to what you've just been through.



Hi Elaine

How awful for you and hubby, hope the little ones are now on the mend

Crikey, talk about drama!! So glad the kids are well now though.

Glad to hear all of that couldn't put you off being home. I hope it all runs smoothly from here on in

I hope the kids are fighting fit now and you are starting to settle in. Goodluck with the repatriation.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes. Hopefully there will be no more drama for awhile. The good news today is I think we've found a house to rent we saw 3 places today and one of them was just prefect so we'll drop off the application to the realtor in the morning and then keep our fingers crossed that we get it. The next big thing to do after getting a house is learning to drive

Oh that's great news on the house - can i ask where it is ??
Just being nosey really, we are getting rid of our tenants come Sept and was just wondering what the rental market is like back home and if the prices have gone up any. Are you staying in Larne then or moving elsewhere?

Good luck with the driving lessons though when you start

Sinead

The house is in the Blackthorn Hollow area, we found out yesterday that we will get the keys next Friday. It's a new build with 3 bedrooms and the rent is £475.00 per month. We are renting the place for the next year but not sure what we'll do after that.

Wow... what a bargain. Been considering good old NI ourselves, as it is where hubby is from - but I'd struggle finding a job there almost as much as I would in Toronto, so that's what's holding us back.

Welcome home, Elaine.....a very traumatic start, and I'm glad to hear everything is okay with your wee ones. Great news about your house rental too.............it'll all start getting better now.

Bet you're glad you're not in Toronto today....have you sen the news about the propane plamt explosion?

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

Hope everything goes onwards and upswards from here....just enjoy your time in your rental and take each days as it comes....learning to drive!!!! not sure what N.I roads are like but should I put out a warning to the drivers out there that Elaine B is about to become a L plater!!!! good luck to you all and hope you all enjoy health,wealth and happiness.....

Hi Oldbag.....a nice pub meal for a day out with a view of Manchester and Cheshire is the Hare and Hounds up in Werneth Low....it's just lovely up there all times of the year but Christmas is my favorite time....glad you are still enjoying being home and hopefully it will be our turn soon.

Haven't been to the Hare and Hounds in years....the last time we went it was one of those franchised things and the food (veggie for me) was just awful! In fact we haven't been back since. I actually prefer a curry at Bangla City....used to be a run down nightclub called Jekylls.

The Sheia Khan in Rusholm is great for a Curry, also the Indian Ocean in AUL was a great favorite with us....not sure what it's like now but family still go...we had our last two Christmas Dinners there with our family and we had a ball....great day and who said Indians could not cook a Traditional Christmas Dinner have not visited the Indian Ocean....only 3 had the Traditional but it tasted lovely.....we had a very nice Lunch at the Hare & Hounds last year it was very nice and it was nicely busy as well.....plus it snowed so the icing on the cake......