Living in America 2012--Because It Is No Longer 2011

[MmeBucket]

This is what happens when I start threads--they get stupid titles. Someone else needs to start the next one. Hopefully we can get this one filled by 2013.

Link to old thread for reference

Not much happening here. The kids have been off school for 25 days. I am soooo looking forward to them starting school tomorrow. Except it is my day to help, so instead of getting a break from my two, I'll have 22 of them to deal with.

Ok so I've heard this about the schools - they only do something like 8:30-11am, is that right???

Our school Kindergarten is 9-11.40 except on Wednesdays when it finishes as 11. I'm so looking forward to when she is in first grade and it is until 3.30. Will still have the younger two at home but nap schedules might be easier to organise!

Good luck with the ride, mousey! I tutor for a few hours each week which stops me going insane!

You have better school hours than us. Kindergarten is 7.30 to noon and 1-6th grade is 7.30 to 2pm. Middle and high schools are 8.15 and 8.30 to 3 and 3.25 respectively.
I too became a class volunteer when mine were in K, not much else you can do really.

Ok so it's For kindergarten? So they do a full day once they're 6? Or in DS's case nearly 7!!!

Well they do in Oregon, though you can pay extra for full-day Kindergarten if you need the childcare or want them to have the extra. My ds1 also has a September birthday mousey, so I think I'll pay the extra for him when he starts. If he gets a place through the lottery, that is.

Excuse the three extras in that post! The kids in the full-day class get PE, music and art, plus more reading etc. Parents of half-day kids have to pay for other activities if they want the same kind of education. It may work out the same, depending on what you do.

hi ladies

Sharklet thanks for the America the Beautiful pass tip - that's just the sort of thing I love and had never heard of (nor had my American DH!). Also great tip about the internet ready TV - I will definitely want to see as much BBC/Channel 4 content as possible.

Girl the ride sounds great! Another idea may be to start a blog - you could blog about your move, life in SoCal with a young family, training for the ride. I blog and really enjoy it (I keep my name and DC's names off it btw, as I worry about privacy). The blogger forum on here is great, v friendly.

Want2B thanks for the Mothers & More tip - I'll definitely join up when we move over.

Just back from a lovely visit to Scotland to see my best friend from uni - now that we know we're moving I'm trying to catch up with all the friends I've not seen in years! Though I was glad to get back to London this evening as I missed DS (and DH!). DD is 9 weeks now and it was lovely to get some time just with her too

OK, we just found out that we get to spend the relocation package money ourselves. We had assumed that DH's company paid for & arranged everything but it turns out that they actually give us the lump sum and we can either ask them to arrange everything (and pay top prices) or do it ourselves and potentially make some significant savings (eg they budgeted business class flights for us, which we totally don't need). So we're totally going to do it ourselves!

Does anyone have any packer/shipping company tips? I've been looking on the British Expats forum, but it would be great to get some personal recommendations from MNetters.

We used a company called Simpsons to do the container, shipping, customs and delivery the other end. However, we packed it ourselves as we shared the container with two other families who were relocating at the same time. It cost around $3000, iirc. That lump sum may well be taxable. Certain things, like the flights over, aren't, but buying things like new washers etc, may well be. Could be different in each state though. Good luck.

Flip we used Dorree Bonner (sp?). They packed everything, did customs etc and shipped it once they had a full container. They did lose part of a bed as they didn't label it but luckily the company in the US that did the delivery found it in their warehouse and deduced it was ours. I wasn't overly impressed with DB's handling of the issue but the company this end were fabulous.

We were given a budget and option to DIY and claim the money back or go through DH's preferred relocators. We didn't have the cash flow so went with theirs - the British counterpart was Pickfords which I worried about having heard awful things, but couldn't fault it at all. Everything arrived in one piece. A local company was used to bring our stuff to our home and unpack and they were brilliant (though LA only so no use to you!). Everything was packed, customs sorted, unpacked, furniture put together etc.

I actually already blog!! I do use our names though - I put occasional pictures up so figured if I'm doing that I may as well use names. I joined the Mumsnet bloggers network but haven't been active, so kick up the arse appreciated!!

Thanks for all the mover tips!

tad good point about the tax. AFAIK the lump sum is after tax, like his bonus would be. But one of the things we'll do is get proper advice about tax due to moving mid-year etc (DH loves all the tax stuff whereas I'm not looking forward to having to learn it at all!)

Girl there's no way we'd have the cash flow either, which is why we're but [happy] about the lump sum. As we don't have to provide receipts or anything (have already make DH double check this!).

OK, anther random question. Duvets: are they easy to buy? I love duvets and really hate all the faffy sheets/comforters/quilts/blankets at the various family and friends we've stayed with (makes bed making so much more of a chore!). I just wonder why they don't use duvets...am I missing something?

PS Girl the bloggers' forum is super friendly, with threads for sharing new blog posts etc. I follow some blogs about expats in the UK so will keep an eye out for yours, since expat parenting in the US is my new interest

You can buy duvets, but they are quite expensive. You can get them in Bed Bath and Beyond. I paid $160 for a single one a few years ago, but dd has had a bed-wetting problem so I have ended up just using cheap comforters instead so I can wash them frequently. IKEA do them too, I believe. Sizes may also be different. European shams are I think normal pillows to us, but I could be wrong.

Our kindergarten in San Diego is full day. I wanted half day for my older son because he was just exhausted with half day but they phased it out before him. Luckily his lovely kindergarten teacher let the tired children nap with a pillow on the rug after lunch and that got him through. That and a jolly good snack straight after school.

We still have our ancient down four seasons duvet from John Lewis. It must be almost twenty years old but washes up beautifully and is still warm. Our duvet covers come from IKEA. One of the kids has a cheap flannel comforter that we use as a duvet inside a cover, works just the same. I thought European shams were the square ones...??

Dont remember our movers, it was 13 years ago and all done by dh's work.

Our duvets are all from Ikea - as is most of our furniture!!

We took our duvets and linen with us

They might well be, hop! You just need to look carefully when you are buying stuff, don't you!

Hello! Where is everyone?

It is the last week of school and we are running about like crazy here! How are you all?

Tomorrow marks 6 months since we left the UK!! Wow. Time is going so fast, Emily is 2 months old next week.
Really loving it here and making new friends. Hard to imagine being anywhere else right now.

Hope end of school is going well for everyone - what are your plans for summer?

Busy here. Today was DD's last day of Kindergarten, and DS is out tomorrow. Both the kids are finishing up their baseball seasons next week. So I was in charge of planning both of their class parties this week, and both of their baseball parties this weekend. And then our water heater went out today.

We don't have a whole lot of interesting things going on this summer. The kids have VBS and a sports camp, and we're going down south to my in laws to pick up our new boat over the 4th of July. Other than that, we've got a big birthday party for them, and that's it.

The only thing we have planned is heading home for all of July - mixed feelings, worried about not wanting to come back...we're settling in fine but am so looking forward to seeing my friends and have been sad recently that none of them know DD at all - she was 3months when we left, just a lump of baby, and now she's eating and gurgling and sitting. Makes me a bit sad is all, when they all know DS so so well.

How is Emily getting on VN? so glad you're having a good time!

Does anyone fancy a MN get together/meet? I don't think there's anyone else in LA but maybe California?

Girl she's great, sleeping pretty well and getting pretty interactive with smiles and noises!

We're heading to UK in September - feel the same about whether we'll want to come back! Sure we will, we love it here.

We don't have much organised for the summer break apart from chilling here in Vegas (I should have said cooking really!) and waiting for baby to arrive mid July. I would love to do what we did last year and go back to England for 2 and a half months. DD went back to her old school for the whole of summer term (her choice) and LOVED it! It was hard coming back, but hubby came over for a 2 week visit in the middle of our break rather than come over at the end, which meant we wanted to get back to him.

I can't complain too much at least to day Vegas is n the high 80s so it is lovely - this weekend it turns back into a roasting oven!

We're forecast snow possibly this weekend sharklet!

Flying back to England at the end of June for 3 weeks. First time we've flown with all 3 but at least dh is coming with us. It's his first time back in England for 4 years now. Not looking forward to ds2 being on my lap all that way... It will be great when we get there.

Good luck for everyone else over the summer.