Living in America....... summer 2010!

[redflipflops]

So.... new thread.... please join me

introductions:

redflipflops - California (central Coast)

It depends on your county and state Tadjennyp with regards the school deadlines and extension periods. We lived in MD and that was a common practice amongst most counties.

I don't know about your VISA but think you need to speak to your lawyer (who needs to get their act in gear) and your local consulate, possibly. I know that we're in a similar position (both VISA winding down and Greencard on the boil). If our VISA needs renewing before the Greencard is approved, we have to leave the country for 24 hrs - so could fly up to Toronto or down to Mexico and then back. With regards your new child - Again speak to consulate but also US embassy as you say, the child is now a US Citizen. Good luck, sounds like lots of things going on - which is not fun when you're getting used to a new baby - but Congratulations on that, too!

thanks, anonymosity. Will look into that.

nico my DD did reception (and part Y1) in the UK and then went into Kindergarten (part time). There was obviously repetition but she actually quite liked going 'back' into Kindergarten - as it was lots of art and very little academic stuff! We could have asked about going into the year above but felt emotionally and socially she was better in her own age group. At home we've made quite an effort to keep up her reading level - as they start that much later here (phonics is taught in 1st grade and NO provision for kids above expected level). State schools do vary a lot depending on area (as with UK) so all experiences probably different.

wow lalamom your experience is so positive! I am constantly begging my DH to get a job back in the UK (have not settled here at all!). I would happily swap the sunshine for my friends & family to be closer. But we are living in a VERY small town - very conservative/churchy and not at all my thing.

tad sorry can't help on the visa/passport issue. ummm can understand why you're worried. You do have to leave US to get new L1/2... can he get a UK passport quick? if not US one?

tad i'm pretty certain that if you have a green card app. in, then your visa just kind of continues until you get a decision on that - check on the USCIS site, I think that's where i read it.

nico dd did a year and a bit in uk school, then moved here for half day K. It took her a while to settle, but now she is v happy & doesn't want to go back. Check what your state does, but here children born in sep,oct & early nov have a choice about which year they start school in.

It also took me a while to settle - I didn't have a green card so no job & dh works long hours. now, though, i love it. when i go back to the uk it's a huge culture shock - everything seems crowded, dirty & drab! (i know, such a stereotype). also, we have direct flights from detroit to heathrow, so i don't feel too isolated - if i have to, i can get back in a day, and that's important to me.

Oh, I really can't keep up with this thread. There are so many new people I don't know and it seems so long ago that I was fretting over Visa issues...

Nothing helpful to say, just wanted to pop in and say hello. Hope all is well.

SB x

Hello grockle. How are things with you?

Where are you Grockle? Do YOU have a greencard / citizenship all sewn up? I'm sure you can put some wisdom out there for anyone who is still concerned...

visa stuff is complicated stuff. I thought that you only had to renew if you left the country and wanted to enter again (i.e. an overseas holiday). Well that's what my colleagues go with. We're on J1/2's

depends what visa you're on - we had H ones, we could come & go as we liked for 3 years, then renew it once for another 3 years. after that we could only stay if we had a green card app. in & were waiting to hear.

Js are different, and it's different if you're canadian. i don't think you can apply for a green card if you're on a J, you have to transfer to an L or H first - i think!!

I'd say pester the lawyer, but if it's being done via work you can't really do that.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions re schools.

I agree redflipflops that I think DD would be better off with kids her own age even if it did mean she repeated things at school.

I'm a bit horrified at the idea of half day kindergarten...I can't wait for her to start full time school!! (shouldn't wish her childhood away, I know)

Kindergarten is a full day in our state and at ds1's school they are expected to be reading and writing pretty well by the end of the year. They had a journal writing time every day where they drew a picture and wrote a few sentences about a topic. But even though they are all full days the curriculum varies greatly between schools and districts. We looked around carefully before buying our house.

Ds2 goes to a full day pre-K3 class 5 days a week and is doing reading and writing there as well. It is private though.

yes, fed. gov. is really pushing full day K, and schools/districts now have to pay a fine if they don't do full day. however, they have no extra funding to go full from half day, so some are paying the fine rather than providing the education as that's cheaper.

in about 3 years, it will have to be ft.

Anonymosity, I am no longer in the US so am no help to anybody I still like to come back and say hello every now and again. All ok here - spent the day in the countryside which reminded me just how lucky I am to live where I do. I am a happy bunny

That's shocking, Kickass - about the funding. I continue to be amazed & appalled at what I hear about the US education system. I know there are some FAB school districts around but I never had the luck to end up in them. And don't get me started on private schools

tadjennyp - I can't be much help with ins and outs of visa issues, but I do know for certain that any US citizen, whether they are dual citizens of another country or not, must travel on their US passports in and out of the US, as this applies to my dh and ds's.

I was on a temporary two year 'green card', don't remember what type exactly, and I did not have application in for permenent green card as I knew I was returning to England. I did not inform the INS I was leaving US to return to England and I think it was about a month before it expired that deportation proceedings were commenced, despite the fact I was not in the country. It was all sorted with a couple of letters from my employer here etc. and a trip to the embassy with passport. Just saying be v careful and make sure company lawyer is doing his job!, as can be more hassle than is necessary otherwise, but don't panic! I'm sure you are in the process of sorting all this out and hope you can get a passport for ds2 pretty quickly if necessary and you are enjoying new baby time.

Grockle where do you live now? am constantly searching for perfect place here or in US - must be perfect AND cheap

Thanks dizzy. We haven't had any notification about deportation yet and should apparently receive a docket for visa renewal this week. Fingers crossed it doesn't take long to process!

Tad, when I got mine I had to apply at the county passport office, and I could pay an extra fee to hurry along the process if I wanted to, but as I didn't need to, I don't remember how quickly I could have gotten it. I think everything passport from Oregon gets sent to Seattle.

Thanks bucket. I could go up to Seattle and make an appointment if we were desperate. I guess being deported counts as a need to get a passport, but I don't think it will come to that! Who wouldn't want my dh to stay with his PhD an all?

Quite! It would be America's loss, England's gain, as were my colleagues' sentiments when I was leaving for blighty once more.., (and I don't even have a phd) I love the American's, sigh

Dizzy, I'm in Dorset. It is perfect - good schools, beach, forest, family. Not so cheap though but not London prices (unless you live in Sandbanks which is one of the most expensive place to live in the World)

Is it easy to renew a US children's passport? DS's has expired and his father is cross with me. Why he couldn't have filled in the forms to sort it, I don't know. Apparently it is not sufficient for me to renew only 1 of DS's passports. Grrr. Rant over, sorry

Hey, Grockle: AIBU to blame you for our flight's 2 hour delay because it originated out of Chicago where it was snowing?

On a happy note, I saw THE Michael's where Califrau goes. I had warm fuzzies inside and said "glue gun" as we drove by.

Califrau was a long time MN poster, and was part of the 1st Living in America thread. She no longer posts on MN, to the detriment of the site. She's quite crafty and loves Michael's and glue guns, but had a rather unfortunate incident involving a glue gun and a walnut. DH and I were on vacation, and when we were driving back to the airport, I saw her Michael's. Now DH thinks I'm rather crazy and randomly shout out the words glue gun.

Um, MmeBucket, much as I love you, I feel it may be a tad unreasonable to blame me fir the weather conditions in the Midwest but most things in life seem to be my fault so you may as well hold me accountable -everyone else would!

Did you not stop and visit Cali? How are your lovely DC? And Monsieur bucket?

Mme, for a moment I thought you were IN Michaels, saw Cali and yelled Glue Gun to get her attention. Thought your dh was BU but after re-reading....

Speaking of AIBU, (which I have never postd on!) wondering if I am being just plain stupid to give Blackberry another try. I had a wonderful upgrade deal last year for 10 bucks but the phone started making a chirping noise in the middle of the conversation after about two weeks. Took it back, was told they had sold completely out of that one - could not even get it online - and that I would have to re-upgrade to another model for $99. I was in a spot as going out of town soon so went ahead and did it. The camara ran out of memory almost immediately and I waited forever to get a media card. Finally bought card a week ago and now camara gives a strange message and/or locks up phone completely. Sooooo, have bought a used one on ebay as I like it when it works and it was a really good deal Do I just have bad blackberry karma?

That sounds like a lot of bad luck, Jabber. I loved my Blackberry til I got an iPhone....