Holy fucknuggets. It's really happening. The Big Bad Move to The Great White North.

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

I am FREAKING out.

DH accepted a job today in our home country. We have told the kids. I have to tell work tomorrow.

He is starting in January. The DC and I will finish out the school year, sell the flat and follow.

Freaking out doesn't cover it actually. Fuck fuck fuck.

We LOVE our old nanny, not we left her. Stupid phone.

Grrr. The MUM would take amazing care of us.

BBB the inlaws are Canadian too! They live in eastern Ontario, about a 4 hour drive away from where we will be living in Toronto (which is no distance at all by Canadian standards ) so they are very happy indeed with our decision.

magi that is what I was thinking / hoping about the TV situation.

Oh, and I really liked the au pair I met this morning. German girl, 19 years old, scout leader, seems very together for her age.

Going for old nanny's mamma sounds like a no brainer to me.

Your Dc may even learn some German en route!

Would nanny's mama be able to cope with living 'alone' chez vous? With the shoops? With the tube? With the telephone with maybe a call from school?

What do you need help for? Cooking? Cleaning? Collecting the Dc from school?

You need to list what you need & ask yourself if mama nanny could do it.

I would be biased in favour of someone older than a teen/early 20's au pair. (Scout leader or not!) Older mama will have had experience of children - she's bought up the nanny you loeved so she must have done quite a lot of right things!

What a dilemma!

magi that is SUCH good advice - make a list of what I/we really need, maybe even rank / prioritise it and compare. I think my priorities are probably different from the DDs ones too. So have to keep that in mind!

I'm going to skpye with the other two, maybe tomorrow night. Then I will "know" all of them and maybe have a better feel.

DH favours the au pair idea over the mama nanny - I think he somehow feels like old nanny is trying to take advantage or something? And he is more worried about the language barrier.

The fourth au pair is still AWOL

Such a fucking awful busy day at work today too. Auditors are in and crawling up my backside with a magnifying glass, as they do.

I feel like I've been hit by a bus.

Thank God for

(a) the Strictly thread

and

(b) Masterchef The Professionals

Doreen do you live in the UK now too?

Ooh lots to think about

Lovely to have the option of people that you know, but the language thing could be a hurdle you don't need.

This is a short term deal to facilitate your move.

If it was a long term investment because you were staying in London it would be a different proposition.

So, tough though it may sound, don't make a choice based on helping another family unless it really, really works for you.
This is not a time for you to be carrying anyone.

I think you should take into account all the choices that are being thrown at you.

Then put them all on hold while you sit back and really evaluate what is going to help you most for the next 6 months.

Just think about it all for a few days. Do a pros and cons spreadshit

And finally, choose what will help youmost.

DDs might have preferences but they have no responsibility. If you are comfortable, they will be too.

More

I dreamt I was moving house last night!! And I hadn't stripped the beds or done the washing & the packers had arrived!

Which made me think of you, Hearts. You will need to think about moving out of your flat at least a few days before the removal men come in. You don't want to pack dirty bedding etc ( I assume your stuff will be shipped & take some weeks to arrive) & it will make the final packing up SO much easier. Given where you live & that it will be summer & tourist season you might want to think about an answer to this one!!

I hate dreams like that, it can take hours to calm down and actually accept that it was a dream.

Great experience you have to share magi, very useful and reassuring.

Yes good point magi. My friend has a massive house in Willesden or somewhere like that, maybe we could stay with her...

How you doing Hearts?

Have I got this right?

Your MIL has offered to come to UK, from Canada, to help you pack and organise?

That is pretty special

BBB yup that's right. I am very lucky - best MIL in the world.

We have found our au pair. Lovely French girl, well woman as she is 24, has been an au pair a number of times including once in Calgary and once in Vancouver. The DDs really took to her over Skype. So now I just need to break it to ex nanny that nanny mama is not getting the job. I have been putting it off but I really must have the conversation this weekend. Ugh.

Good to hear that everything is falling into place.

Will the au pair come back to Canada with you?

Lovely MIL, good for her, I've never had one, she died just before we got married.

Good luck with telling nanny the news.

Hi Hearts, how's it all going? Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year before DH moves back in advance of you all.

Big week over here, if anyone is still reading

I wrote my letter of resignation today.

Lovely new au pair arrived on Sunday and I luffs her. So do the DDs.

The biggest thing though is that DH leaves on Friday. I am not really sure how I am going to cope without him.

Oh, and we have instructed the estate agents.

Anyone need a garden maisonette flat in NW London?

Still reading - I promise you that the thought of DH leaving is far, far, worse than the reality will be. My DH used to go off for months on end at various times earlier in our marriage & the work up to him going was far worse than once he had gone. I'd sniff & sob a bit & then get on & count the days till he came back. (Funnilly enough, it was Canada he went to several times!).

Are you going to see him before you move out or is it from now till June??

Courage, mon brave

Hearts, keep positive - I'm sure you will - the time will be over before you know it. Of course you'll miss DH, but it won't be too long before you all move back there, eh?!

This is wonderful news Hearts! I am in Ontario too (about 100kms south-west of T.O.) and would definitely be up for a MNCanuck meetup.

If there's any way I can help from this side of the pond, please just ask! :)

I am v.v.v. cross that Hearts is going to get the chance to meet Annie.

Aww magi, you know I wuvs you best, hun.

Fuck that! Suck it up princess.