MSE Newborn to 1 year (& beyond!) baby club 3

continualdiamond

I can understand how you feel Bangton with maternity wage.

We're due to go to Australia for the summer, well most of it and even though the flights were a gift I have been trying to find a way to keep my passport cost down.

Hubby and Scarlett's UK passports were cheap in comparison to mine. I'm not entitled to a UK passport despite living here for 11 years. So I renewed my Aussie passport which had to be lodged in London so had the travel cost involved as well and my passport was a shocking £120.

I have the right of abode enabling me to live in the UK but because the passport it's in has expired it means the evidence I have has also expired and it cannot be transferred into my new passport. Therefore it is costing me £144 to get it again otherwise once we fly back here I won't be allowed in the country.

I have spent ages trying to find ways I could qualify for a UK passport but nope as unfortunately it's mum that is British and therefore the rights don't pass down to me. However if it was my dad, then they would :mad:

I had a proper cry about money the other day when hubby told me the truth as he's on purpose I found out been keeping it quiet with how much we don't have due to me being on maternity pay. Sounds silly but when he asked why I was so upset my reply was 'I don't want her missing out on doing things (lo) and being the parent's who can't afford what she deserves'.

Have a nice time at the seaside.

*Nutella*

continualdiamond wrote: »

Debating now to spend time with a child minder who offers 24/7 care to use her as a baby sitter (she offered) as lo is 7 mths old today and hubby and I haven't had time to ourselves yet.

Yes okay we've gone out at night time but even so it's not just be the 2 of us. We went to a Christmas work do and then to the cinema twice when my sister was over and also to friends for a chinese.

My LO will be two on Sunday, and OH and I have been out once just the two of us since she was born - for an appointment with the mortgage broker! :eek::rotfl:

You might find that the staff at Scarlett's nursery also do babysitting - it seems to be fairly common. They're unlikely to actively promote it as it'll probably be discouraged by management, but if you ask them I suspect many of them will be doing it to earn a bit of extra money. And as they'll be people that you already know and trust, they'd be my ideal babysitters

Bangton

Oh my god thats awful with the passport! ! How ridiculous that the rights don't pass to you when your mum's British but would if it was your dad. I really don't get that! !

Here's hoping you have an amazing time to make up for it. Do you miss home? I can't imagine not having my family near even though they do my head in! !

I've felt bad posting woe is me at working full time as I know tons of mothers do it and it was always my plan before I knew I was being made redundant. It's just I can afford not to and it's frustrating that It's not looking like an option.

I've felt fed up all day today. The house is a mess from the weekend and I've struggled to get some order with little one even though he's good as gold he hates me leaving the room! Sometimes I feel I'm doing the hardest and most monotonous (cleaning! ) job in the world for no pay! !!

CD big hugs on the money. I do know how you feel. I saved religiously before maternity and had about 4k to tide us over plus smp. Well it's all gone .. partly due to frivolity I guess. Partly due to being poorly after having lo and needing OH to be off work longer though.

I do get full pay in July again as I'm stopping maternity to use up holidays. It's not long but it feels it!!!

Urgh.. I've totally got up on wrong side of bed today I hope I cheer up tomorrow! I guess panic is setting over redundancy even though in a lot of ways it will be positive

Bangton

My thanks button is missing! Nutella that post made me chuckle! Mortgage broker. . What a date eh! OH and me haven't been out together at all in seven months and are unlikely to anytime soon! OH has been places .. Christmas do/cinema/paint balling etc.

Call me sad but I don't want to at the moment. I declined a couple of nights out as I wanted to be here if lo woke in the night. OH is perfectly capable but I just can't let go. I wish I could though

*Nutella*

CD, could you not naturalise on the basis of marriage to a British citizen?

Saffagal

Morning ladies

CD, along the lines ofd what Nutella said; have you looked into getting a uk passport under your right whether from the length of time you have been here/ as married to a uk passport holder?

A is a year and OH and I have never been out without her. Yesterday was the first time I have left her for over 4hrs... I left her for 5 at her third settling in session at nursery. She was fine incidentally and has two more days before my return to work next Wed.

I did some more sums last week and was gutted to realise I have to continue working if we want to be able to have days out/ any holidays/ be able to see my family or have any treats. I know these things aren't strictly necessary but my doing just two and a half days will enable these things and more... So with my "big girl panties" on I have been spring cleaning whilst A has had her nursery settling in periods.

continualdiamond

Morning all.

Being married to a UK citizen doesn't give you any entitlement to a UK passport. Australia changed it's laws in 2002 to state citizens can have dual passports, previously you had to surrender your're Australian one if you did that.

So I always planned to hold both.

However the only way it seems I can ever get one is to go through the citizenship process for a hefty fee of just over £800 :eek: and even then would have to do the UK citizenship test.

I was born in Feb 1982 and come under the 1981 law which is different. People born after 1st Jan 1983 will be a British citizen if their mother or father was born in the UK. :mad:

I can have a ID card for £55 stating I can live and work here but that has a turn around time of 6 months so not enough time to get one before our holiday.

But at the moment I will always have to travel on my Aussie passport.

Yes I miss home. I did more so when lo was really tiny and hubby went back to work. I'm really close to all my family on my mums side. I was born in Adelaide and moved to Perth with my parents & sister in 1994 and I was really mad at my dad for moving us (he got a better job) and always said I'd move back to Adelaide, I never did though.

However I always visited my relatives in Adelaide at least once a year. I haven't seen majority of them since 2007, as that is the last time I went back, well to Perth that is. It was for my sisters wedding so a lot of relatives made the journey over but I haven't been to Adelaide since 2002.

I love my aussie rules football as well and am still a paid member of the club. Often get up at silly hours to watch my team play when the game is on live.

Saffagal

I went through the citizenship process a few years ago as am able to hold dual citizenship and though expensive, for me it was worth it. I have registered A's birth in SA too so she also holds dual citizenship.

I seem to recall the citizenship test has changed slightly, but I did it in 2010, and it was very basic if you can actually speak English and read their book. 24 multiple choice questions if I remember correctly.

When I went out with A in Feb we travelled around SA and visited family mainly, many of whom I hadn't seen for many many years and I loved it. Our next trip out next Feb will only be a short one and we won't get to see any people at all Sometimes it really sucks living so far away

So, this morning Daddy dropped A at nursery - well, I went with to show him how to do it as he'll be doing all the drop offs. And after he took her coat off, she turned and said "Up" to me so had to hand her to her keyworker; but at least she wasn't crying. Will see when I collect her how she was... I hate leaving her.

*Nutella*

My OH went through the citizenship process a few years ago, and for us too it was worth it - his first comment when he got his passport was 'I'll never again have to go through the slow queue at Heathrow!'

lazywife

smp sucks doesn't it?! Also it's made me realise how much we spend with me at home. I've not really done "big shops" at the supermarket since T was born as he likes a little ride in the trolley and we go and get little bits 2-3x per week. unfortunately means we spend more. Don't worry about affording stuff to make LOs happy. T has had a very cheap b'day party, got loads of toys and he still is happy sitting in the laundry basket playing with my keys. He loves days with me and DH, doesn't matter what we're doing, although I do know what you mean, it's nice to not feel guilty about paying for a holiday.
T is having a very sleepy day, his molars (?) are coming through and after all the birthday excitement over past week he's just shattered. Had about 1 hr in his cot and gone straight back down on me since he woke up. Aaaaaah. I do love mummy cuddles.
Damp and drizzly day here, hope you all have a nice day (Bangton, hope you go out of the right side of bed today)x