Countdown to Canada

[NDH]

Yep we'll need two trolleys for sure. In some ways transport will be easier than the last time we went even though we didnt have as many bags, as between me babywearing Jeremy and having a 5-6 month twin belly, I was useless at carrying anything else. I had one wheelie bag. And the girls wore backpacks and pulled small wheelie bags. This time we will have the twins in two umbrella strollers (zip tied together) which the girls can take turns pushing, and each handle a backpack and whoever isnt pushing the stroller can have a wheelie bag. Jeremy will be big enough to help pull a wheelie bag. And dh and I can both handle a fully loaded luggage cart. I'm actually thinking of packing ratchet straps or bungee cords in the outside pocket of one of our checked bags and then we can use it to secure the luggage together in the airport.

Folded laundry last night and started a big op shop box and threw a bunch away too. We have so few days left now that we really dont need the big mountain of clothes everyone currently has

 

[impatient1]

Sounds like you have the airport situation well planned out! When is it you come over to Canada?

 

[NDH]

Of course we still have to make arrangements to get *to* the airport. *stress*

24 days til departure. *more stress*

 

[NDH]

Today I went through the stuffed full clothing suitcase to see what exactly is in there for each person. I've been randomly putting in clothes for each person as I fold laundry that I want to bring, but havent been taking note of who has what. Jeremy has no shirts, chloe and ezekiel could use a couple more, chloe needs pajamas and ezekiel only has one sleeper so could use a couple more too, plus both babies need a sweater.
I'm still deciding if I need to bring jackets. If we're being met at the airport by someone who can bring winter gear for all of us then that will save a lot of suitcase space. We can all 7 have our clothes (no shoes) in one suitcase. With jackets we might not even be able to put just the kids' clothes all in one suitcase.

I also cleaned out the deep freeze in preparation for being picked up today, though it turns out hes coming tomorrow. Had to pull all the meat out before cleaning it, and of course he didnt message me til after I'd done it. Dh will be taking it to the gun dealer (legal one lol) after work today for his dogs, and taking him his other shotgun to sell. It's a bit more thawed than I was hoping, but should still be salvageable.

I also packed all our board games that are coming and all of our pictures. I removed most from their glass frames to put in the op shop pile, I kept one frame without the glass . Don't need the extra weight or breaking risk. I went through my wedding keepsake box (which I havent looked at since I went through it and culled a lot before we moved to australia in the first place) and in following the advice of the decluttering blog I decided to just keep one (ok two) things that can be kept out and *seen* instead of a box full of things that never get looked at. A much tidier and more organized box than any of my other boxes of "memory" junk for sure, but a box nonetheless. I kept the cake server to *use*, and a votive holder that was used in the centerpieces, again something that can be used. I was also going to keep my tiara for the girls to wear when they get married (chloe asked when she saw it) but then they fought over it and broke it so I guess not :/

My rocking horse collection (which isnt really *my* rocking horse collection but my mothers on my behalf - shes given me some type of rocking horse keep sale every christmas since I was born but I havent had them on display since I moved out to go to college, though I did get rid of a bunch of damaged ones when we moved to australia and got them to fit in a box slightly bigger than a shoebox) I had considered just photographing and also keeping just one, but I decided instead to give the box to my mom for them to bring at a future trip to give me extra time to evaluate that decision. That's one of those things that one day, when my mom is no longer alive, I may really regret having gotten rid of.

I also got my essential oil box cleaned out of almost empty/expired oils and used all the bubble wrap mom brought me to wrap them all up and put back securely in the box (after laying down 4 layers of bubble wrap on the bottom) the kids helped me, and we only had enough bubble wrap to get through half so we'll have to finish it another day. But it still feels like good progress. There is now very little in the bedrooms that still needs to have a decision made about it. It feels like it's been a super productive day.

 

[Huggles]

That's amazing you can fit all your clothes for the whole family in one suitcase.

Good idea asking your mom to bring the rocking horse collection on a future trip.

Definitely sounds like a very productive day overall.

Pity the tiara got broken

 

[NDH]

Went through two of my kitchen cupboards and my kitchen drawers this morning. Filled a large bin of bakeware to donate and took it out to the shed, washed everything in the cutlery drawer and junk/spatula drawer (that isnt literal junk - that I threw away) and washed out both drawers. The other two I only removed obvious junk but didnt thoroughly empty and wash yet.

Emptied the girls' upper closets. Extra blankets I have put in the washing pile - will figure out if I can take them to a shelter maybe? Found another pile of clothes to go straight to the op shop. And in the sewing room/office I found more fabric to donate so now have a full tub of fabric to give away (and 3 or 4 to sell )

This afternoon I am going to clean out the tea cupboard

 

[Bevziibubble]

Sounds like a very productive clear out!

 

[Huggles]

Sounds like you got a lot done! Well done!

 

[NDH]

I think we have a solution for getting to the airport. Today's job was supposed to be to call the car rental places that have 11/14 seater Vans and find out if any of them are a) available and b) have a one way rental option. I know that one of the three places has one available for a 2 day rental (opening hours unfortunately wouldn't allow for us to rent just one day, even though we would only need it for a 24h period.) but the other two are call and enquire and none have the option for a one way rental online. The two day rental option would cost $350 plus an extra driver charge plus an extra 400km plus fuel. I'm guessing probably $600 all said and done? A one way rental would allow us to almost halve that cost depending what a one way rental surcharge would be (I'm guessing about $100). However, a one way rental would also leave us with having to dispose of 3-4 car seats in sydney.

We'd thought about taking our van with luggage in the trailer and paying a friend to drive us to the airport and back, but our van has been giving us issues lately that make us question its reliability.

Well dh had a friend (the ones we saw lady weekend who want the weight bench) call and ask how we're getting to the airport and when he said he didnt know he offered to drive us in their van (identical to ours apart from ours is diesel - its even the same year, and we've both banged up the same fenders lol). The only issue is he doesnt have a tow bar. So we're giving him our tow bar and the weight bench in trade and will then pay for fuel costs both ways and food.

 

[NDH]

Just applied for ETAs for the kids (permission for non-Canadians or Americans to enter Canada). They wont need them if their canadian citizenship comes through in time, but I dont want to be scrambling at the last minute so decided to do it now, after looking up regulations and finding out if there is anything else we have to do to be able to enter the country with them. I was a bit worried they might not be allowed in the country at all right now, but immediate family of canadian citizens can enter the country without permission, and extended family can enter the country with permission so no drama there.
Most applications take only 10 minutes but some can take days or even weeks and no eta means no boarding the plane. By the time I finished the last application all but Jeremy had already received their ETAs. For some reason Jeremy's email says his is being reviewed and may take up to 72 hours proof that I made the right call to do it now and not wait til the last minute.
The next stress will be if they do get their citizenship through in the last couple days before departure... lol because within 10 days of a flight you can apply for an exemption to fly on a Canadian passport you dont have one. And if their citizenship comes though and I dont have time to apply for and receive an exemption for them then that's a big complication.

Letting go, it will all work itself out.

 

[autumnal]

Do you have a scanner? You could put all the standard sized papers in the loading tray thing and scan them all! Sounds like it might be a bit easier than photographing. So great you have worked out the transportation with your friend. I'm praying everything works out for you

 

[Bevziibubble]

Hopefully the applications all go through soon

 

[NDH]

Jeremy's application has gone through so now they're all sorted.
The friend was here to pick up the weight bench and cubby house and hes going to take a couple of our tools roo. He offered to come back tomorrow afternoon with his wife (and their 4 and 5 year old) to help us clean and pack.

Lots of little things done today - nothing too substantial but it all adds up. Lots of laundry too. Dh leaned out his drawers finally so I'm washing everything that was in his keep and donate piles and then we threw out a fair amount. I also had to rewash two loads of minky that I washed and folded last weekend because it was in the shed and we had an epic rain/hail storm last night and it ended up soaked.
Parents came at lunch today with my Kmart order and picked up the girls to take them to a sleepover tonight, and while they were here they also took home some things of ours they want, and mom helped me rearrange the garage so there is room to bring stuff out there as I fill up boxes .

 

[Bevziibubble]

That's great Jeremy's application has gone through.
Well done on completing more tasks

 

[kittiecat]

That’s great that all the applications have gone through ok! Sounds like you’re getting so much done.

 

[NDH]

Oh and our landlord has told us if anything we are selling doesnt sell before we go to leave it in the shed on cardboard and they'll sell it for us and transfer the money to our account. And the same friend who is driving us to the airport lives on one of the main roads in town, and he has offered that we can leave our van in front of his house with a for sale sign if it doesnt sell before we go (we have to drive to his house in the morning we leave anyway) and he can handle the selling of it for us.

Mom will also keep my minky and nappies etc in their spare room and will handle shipping things that sell after we go. I'll still sell things in bundles to make it more convenient for her, but I dont have to feel like I'm drastically under selling myself on stuff just to have it sold before we leave.

It is so awesome to be blessed by awesome friends (and family) all these things will really help reduce my stress as financially we dont need things to sell *before* we go, though we will need the money over the next few months to help us financially if dh isnt able to find work right away.

Oh and if I didnt mention it, it is looking likely that he will be able to continue working remotely with his current job for at least a couple weeks. So that will be a big help.

We currently have $13000 in the bank, rent and electricity are paid up til we go, DH gets one more week of work on his pay slip and has 7 1/2 weeks of holiday pay he'll get after that, and I have one more centrlink payment I'll be getting, but with no major upcoming expenses aside from food and fuel and a couple odds and ends for the trip everything is paid for. Oh that's not true we have to pay for septic tank to be emptied, and carpet cleaning, and will probably end up paying for a house cleaner to do the final cleaning. I dont expect any of our security deposit back due to dome damage to the floor and countertop but I do hope it doesnt end up costing us any further.
Long story shirt we'll have about $20k plus what our stuff sells for (in the range of $5-8k) to buy a vehicle, car seats, clothes, essential furniture (potentially only beds and mattresses, not sure if we'll need a couch or if MIL got one), and then to be our living expenses until dh has employment. To some that may seem impossible, but I think its quite possible

 

[Huggles]

That's awesome that he offered to take you to the airport, alleviating that challenge.
So glad all the permissions were gotten for the kids to enter Canada.

 

[Huggles]

That's so amazing that the landlord is willing to sell your stuff for you after you've left, and so kind if your friend too.
Your parents have also been super helpful with everything which is just awesome.

Also a relief that dh can work remotely for a few weeks.

 

[autumnal]

It does sound like you have wonderful friends there and that was very nice of the landlord!! That sounds like a huge blessing

 

[Bevziibubble]

That was kind of your landlord