I know many of you have been wondering what has been causing my absence from this space recently…
Well, here is the list of things that are keeping me otherwise engaged.
Each item on this list has not only been emotionally tiring and stressful, but has taken hours and hours of research and calculations to find a desirable way forward.
There haven’t been any clear paths ahead or easy answers so often we will end up starting back at square one again to make sure we haven’t missed anything.
We are nowhere near there yet either.
I’ve tried a few times recently to write these things down and show where I’m at, but it just wasn’t happening.
It was all just too much.
So today I started off by thinking that I might write a light hearted Tuesdays Tidbits post to give a few bullet points of what’s going on here-
Only it’s not Tuesday!
And these are neither brief nor light hearted…
So “Monday Moments” it will have to be…
I’m sure it will slowly become clear how much is going on behind the scenes of this little space of mine and why I haven’t necessarily been sharing it here…
{not to mention why I haven’t had time to sew!}
It hasn’t just been because I’ve gone back to work…
But I’ll start there anyway…
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| My lunch break view… |
** Work…
The question on everyone’s lips is “how is work going”…
Well, work is going great; I enjoy my job, it’s given me some much needed time out and I am enjoying feeling capable at something again.
But obviously there has been sacrifice to get there… It’s hugely busy. I’m exhausted most days. {We all are.} Our days are long. I miss my time with the kids and I miss being able to catch up with my friends.
Also, when I took on the job, it was going to be a job share with another person. That hasn’t worked out and therefore I tend to find myself playing catch up the days after I haven’t been there, and trying to cram 5 days work into 3.
Not ideal for them & not ideal for me either.
My boss would love me full time, but I’m just not prepared to give that. So I’d say my work schedule will be changing so that we can form a compromise…
After I get back from NZ we’re going to have a try of me working 4 days instead of 3 but only school hours instead of full days. It will actually be slightly less hours that way, but will have more continuity.
We’ll trial it and see. 4 days might not be enough, it might need to be 5. That is a scary thought to me, but only working school hours would be a huge asset to selling the idea to myself…
** Study…
Last week I finished and got awarded my Certificate IV in Property Services.
Phew am I pleased to have that done and dusted!
Now I just have to send away my application to the Department of Commerce and I should have my licence through to be a Real Estate Salesperson.
{Not that I’ll be selling – but it’s a requirement for my job…}
Starting a new job, Hannah moving to full time school & me studying has been a lot to start all at once. So it’s really good to have that one less thing to do now…
** My Car…
It was a really close call but the insurance company decided to fix my car in favour of writing it off after my accident a few weeks ago. Phew!
Hopefully I should have my car back tomorrow, after 2 weeks at the fix-it shop.
It has been an inconvenience not having our car, but we’ve been extremely blessed to have the loan of a car from my boss & then my brother while he’s in New Zealand and therefore haven’t felt the loss too badly.
And at least since the accident wasn’t my fault it hasn’t actually cost us anything!
** Visa…
We are no further on with Neil’s visa issues…
I don’t think I’ve actually told you anything about the whole visa issue, but that has been the most stressful issue of late because whatever the outcome becomes then has the roll on effect of potentially massive changes.
Basically his work visa for Australia runs out in July this year and we need to get him a new one in order to stay in Australia. Ideally we want him to get permanent residency, because without that we found out that it’s extremely difficult (and we need a LOT of capital) for us to buy a house here.
But it’s proving tricky to say the least!!!
His work are willing to throw as much money at the issue as necessary because they want him to stay in his job, but unfortunately it doesn’t work like that…
Ironically because he is now in more of a managerial/administrative office based role, he can no longer get sponsorship by his work because his occupation is no longer on the acceptable “skilled occupation list”, but if he stays in that job then his income is not such that we could build up the capital to move back to NZ.
However, if he goes back working on the tools then he would be able to qualify for permanent residency, but that’s not a job he could do permanently because it takes him back away from us and we would then have the ability to save enough money to move back to NZ so wouldn’t actually need the permanent residency then. Especially as it would be a 3-4 year process to get.
Grrrr….
Ironic and annoying much?!
I can sponsor him for another 5 year work visa, so having to leave in July is not an issue.
It’s more the limitations that visa puts on us and the ramifications it has in the long run that is adding the stress. Because if we keep doing what we’re doing we’ll just get 5 years down the track and be in the same stuck position. That seems pretty pointless, not to mention a waste of time, hence we feel like we need to make decisions now that will actually plan ahead.
I think we’re both pretty over it…
** To Sell or NOT to Sell…
We are also trying to decide whether to sell our NZ house or not. The market has finally got back to a level where we could see it without losing quite so much money, and it would free up a significant amount of much needed cash flow if we did sell, but it’s always a gamble as to what is better for us to do in the long run.
More big decisions required…
** 2 more sleeps…
On the plus side it is only 2 more sleeps until I go back to NZ all by myself for a visit.
I’m excited!
It’s going to be SUCH a full on trip with something major on each day I’m there, and I’m so nervous about leaving the kids for so long, but at the same time
I.can’t.wait!
I have my iPad loaded with books to read on the plane and most of all I’m just looking forward to not having to fly with a small person or persons. So much easier!
Who knows – I might even get to sleep *gasp!
Just don’t ask me if I have packed yet…
I’m not sure when that is happening. Probably 11pm the night before.
Hmmm…
And now you know what’s going on behind the scenes.
*Gulp
We’ll get there…
Wow Kat, that’s quite a lot to have on your plate. Hopefully things will settle down for you soon x
There’s a whole lot rolling around in your head! I am SO excited for you getting a trip home. Enjoy every bit of it. Relax and you might find a new path for some of the other bits and bobs higher up on your list…
Oh Kat – I totally feel for you. I think the working only school hours sounds much better – you hopefully won’t miss your children if if you have to do the 5 days as you’ll be with them when work finishes. The visa thing I can totally relate to – Y has permanent residency in the UK so that’s not an issue but we have to get visas for Z and that’s a pain in the behind and expensive. Hope you work out everything (I’m sure you will) and have a wonderful trip to NZ. BTW, on the visa front, doesn’ t your husband get residency by virtue of the fact you are married??
Why oh why do all the big things always get sorted at the 11th hour – and I have faith that they will, but we have to go though all the angst and worry beforehand.
Sending you all good vibes my friend xxx
That is a VERY full plate. Good luck with all of it! 🙂
Oy, well I hope you have a great trip home, and that you can get out of your head for a while, then maybe some things may be a little clearer on your return (or you’ll at least have had a break!)
Wow you really have a lot going on at the moment! Hope you have a fabulous trip and it gives you the distance to help with the decisions you need to make.
Wow Kat,
So much of that is super positive. I think you will find school hours so much better for your life. I went back to work on those conditions and even though I am still only a couple of days, I don’t have the guilts.
Awesome about your car (whew)
And the Visa, what a catch 22. Bummer. I will pray cause there is nothing else I can do.
Enjoy your trip back to NZ, your girlies will be fine, they have their Dad.
Debra
I’m betting your head is feeling very full at the moment. Each one of these things is a BIG thing and to have them all at once is a bit crazy. I hope your holiday is the down time you need.
E xx
Your mind must be fit to burst with all the things running through it. Hope you have a brilliant time away and it gives you some much needed breathing space to come to more conclusions.
Whoa… That’s a lot of thoughts. . Generally one ought never to offer advice until you’ve walked in their shoes… I don’t know much about NZ or Australia but I DO know something about being a working mother 🙂 my best tip is to get a rhythm going. 5 days working is not bad as long as the hours are steady. The girls and you will quickly adjust to the rhythm… As long as there is one.