Collecting the documents!

Well I've now started collecting the documentation even hough we don't expect to hear from CHC until May 2009 at the earliest!
I've downloaded the appropriate forms from the cic website just so I can look through them as they can be filled out online nearer the time.
Someone on the British Expats website every kindly posted the following info:

• Certified copies of birth certificates and marriage certificate.
• Employment references from previous employers that included start and finish dates, job title,duties and responsibilities
• If possible copies of job descriptions, person specifications and contacts of employment.
• P60s and P45s
• Certified copies of qualifications
• Certified copy of the front page of passports

It all seems fairly straight forward. Also need to list everything I've done since 18 years which will include 6 months travelling in 1977 and 5 months travelling in California in 1987. Luckily everything is on my CV so I don't have to try and remember all the dates. Pretty sure I have all the P60's and P45's so can tick them off. Have job descriptions and copies of contrcts fro the past 10 years. Also have copies of all qualifications since age 10 years (speech exam result in year 5!!)....sad I know!!

Hubby's will take a bit longer to track down all his qualifications and jobs but not impossible!

Then just got to get items certified!

Another decision made....well sort of!

Well its all change in the Northernlass1 household. Our eldest is 18 and is doing an Art diploma in UK at the moment......he finishes summer 2009. He had planned to take a gap year before starting OCAD in Toronto in 2010. Well it turns out he has now changed his mind. He's now considering starting Uni in the UK in 2009. He'll either complete the degree there or may transfer to OCAD later. He'll still land with us in 2010 to activate his PR and then he just needs to be in the country for 2/3 years.......that's if he wants to make Canada his home! I think that flying in and out for hols over the next few years will let him see if Canada is actually for him that way he's not being pushed into going just because the rest of us are. Hubby remaining in UK will help too. So as of now it may just be me and the girls moving permanently with the boys flying in and out for a while. It's not ideal but its a compromise that enables us to move and stay financially stable as well as meeting everyone's needs. Thanks to my pal Amanda, as well as hubby having worked in China in the past, I know long distance is feasible!! Mind you as he's 18 he could still change his mind lol!!!

Ticking off the boxes!

Well I've found that the most important part of this damn process is to have plenty of goals so you can tick them off as you go... rather like a countdown! So just ticked off Halloween...it poured with rain but 4 little peeps in fancy dress came knocking and were richly rewarded though we still have enough sweets left to see us through till spring!

Next goal is Guy Fawkes....this actually isn't as fab as it sounds as I'm working till about 8pm doing tutorials in Newcastle.

After that its the run up to Christmas. There is soooo much to do and sooooo little time. I've about 40+ assignments to mark as well as write a 3000 word one for my own degree. Then there's the xmas shopping to be done...thank god for the internet! The kids are doing a million things all at the same time and guess who's chief taxi driver?!! This year we are spending xmas just the 5 of us at our home....we've never done this before but are looking forward to it. In the past we've either been with family (usually about 12 of us in total) or the 5 of us have flown to Florida and spent xmas with Mickey Mouse!! I guess we need to get used to xmas being just the 5 of us as this is how it will be in Canada. I'm going to use this xmas to start some traditions of our own that we can continue once we've landed....just not too sure what they'll actually be!!!

Also now beginning to pull our documents together for the CHC should they ask for them next year (yeah!!).... need all my cerificates of education, payslips for the last 10 years, birth and marriage certificates....sad though it may sound I have actually kept them all!!!!!!!