sgilli31614

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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 16:19

As previous posters have stated, it is getting the transfer certificate may be difficult,but not impossible. There are schools that acknowledge homeschooled children,& we even had a school offer to take our children on part time if we wished, so that we could educated them at home for certain subjects but send them to school for others ( such as group sports,science lab work etc) Best to check with MOE first as things may have changed since we left last year.( though we homeschooled with the intention of not sending them to school in the UAE)

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Latest post on 27 May 2011 - 11:26

Yum,yum,yum! I spent my early childhood living in southern NSW,and we had a magnificent feijoa hedge. Now living back in Oz,I'm growing my own feijoas( bush has not fruited ...yet!) They are also known as pineapple guavas in some areas. Once again- yum! <em>edited by sgilli3 on 27/05/2011</em>

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Latest post on 24 May 2011 - 15:52

Children are only as 'expensive' as you make it. The younger ones have some hand-me-downs,our next big family holiday will be a few weeks camping on the beach in South Oz,our car is an old 4x4 etc. We never had home help in the UAE,nor do we now.We cope just fine. Forget maid or expensive family holiday......how do people cope with 4 kids' schooling fees [b'>HERE[/b'> unless they get package that pay for the school fees or they sent their kids to ......I don't know, Winchester or St Mary schools? They are probably the cheapest schools that we did consider sending DD to. I'm not sure- I guess they cut back in other areas ( extra curricular,size of house,area they live in etc) For us,we chose to educate the kids at home( cost almost nothing),so we could travel without being tied to a school schedule,lived in Sharjah & drove old cars. I guess you just do what you have to do. Currently we now have 2 of our kids in school here in Oz,so can't really compare it to the fees back in the UAE ,but I could imagine it would be difficult for some to manage a large family financially whilst in the UAE. * sorry if that makes no sense: it's late here,and I'm a little sleep deprived at the moment *

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Latest post on 24 May 2011 - 15:40

in my next life, I'm going to be you when i grow up :) Too funny! I just can't wait to hear about your adventures as you travel the world with your daughter!!

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Latest post on 24 May 2011 - 15:33

We have 4 (gorgeous) children. Life is busy,but we would not change it for the world! Children are only as 'expensive' as you make it. The younger ones have some hand-me-downs,our next big family holiday will be a few weeks camping on the beach in South Oz,our car is an old 4x4 etc. We never had home help in the UAE,nor do we now.We cope just fine. I haven't been in paid employment for 14 years,hubby earns jack s**t & we survive. We don't feel like we are missing out on anything: we are healthy and happy,the kids are well adjusted and to date have led rich and fulfilled lives.

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Latest post on 28 April 2011 - 07:31

We have moved from the UAE back to Oz twice,& both times used DASA. We were happy with them both times, & would recommend them to others looking at moving.

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Latest post on 20 April 2011 - 11:54

I think it's a fabulous idea! I've been reading so much about the unschooling movement recently and it's quite inspiring. You don't really need 'materials' to unschool as there is no curriculum as such. Here's a website that I've found fascinating http://www.rfleming.net/ and another one http://www.sixintheworld.com/ We plan on driving from here to the UK at some point, we've planned it several times but something always comes up at the last minute. Do it,do it! ( continue the chant...) You will never regret it Simone- you & the family will have such a wonderful experience. Hope you and your gorgeous family are keeping well. xxxx

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Latest post on 18 April 2011 - 09:44

Congratulations! Very exciting news. x

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Latest post on 18 April 2011 - 08:47

Sounds like a wonderful plan! We took our children out of school for over 5 years;homeschooling them whilst living and traveling abroad. It was a WONDERFUL experience for them( and us too) They have started back at school recently- and already we all have itchy feet! Thinking of packing up and traveling around Oz for a while. As previous posters have said- the classroom is just one way in which a child can be educated. Have fun planning your new adventure!!

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Latest post on 15 April 2011 - 08:36

The park is called the Sharjah National Park. When we lived in Sharjah, we were there often. It is directly opposite the airport ( on Airport Rd/Al Dhaid Rd) On your right if travelling out of Sharjah along Al Dhaid Rd ( to the airport), and on left if coming into Sharjah. Cant remember for the life of me what time it opens on Friday, but I think it was around 10ish. It is a lovely park- PLENTY of shade, and it does get busy on a Friday afternoon! The wildlfe Park is further down Al Dhaid Rd ( another 10 -or so mins) Think it opened around 2 on a Friday - though someone else may know exact time.

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Latest post on 15 April 2011 - 07:14

I would home school and save your money Out of interest, how much would that cost? It depends on how you homeschool. Some people use virtual or umbrella schools to assist with homeschooling, or as a method of homeschooling. I believe that the Dubai campus of K12 charges about 18,00 dhs a year. Some families opt to use umbrella or distance ed schools. We used a distance ed school for our first year of homeschooling, and the cost ( in total for 2 children) was about 2,500dhs. The following years we purchased our own curricula pieces from various suppliers and the cost averaged out at about 3,000dhs per year ( for the 2 older kids- the younger wasnt using any formal curricula)

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Latest post on 29 March 2011 - 14:26

Yes,you did say it aloud KellsBells! Glad I'm not alone- makes me feel a little better.

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Latest post on 24 March 2011 - 11:51

I haven't popped on for a while,so wanted to say a big general congratulations to all of the new March Mummy's! Xx

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Latest post on 24 March 2011 - 11:48

I also think they scan too often in the UAE ( I see it more as a money making scheme though) For my #1 & # 2 I had scans at week 12 & 20 ( this was in Oz). For # 3 I was in the UAE for first 16 weeks of pregnancy & had 7 ultrasounds. For # 4 ( again back in Oz) I had just the 2 scans. If I have another baby,I will only be requesting the 20 week scan( for the detailed pics...lol)

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Latest post on 24 March 2011 - 11:20

Hi there, Just a quick shout out to see if there are any prospective October mothers out there?! Basically, so I can pick your brains on all things baby! :-) Congrats! Funnily enough- I was due in October once too,like the previous posters.... With my 1st- in Oct 1997!!! My I feel old now! Enjoy your pregnancy.

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Latest post on 20 March 2011 - 12:16

We moved back to Oz ( Victoria) last year. We used DASA. The company were excellent to deal with. Our 40 ft container took about 5 weeks to reach Melb and clear customs, then as we are in rural Vic, it was another 2 weeks before delivery was made to us via a removalist company( King and Wilson) DASA spent 2 days packing up our place in Sharjah and a 3rd day loading it/collecting it. Everything arrived in Oz in one piece. The cost for our 40 ft container was approx 19-20,000 dhs. I *think* our quote for 20ft was approx 11,000 dhs Good luck with the move Chiggy!

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Latest post on 20 March 2011 - 02:25

There is the Doha Home Educators group. http://dohahomeeducators.wordpress.com/

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Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 13:59

Hello Habibti & welcome back! Where does the time go? I had a baby boy 7 weeks ago & am just savoring every moment with him. DS (13),DD(12) & DD(4) are over the moon with their gorgeous brother.

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Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 13:52

I thought I read that they used the 'turkey baster' method.

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Latest post on 15 February 2011 - 10:56

We are using cloth nappies ( baby behinds), & needed to wash them between 3-5 times before use. They have bamboo liners in them, & we haven't had any leakage issues.

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Latest post on 10 February 2011 - 10:40

Hi Sandy Dogg, As you know, I'm certainly no expert on schools in the UAE,but, if I were to have them educated in a school there, without a doubt they would have attended VISS in Sharjah(Victoria International School in Sharjah). We did a tour of the school when were using the school to sit exams) Super impressive.The class sizes were great,the facilities were wonderful,the teachers we met were warm,welcoming & accommodating. Had we not have been returning to Australia,we would have enrolled the kids in the school ( part time- yes,the school were even happy to work around our homeschooling and were keen to take the kids for some subjects : such as science,pe etc) Perhaps it may suit your needs? I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors: feeding baby & typing this message ony phone.

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Latest post on 04 February 2011 - 04:18

Same as Farasha202- 4 days. ( though I did drive the car on day 2- without Griffin or other kids) With 4 kids at home, there was no way I was going to be able to stay home for weeks ( though that would have been lovely!) Trips to supermarket, and shops for school supplies has been the main reason we have headed out.

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Latest post on 04 February 2011 - 04:15

A HUGE congratulations CheekyG! Welcome to the world Harrison! xx

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Latest post on 04 February 2011 - 04:11

Fab news Shellly! My mum is also safe & well. Lots of trees down on their property, an injured horse and some dead guinea fowl- but they are safe and their house is undamaged. Now if the flooding here in Vic would end, we would be really happy chappys!

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Latest post on 02 February 2011 - 10:28

Thanks SJAussie- your words are very comforting. It's a horrible feeling, sitting here(Vic),& watching the disaster unfold. It will be 24 + hours of no contact that will make it very difficult. At this stage,I'm still able to make ( sporodic) contact with mum,which is a blessing for us both.

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Latest post on 02 February 2011 - 09:54

Some evacuation centers are full in Cairns & they are trying to bus people to other centers.Window of opportunity to evacuate Cairns has passed now. Only those who may be affected by storm surges were requested to evacuate- everyone else has been told to take shelter in their homes.

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Latest post on 02 February 2011 - 03:57

Thanks BMAP. They have been told to stay in their home as they aren't going to be affected by storm surge( which is now predicted to be around 4m......on top of high tide!). Thankfully her partner is with her- he was due to fly to PNG this morning!!

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Latest post on 02 February 2011 - 03:28

Thanks for your kind words and thoughts for my mum SJAussie. Xx Spoke to her again this morning,& they are bunkering down now.They have prepared the property & themselves as best as they can.I have just finished registering them with the Red Cross,so they can be tracked/ located easier after the storm passes.This has made it a little more real & frightening for her....& us. Current news says that mandatory evacuations are in place for those living in areas that will be affected by the storm surge...which also coincides with high tide tonight! This is going to be a terrifying storm!

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Latest post on 01 February 2011 - 08:42

Just off phone to my mum( far north QLD) & they are evacuating people in her area. She has decided to stay at this stage as they are on a large property & they are still trying to secure all their stock etc. The country as a whole has taken a battering over the past few months- our small town is still mopping up after our 2nd once-in-a-100-year-flood,within 4 months! My thoughts & prayers go out to all affected.

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Latest post on 27 January 2011 - 13:11

BMAP, Perhaps the Distance Education School (QLD) may be able to help with curricula pieces for your children. I can't quite remember all the details,( we used DE in Vic for a period of time), but think they have a minimum amount of books/ work you can buy.Think it was either 3 or 6 months worth- & if it's less than that,then they recommend you organize work via current school. Really,I would keep it fun.Lots of reading,activities & playing.

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Latest post on 26 January 2011 - 08:32

Happy Australia Day...from Oz! We have a gorgeous day here,& we are enjoying spending our 1st Australia Day back here after many years away. So much delicious food has been eaten today & hubby is taking the kids to the fireworks tonight. Hope all our fellow Aussies have an equally as lovely day as we are having. Xx

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Latest post on 22 January 2011 - 03:35

(((Hugs))) For you and your family Forever21. Im at a loss as to what to write. My heart is breaking for you. xxxx

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Latest post on 22 January 2011 - 03:32

Hi Irooni, Just a quick reply as Im about to feed the baby. We homeschooled our 2 older children for over 5 years. They are currently in school at the moment ( back in Oz), but we afterschool them, and are still active in our homeschooling community. I hope this info answers a few questions you may have. How hard was the decision? Not very hard at all.When we first started homeschooling, I was a little nervous, but once we started, we never looked back. Best decision we ever made. Do you ever regret it? No. The kids had some wonderful experiences, many of which they would not have had if they were tied to a school schedule. We had some brilliant times together, and to be honest, there were some very ugly days too, but overall, it is something we look back on fondly. Is it hard to manage with two children? When we were homeschooling I schooled the 2 older children and also had a toddler to entertain. I personally didn't find 2 kids hard to school. My elder 2 are only a year apart, so most subjects I combined for the 2 of them, making 'lessons' quite easy to plan and complete. Do you teach each child at a different time? I didn't as such, though when needed, I worked one-on-one with whoever needed extra help at the time. How many hours a day do you spend for each child? depending on the weeks workload, but generally we we finished 'schooling' within 3-4 hours ( that was last years hrs for a grade 6 and Yr 7.....less when thy were younger) Do the children miss the social factor of school? Heck no. We swam most days at the pool and there were always other kids around, played tennis, went horseriding etc. There is also an excellent homeschooling group ( Northern Emirates Homeschool Association), and we enjoyed lots of activities and get-togethers with them too. Are there lessons or topics that you find hard teaching? When homeschooling, you really need to be prepared and willing to learn alongside your child. Math was one of my weaker subjects and I just tried to keep a step ahead of them. I was amazed at how much I had forgotten since leaving school, but was equally as amazed how much I learned over the past 5 or so years teaching the kids. Are the children required to sit end of year examinations? We wer not required to sit exams at all, but most curricular pieces we used had their own 'tests' built in. We were comfortable moving the kids to a new level/topic etc when we thought they were ready to move up. Do any of you have experience getting your child accepted into senior school? We moved back to Australia 6 months ago, and the 2 older children had no issues at all being accepted into schools. They had both won scholarships to a brilliant school here ( which we declined),and they ahd no shortage of schools wanting to take them on...because they were homeschooled. They have been in school for a few months now ( currently enjoying the last 2 weeks of summer holidays), and will start this year in Yr 7 and Yr 8. We found the schools were very keen to take the kids on, and with the school we ended up selecting for them, they have been wonderful in making the transition from homeschooling to schooling as seamless and smooth as possible. My apologies for so many questions. Thanks very much. If you need more info, feel free to email me on sgilli3 at gmail dot com. I may be a little slow in getting back to you this week as we welcomed a baby into our family last week- so trying to rest as much as possible at the moment. Cheers

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Latest post on 20 January 2011 - 03:18

Thank you ladies! Im loving having a newborn again- though I do tend to waste HOURS a day just watching him...lol DS,DD & DD are so thrilled with their brother, and are helping out so much, which leaves me time to just sit and stare...lol xx

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Latest post on 20 January 2011 - 03:16

Hi CheekyG- A big congrats to 2Blossom and Scogan! We welcomed Griffin Lennox into the world last Friday night (14th).His brother and sisters are thrilled to bits as is Mr Sgilli3 and I. Loving every moment of having a newborn again. xx

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Latest post on 10 January 2011 - 07:56

A huge congratulations to Mr & Mrs 2Blossom! Enjoy every precious moment with your DS! xx

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Latest post on 07 January 2011 - 09:25

Hi Scogan! Love your Dh's way of thinking- my Dh is the same- always letting me know what day would suit best...lol Im due on the 20th, but am heading in for an induction later this upcoming week if I havent already gone into labour ( I had a sweep done yesterday and am already a few cm's dilated....just a waiting game now) So at the worst, bub will be here next week anyway. Very excited and nervous at the same time! 2Blossom- Not long for you either! Cant wait to hear about all the up coming arrivals in the next few days/weeks. x

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Latest post on 06 January 2011 - 01:03

Hi Clever Bubbles. At week 26 I was diagnosed with GD. This meant that I needed to start a 'diet' and exercise programe, and was required to test my blood sugar levels 4 times a day. ( before breakfast, and 2 hrs after breakfast, lunch and dinner). My diet consisted of 12 serves of carbs a day ( 3 for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and 1 at 3 x snack times). I also had to start exercising ( I started walking for around 40 mins- hr a day). A month after being diagnosed it was decided by my diabetic educator ( who I have to see weekly), that diet alone was not controlling the GD, so I began insulin. Currently, I am injecting myself 4 x a day. My diet hasnt changed as such, but taking the insulin means I can relax a little with my diet ( especially great over Christmas), and I can self adjust my insulin intake depending on the meal. ( for example- I was having a souvlaki and chips for dinner last night, so doubled the dose of insulin I would have normally taken). The ob's concern was weight gain, but thankfully I have only put on on 4.5 kilos this whole pregnancy ( im 38 weeks), and there has been no weight gain since being diagnosed with GD. Having GD though, means that the baby and I will be monitered closely after the birth ( as the baby may have a sugar low). I have started expressing colostrum so they have something 'sugary' for the baby. The chance of having diabetes after the delivery is small, but 5 weeks post partum, I will be having another glucose tolerance test, to check that everything is back to normal. My sugar levels need to be around 5 in the morning and 7 for remainder of day. Yesterday I had my 1st 'hypo'- sugar low- but I will be seeing my diabetic educator again today. * Im back in Oz- and once diagnosed with GD, I had to see a dietician( who I have seen monthly), and a diabetic educator ( who is seen weekly!). I have also met with the endocrinologist a few times.....so if you have been diagnosed with GD or have had diabetes- you should be monitored closely*

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Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 15:34

It is a great name- & Finn was another on our list.... Decisions,decisions!

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Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 15:29

Thanks Plumie- about to have a read through now before I pop ( roll) into bed( late here in Oz) Will certainly keep you updated- I'm getting excited & nervous!

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Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 15:26

Lola was one of the names on our short list as a middle name, as was Logan ( Lachlan has already been used) & Findlay/Finley was one name on our list- we have similar taste...lol Thanks for your suggestions- I love Isobel!

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Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 15:17

I'm due around the 20th, but due to a few issues, will be induced within next week or so.Have another checkup tomorrow morning, so hoping to have an idea of induction date.

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Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 15:08

We are open to all suggestions- and are Australian. We have a Mitchell,Georgia & a Maya. Meant to also add that they all have middle names that begin with L,so think that maybe this one should too. <em>edited by sgilli3 on 05/01/2011</em>

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Latest post on 05 January 2011 - 14:12

For flights- perhaps try AirArabia( depart from Sharjah) Cant remember off top of my head if they fly direct to Egypt, but had a feeling they did.

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Latest post on 03 January 2011 - 14:52

(((hugs))) 2Blossom. Hopefully your LO will arrive soon! Feeling ok,had some BP issues again but all was good at today's checkup.Back for another checkup on Thursday. Hoping our LO will also arrive soon- kids getting impatient...lol <em>edited by sgilli3 on 03/01/2011</em>

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Latest post on 03 January 2011 - 13:08

Hello ladies! Not long to go now... Counting down the days! Can't wait to read all about the upcoming January deliveries. X

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Latest post on 03 January 2011 - 13:02

A huge congrats Mr & Mrs SShine!! Enjoy every precious moment with Kassie. Xx

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Latest post on 03 January 2011 - 13:00

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Joco! Enjoy every precious moment with Chloe. X

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