LisaKinVA Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 So, dh had to make an official declaration this week. We're staying. House in VA goes on the market in April, and we're turning down a promotion to stay here 2-3 more years. Don't know what job opportunities will present themselves in the meantime, but we're kind of hoping we find a way to either stay here, go to Livorno or maybe Germany in 2019. I started my Italian course today. My oldest also started this week. Our goal is to be ready for the equivalent of Italian 3 by the end of the summer. We're using a MOOC course by Wellesley college along with Duolingo. I also have some grammar/verb/noun workbooks. My husband will be starting his Master's degree. I'm running for President of the Swim Team, still fundraising for scouts, and trying to manage the home school lessons. My to-do list is full...mostly catching up on stuff around the house from various trips, swim meets, etc. Just trying to make 3 things better each day. No matter how small. Oh...and dh's car broke down again. I wouldn't be quite so frustrated if he had paid $1000 for it, but he paid $2500, and we spent $500 the first year, $500 last year, and it looks like another $500 this year. We're currently operating with the one vehicle -- which makes for very long days for all of us (leaving at 630, not getting home until 8pm. Generally happy to be staying. Looking forward to a not-too-busy weekend. 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Hi Lisa and thank you for the update and congratulations on staying overseas! Used cars are like that. You can fix/replace something today and tomorrow something else fails. When I buy something new, I figure the warranty is 50% of what I am paying for. But Used Cars are far less expensive than New Cars, so probably that was a good investment, despite the repair costs. Don't forget to Register to Vote Absentee. Here's the URL for the web site for Overseas Americans. You must register, every year. https://www.fvap.gov/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Exciting news Lisa. We delight in your adventures. :D 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 How fun! I love hearing about life in other countries. You describe things so clearly. Are your kids happy about staying? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Great news. Limbo until the final decision is the worst part! Have fun with Italian. I studied that a little. I remember you have to smile a lot to speak it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Wow, sounds great and exciting and swirling and scary and all that. I love hearing about all you all do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Congratulations! Keep up with the update posts; we love following your adventures. Echoing Lanny's exhortation re: registration for absentee ballot! My brother lives overseas and spaces out on this one out of every two elections! Hi Lisa and thank you for the update and congratulations on staying overseas! Used cars are like that. You can fix/replace something today and tomorrow something else fails. When I buy something new, I figure the warranty is 50% of what I am paying for. But Used Cars are far less expensive than New Cars, so probably that was a good investment, despite the repair costs. Don't forget to Register to Vote Absentee. Here's the URL for the web site for Overseas Americans. You must register, every year. https://www.fvap.gov/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 I'm happy for you! I couldn't read your post, however, w/o thinking of my favorite episode of The IT Crowd. The name of that episode? "Italian for Beginners." :lol: Boy, you sure are busy. I hope you get your car in working order soon. (((Lisa))) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SproutMamaK Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Sounds like you guys have an exciting couple of years in store! Well, except for the dead car and the Scouts fundraising. ;) Are you going to be staying in the same place you're living now? I know you've had a lot of problems with housing, so I'm hoping you won't have to tackle that again if you try to extend your lease for the next few years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Yay! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 That sounds great! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 So happy for you guys! We never regretted a minute we spent in Europe! Stay as long as you can. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 Hi Lisa and thank you for the update and congratulations on staying overseas! Used cars are like that. You can fix/replace something today and tomorrow something else fails. When I buy something new, I figure the warranty is 50% of what I am paying for. But Used Cars are far less expensive than New Cars, so probably that was a good investment, despite the repair costs. Don't forget to Register to Vote Absentee. Here's the URL for the web site for Overseas Americans. You must register, every year. https://www.fvap.gov/ Thanks, Lanny. Voting Stuff Done...filled out, just need to print and mail. It seems like everyone wants to sell their "lemons" for $2k...cars that would sell for $500 back home they want $2-3k. This time, it broke down on the tangeziale (a 6-lane highway, with no shoulder) at 0545 in the morning, with all of my girls, and our stuff for concessions at the swim meet. We bought a so-called "reliable Naples beater" -- well, the Naples beater part was correct, anyhow! If we only have to put in about $500 or so, it's not bad. But the towing is 260 euro so far, and 50 euro just to look at it and give us an estimate :p DH just wanted to have it towed to the disposal lot, but we aren't really in a great position to drop another $3-6k on a car right now. Six months from now? Probably. How fun! I love hearing about life in other countries. You describe things so clearly. Are your kids happy about staying? The children are all very happy we're staying. They feel like life got better for all of us when we moved here. They feel at home. Although LEGOManiac is going to have it rough the next 4 months (prepping for AP, catching up on work, finishing his Eagle project, and then finishing up 10th grade in August...) DD is excited because she'll get to letter in a sport here (starting next year) (we aren't allowed to participate in HS sports back home...thanks Gov!). They've made a lot of friends, and have just really blossomed here. DD is really working on her German -- she's kind of hoping to go to a German University with a friend of hers. Hopefully, the courses she's taking at the school will prove helpful with that (I know they don't take homeschooler's, but she'll have been PT at the school taking advanced coursework...so maybe?) Sounds like you guys have an exciting couple of years in store! Well, except for the dead car and the Scouts fundraising. ;) Are you going to be staying in the same place you're living now? I know you've had a lot of problems with housing, so I'm hoping you won't have to tackle that again if you try to extend your lease for the next few years. Yeah, the scout fundraising part is a bit yucky. I do have someone stepping up to help though. Hopefully, I can get someone else on-board as well! Mainly, I just need people to stop telling me how to do my job and get in line with the program ;) We are staying in our house (yay!). Our landlord will be very happy that they have us for 2-3+ more years. I think we are paying their mortgage and their rent ;) I really do like our house -- a few things we're "fixing" for us (storage issues), but other than that, just really like it. I've been working on Italian a lot today, both on my own and with my oldest. He ditched Russian (we just really were struggling with getting things to work, his tutor moved back to Russia, and online courses just weren't going to work from the time-difference perspective. So...we're buckling down with the Italian. In a few weeks he should know quite a bit and I'm hoping to have him talking with the neighbor kids on a regular basis. He should be ready for Italian 3 in the fall. We just really have to use it and practice it with each other. There's a lot that we won't use on a daily basis -- but we're learning quite a bit, which will make living here wonderful (it does help that we've been attending an Italian-American church (we sing in Italian and English), and shopping on the economy. There is a lot I already know...but now we're adding verbs, conjugations, plurals...feminine and masculine. The class really moves at a fast pace (it's an edx course by Wellesley), and we're doing Duolingo as well. The littles still have Muzzy stuff...I'm not pushing it. Pokeman wants to take Chinese, so he'll start that at the school next year. Still a lot to do and figure out. But, when my parents come back in the spring, I will hopefully sound much more intelligent with Italian! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Sounds like a fun adventure!! What a load off to have a decision made! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Our loss is Italy's gain! I think you made a great decision! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Woo-hoo! :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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