Today is New Year's Eve (by the time this actually posts - it'll be "next year" aka 2014! as I am a bit slow posting this) and was the big day for us to go as a family and renew our residence permits.
I thankfully had made an appointment in advance and the Jyv�skyl� license department was FANTASTIC!!!The kids were a bit antsy and our oldest had a melt-down/few tantrums and they handled it like champs.
At one point, the oldest kid was pinching the youngest and the youngest was punching back and took his dinky cars and smashing the oldest in the face...
I brought an apple or two - thinking it would keep V�in� (oldest) calm and occupied...like it does at home.
No of course it didn't.
He decided to chew big bites off the apple, chew it up - then drop regurgitated apple bits all over the floor.
Or he would toss himself on the floor crying and yelling.
But the officers totally understood and thankfully set us up with 2 people to process our applications.
Obviously waiting time to get the permits back is about 1 month/4 weeks...
But while one guy was taking our paperwork and going over it - there was a lady photocopying everything so the guy didn't have to run back and forth and saved everyone a lot of time.
They managed to get my husband and kids' paperwork sorted in 20 minutes - holy awesome!
Husband had to get his finger prints done (digitally) - so right after that - they were free to leave (kids under age of 6 aren't required to have their finger prints done).
After they left, I apologized for the mess (thankfully I had baby wipes and scooped up the apple chunks my son kindly left behind) and the racket my kids caused - and they were very gracious.
Well, the lady photocopying could be heard chuckling from around the corner and she poked her head around and said to me very nicely, "It's okay!! Really! We have children and we totally understand!! They all do this!"
PHEW! (My Facebook status had expressed concern the night before in regards to whether or not we could get sent to jail for screaming and fighting children...kidding!)
Anyways, I went over some of the extra paperwork I brought with me today, including some extra benefits that are given to us not via Kela (since the police have direct access to Kela information anyways) but from the city of Jyv�skyl� and I also included a copy of V�in�'s most recent diagnosis from his last appointment.
I wasn't sure if it was necessary - but I thought it would be good for the police to have on his file - so they are aware he is autistic and that maybe it would explain why his photos are not necessarily posed as exactly as requested in the directions. You know - don't smile, look straight at the camera, no teeth showing etc...
The fellow seemed appreciative anyhow and kept the copy we gave him...anyways, better to be safe than sorry.
I was reminded again that none of us could travel during this time that our residence permits are being processed (no problem!), was given papers stamped by the officer confirming they have received our applications and that they were being processed, paid the fees and was out the door 10 minutes after my husband left with our kids.
I will be sent a text message to my phone number when they are ready for pick up and I just have to bring our passports and the old residence permits to the police office. They will take the old residence permit cards and destroy them (I assume - as they've expired) and give me the new ones!
That's it!
So here's to another wonderful year of living in Finland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And Happy New Year to you!
I thankfully had made an appointment in advance and the Jyv�skyl� license department was FANTASTIC!!!The kids were a bit antsy and our oldest had a melt-down/few tantrums and they handled it like champs.
At one point, the oldest kid was pinching the youngest and the youngest was punching back and took his dinky cars and smashing the oldest in the face...
I brought an apple or two - thinking it would keep V�in� (oldest) calm and occupied...like it does at home.
No of course it didn't.
He decided to chew big bites off the apple, chew it up - then drop regurgitated apple bits all over the floor.
Or he would toss himself on the floor crying and yelling.
But the officers totally understood and thankfully set us up with 2 people to process our applications.
Obviously waiting time to get the permits back is about 1 month/4 weeks...
But while one guy was taking our paperwork and going over it - there was a lady photocopying everything so the guy didn't have to run back and forth and saved everyone a lot of time.
They managed to get my husband and kids' paperwork sorted in 20 minutes - holy awesome!
Husband had to get his finger prints done (digitally) - so right after that - they were free to leave (kids under age of 6 aren't required to have their finger prints done).
After they left, I apologized for the mess (thankfully I had baby wipes and scooped up the apple chunks my son kindly left behind) and the racket my kids caused - and they were very gracious.
Well, the lady photocopying could be heard chuckling from around the corner and she poked her head around and said to me very nicely, "It's okay!! Really! We have children and we totally understand!! They all do this!"
PHEW! (My Facebook status had expressed concern the night before in regards to whether or not we could get sent to jail for screaming and fighting children...kidding!)
Anyways, I went over some of the extra paperwork I brought with me today, including some extra benefits that are given to us not via Kela (since the police have direct access to Kela information anyways) but from the city of Jyv�skyl� and I also included a copy of V�in�'s most recent diagnosis from his last appointment.
I wasn't sure if it was necessary - but I thought it would be good for the police to have on his file - so they are aware he is autistic and that maybe it would explain why his photos are not necessarily posed as exactly as requested in the directions. You know - don't smile, look straight at the camera, no teeth showing etc...
The fellow seemed appreciative anyhow and kept the copy we gave him...anyways, better to be safe than sorry.
I was reminded again that none of us could travel during this time that our residence permits are being processed (no problem!), was given papers stamped by the officer confirming they have received our applications and that they were being processed, paid the fees and was out the door 10 minutes after my husband left with our kids.
I will be sent a text message to my phone number when they are ready for pick up and I just have to bring our passports and the old residence permits to the police office. They will take the old residence permit cards and destroy them (I assume - as they've expired) and give me the new ones!
That's it!
So here's to another wonderful year of living in Finland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And Happy New Year to you!
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