Thursday brought the appointment at the US Consulate to apply for our US Visa. We weren't entirely sure what to expect and had an envelope full of scary legal looking documentation to support our application which 'The Company' had provided.
To get in to the consulate understandably involved some heavy security checks, which included an 'Absolutely NO food or drink' rule. They even took Harry's baby snacks away and chucked them. Lots of lining up at various windows later and I had to take the boys out to find something to eat. Harry was getting really grouchy as he was hungry and Dylan was very thirsty. G was also feeling wobbly so on my way out I explained that he was diabetic and would I please be allowed to bring something for him back? OK, they said.
The boys and I went off and ate, and got G a muffin and a can of fat coke (emergency sugar revival). Once more we had to go through the security check-in and the guard asked that I leave the food / drink for Gareth at the gate and send him down to eat/drink. Not before making me eat a bit of the muffin in front of them to make sure it was one. And discovering some baby teething biscuits they'd missed earlier in H's changing bag. I begged them to let me keep them as it meant the difference between a happy baby and one who was screaming the 4 walls down. Fortunately they relented.
G came down to get his food and there had been a change of security guard. The new one (who had previously inexplicably told people on one half of the room upstairs off for standing up, and the other half off for sitting down) said no, he could not eat or drink. G said OK can you call 911 for me then! Fortunately the other guard came back and gave him his snack.
3 hours and lots of money later, we were told to come back tomorrow (Friday) and pick up our Visa's, which we now have. Hurrah. Another hurdle overcome.
I also booked flights for myself and the boys to England at the end of June so PLEASE LET US SELL THE HOUSE BEFORE THEN otherwise I'll have to come back and be a single parent.
Posted by katie at May 28, 2005 12:48 PM