Yes it has been quiet around here recently, what with.. well what with whatever it was I was busy with lately.
Dog walking
Cheesemaking
Jivamukti Yoga
Court appearances
(Only one of those is true by the way ...)

The days are shortening, and rain and leaves are pelting down, and the one bright spot The Cherub and I have decided on is the pre-ordering of Halo Reach. So it is with Great Excitement that we got a notice to go and collect a packet at the post office.
It needed signed for....

Guess what?




Maybe she just realised I wasn't going to give up ...

In a major new development my Determination Officer has phoned me. This is exciting. Things are moving to a whole new personal level... we're on first name terms and everything. And I'm doing my best not to imitate her accent by accident.

BUT she says she needs a new photo of the Cherub.

Because the Cherub was smiling in the last photo I sent.

I say he wasn't. He had his mouth open a bit.. which is not a good look.. but, he wasn't drooling or anything.

Whatever, she needs a new photo.

She's the Determination Officer. She wins.

So it's back to the photo booth. For another photo. Head straight on. Hair out of eyes. Mouth closed. No smiling. Look straight at camera.
And another witness to be found to sign the photos and complete another copy of page 7 (Witness Statement and Proof of Identity).

This is the THIRD photo sent. The Cherub's looking noticeably older in each photo.

Strikes me at this rate he's going to have a beard before the Determination Officer's satisfied...

Nobody said it would be simple did they?
The land of hobbits, Piano Players and the Haka is not rushing to welcome the Cherub with open arms.. They have however assigned us a Determinations Officer, which sounds as if they are taking us seriously.

Hell, don't take my word for it, try typing "Determinations Officer NZ" into google images for yourself.

Things are not going well with my Determinations Officer so far. I'm doing my best here, but his insistance on the Privacy Document being signed by all parties has defeated me.

As I pointed out in my covering letter
Privacy Act Section 6 – Both {the Cherub} and myself have signed this. W-, the parent with NZ citizenship being dead, cannot sign this as requested.

We await further developments forms