Reno in progress

Today, I went to the new house, and found all the flooring protective works gone, and what a pleasant surprise to be greeted with a somewhat cleaner home! A worker is there doing his spring cleaning and also touching up of paint work. 

The window grilles are up, and thus, the only item outstanding is the installation of carpentry works and thereafter, the keys will be returned to us and we can officially do a final clean up and start moving our things little by little into the house! The contractor expects his works to be done by this week, and curtains and blinds should be in next week. 

We've also gotten a move in date from a temple that my MIL uses, and the date's been set for 21 July! Our furnitures are coming end of next week and week after we'll be staying there for real! How terribly fast time flies.

Lucky I did manage to snap a few photos of reno in progress last week...

Doing up the house, we come to realise that the most challenging place of work for all sub-contractors would be the stairwell. The highest point is at least 8-9metres off the ground, and there is a hole in the false ceiling for intended lights installation. No way could we install lights there as every time a bulb needs a-changing, we'll have to get external help, not keen to spend such $$$! 

So we've settled on one hanging lamp at the centre of the stairwell, and even this, required much effort for the electrician to install as its still 4-5metres off the ground! Look see, a man holding the weight of the tilted ladder, one climbs up and another at the base, making sure the ladder dont slip. The man up on the stairs, I joked with him, had his life depended on both men, so he better make no enemies with his colleagues :)

Not all men take such risks. The solar film and roller blinds people insisted on scaffolding for one part of the stairs with full steps... So, its costs us $300 to hire a scaffolding for 30 minutes use. If I may say, this must be the most expensive use of funds in the whole reno work!

Didnt snap a photo of them working on the scaffolding as had gone to pick up a ceiling fan that I had wanted to swap for a smaller one. So anyway below are the solar film guys in action.

No other photos of the reno, that's all I've got. Guess the next set of pictures would be when all things are in, and this would be end July, when the living at the "new house" begins.

How exciting. Not to say, expensive too. But all for the sake of a home. Yippee!!

Another weekly update, tsk

Disappeared again for a week.

K's been kept at home from the first week of school for his cough. Whilst Soph is enjoying seeing her teachers again in her playschool. Me, I've gone to the Ikea sale and got us some mattresses (for the kids and maid), study table and bookshelf plus other knick knacks.

More importantly, I've finally uploaded photos of flickr on my things for sale... Garage sale of things that are still in good working condition, just no longer in use. Only done like 20% and my flickr acct is full, think may need to setup another one... Else, how?

If you're interested in my garage sale items, let me know, will send u the link. Paisay to put up publically here :)

A busy week ahead as the contractor should deliver the "renovated" house, we've got a week to clean and arrange for the curtains and blinds to go up before the furnitures and electrical appliances come a-knocking with the delivery men on 18 July onwards.

Btw, does anyone have any recommendation for movers? A few bulky items that needs to be moved from here to there. Need the professionals, definitely, but maybe just one lorry load's good enough.

Moving along

Finally renovation work has started last Thursday and we're looking at an expected completion of about 2-3weeks as we are only installing lights, make 1 false ceiling, repainting of whole unit, adding window grilles to the lower storey windows and a few carpentry works. During that timeframe, the retractable awnings will also be up, just as the solar films and curtains/blinds for windows. 

Definitely things are moving along quickly in the next few weeks as we are looking at moving in sometime last week of July. We've also made lotsa progress on the furniture shopping part :) Bought all the big items except for tv console and dining chairs. These 2 most likely we'll get after we've moved in as its no hurry, haha. Yes, we'll sit on stools to eat in the mean while :)

Another thing we're working on is the external landscaping as we've 3 huge patios we'll like converted into active living spaces. Its useful to have big balconies when one have a dog and 2 kids. Most likely we'll have an outdoor dining set so at least the kids could paint or do dirty stuff. And likely I'll put out their inflatable wading pool permanently as well. 

Only now did we realise that plants, and pots, and soil, are all so expensive!!! It never occured to me at all. We bought 2 planter boxes 2 weekends ago to graft his mom's current plants, and just those two plus 2 packs of soil threw us back by $50. I was aghast to find out that big planter boxes, those that are deep and wide enough for proper plants costs $50 and up per piece. Amazingly overpriced right for plastic! I dunno. Maybe cos in my mind, pots are what, less than 10bucks?? Oh well, we'll still need them whatever the price, so we'll just have to look for cheaper sources, so tempted to drive into Msia to purchase them! 

We've got packing to do and movers to book. We'll need to move the mattress from here so definitely need a mover, which also since we're having one, might as well pack some of our things in boxes for them to move at the same time. So packing, we've not started but at least we've some carton boxes to use :)

Overall, its exciting, to think that we're moving into our own place. Its truly a happy thought, but I must admit, intimidating at the same time. Most importantly, furnishing our own home, thats totally wicked fun albeit tiring. Can't wait to see the end product :) In the mean time, think I better go take some photos of the house in a works-in-progress stage.

Games & more games..

23 Jun 09 - It is so easy for me to forget about the origin of this blog. It never occur to me before that this blog goes by the title "Our Little Stars" & not just "My Little Stars". I always see myself as a guest blogger or best still..... a tourist, who visits the blog as and when i feel like :) TT should be happy now that i'm using 2 hands rather than my usual "one-hand clicking" routine to surf the internet & play games.

And talking about games. While i was "away", i was busy playing games on the internet. Never in my dreams would i've known that so many wonderful and interesting games are available for free. I must have been living in the past, for i always thought that good computer games only comes in the form of nicely wrapped compact discs.

Best still, i was able to integrate Father-Son bonding session via these internet games. Kayden's favourite was a game called "Commando 2". Needless to say, the game was violent in nature. We could even form a father & son tag team playing this particular game. I would be controlling the movement keys while Kayden would be toggling between different weapons and rattling away at the enemies with his machine gun. It was pure fun!!

Here are my recommendations:-

1) Evony - Strategy game similar to Romance of the 3 Kingdoms. Very time consuming!
2) Travians - one of those role playing games that requires lots of time
3) Miniclip - list of arcade games with lots of variety to choose from...highly recommended!!
4) Commando 2 - Kayden's favourite!!

Tonsillitis again

Finally the kids are well and K's even gone back to school today.

Alas, though, dear hubs the next one down, he's got K's tonsillitis since yesterday and was sent home on a 2 days MC. The poor guy's nursing a high fever, bad throat and lethargy... Never ever seen him on the bed for such a long period as these 2 days :) Heheh at least its a good way to force him to sleep, as sleep's something he would readily give up over TV and computer.

I'm so sleepy now, hope I can get a short nap. We finally went to the Ben 10 show in United Square today,will write abt it later :) Overall I enjoyed the Dora show a whole lot more than Ben 10.

Herpangina

So yesterday it was Soph's turn at the PD, and the doc confirmed that she has herpangina , a variant of HFMD and my guess, a spin-off her brother's tonsillitis. Herpangina I learnt, only causes blisters in the mouth, unlike HFMD that causes sores also on palms and feet. 

Lucky that her illness' milder in nature and her fever had subsided on Sunday night before her visit to the PD the next morning. She seems totally OK from Day 3 (ie Monday) and was herself again except for the few blisters in her mouth.

She's so far, happy and herself. Playing with her brother, and as usual imitating her brother.

Good when kids are not sick as the days go back to normal. Kayden will go back to school on Thursday for his school holiday program as soon as he finishes his course of antibiotics tomorrow. We'll try to catch the Ben 10 performance show on Thursday (went today then realised no shows on Tuesday, boo hoo!).

Tomorrow will be a full day out for me, with my gal pal, SH... Truthfully, it'll be my first full day away from the kids other than attending courses, and a big part of me do feel the guilt. I wonder, if ever, I will ever stop having Mama-guilt (think this is the official term, I read somewhere)... Oh, perhaps when they dont need me anymore, which I guess will in the coming years :)

The tonsillitis

Forgot to blog about K's diagnosis, its tonsillitis whereby he's got ulcers on his tonsils and its enlarged and inflammed. First 3 days will have high fever then the very bad throat will persist for 7-10days. He's gotten an MC for 10 days so will be kept at home next week.

Its extremely contagious so PD says to separate the kids. 

Alas, as usual, we didnt do a good job and now Sophie's high fever had just started... Thermometer reads 39.3 and she already has one ulcer on her right tonsil. Next 3 days will be hell cos it'll be even more difficult to feed her.

Swallowing of any substance's a torture as seen in K's case. Liquids' the same as food, so no escape. And once she starts her antibiotic of Augmentin, she can't even drink her milk as the meds will cause the runs.

Do I now have to quarantine she and I in her room? Or perhaps not, since the kids now share the same germs!! Best deal would be to quarantine hubs and I, finally I will have decent sleep again. But, hehe, wishful thinking as sick kids are even more whiny at night when they awake.

OK another trip to the PD on Monday, to get her medication prescription.