Day 6 - Job done!

Finally, at long last we got our living and dining room, and actually the whole house back!

So incredibly happy. No more hacking. No more workers. No more waiting. No more mess - ooopss not entirely true we still have a dozen boxes to clear. But, so so so happy to have clean floors. Really. Gigi can also finally stop wiping the stairs 4 times a day. No more wearing shoes in the house.

Hello cooking. Hello home cooked meals again. Hello living room. Hello sofa. Hello walkway. Hello Rusty. Hello house.

Yes, I am seriously incredibly happy :) Gigi is too, haha. Think for her, its more like less cleaning rather than more living space.

So anyway we got our living room all sorted out. Next 2 days will be to clear mess and then get into a routine. The hubs took the bus to work, with the bus stopping at every stop, the ride took 35mins each way. Costs $1.20 per trip. He seems happy as the bus drops him right at his office building, and for the trip back, he needs to cross 2 streets to get to the bus stop.

Today we started cleaning when the guy finished polishing the floors and didnt stop until 6pm! Yikes. No plans for dinner, the best I could think of was "Order pizza!". Firstly, its easy, and somehow the boy wanted to eat it. He got all excited when I said I was ordering pizza and pointed to several pizzas on the brochure. Secondly, its near, thought delivery would be fast but alas its still 1hour so I opted for self pickup.

Was glad the kids liked it, cos its their first time eating pizza (haha, sua-ku). Anyway it was an easy and fuss free meal. But dont think I will order again (though its really yummy) as all of us were pretty thirsty after. Must be too much MSG, no wonder tastes good. Will try to bake one with the kids when we have all settled into the new house.

Its also cool to have my mom around as the kids are very comfortable with her, she is definitely a helpful pair of hands to have around. But, I wonder, if she is bored as hubs says she looks bored. OK tomorrow will ask her, anyway she will be bringing Mei to school tomorrow, so perhaps that might make it slightly more interesting for her.

Alright, gtg, kids slept early so tomorrow will be an early start. Tatas!

Day 4 - Tile laying

Today they guys just laid our new tiles and some cutting to size. Yes still some debris from the tile cutting but at least they could do it outside in the balcony and the rain helped wash it away when they were done :) Phew. Way less dust, definitely much better. So the tile layer's not coming back anymore, but will be sending his colleague tomorrow to polish and shine the marbles for the next 2 days.

The kids have requested to come back to sleep tonight, and we've acceded. Gigi's been cleaning and wiping every time she comes over so its quite clean in their room and ours. Of course all common areas are still horrifically dusty!! But, never mind, at least the polishing's a clean affair I was told, so we can slowly get back a cleaner home.

It feels good to have us all back under the same one roof, namely our own home. It just feels so complete and right to finally have the kids back with us and they, they are just as delighted to be home, sleeping in their own bunk beds.

Tomorrow Grammi's arriving, feels quite terrible that we cant greet her with a cleaner and nicer home, and have so apologised. I for one, am so looking forward to have her around. She's our first visitor since we've moved in, it'll be so fun and handy to have her company for the next few weeks as we all try to settle into a new routine.

Hubs will be returning to work on Weds too after a full week's leave... Its so not fun to not have him ard, but alas, someone's gotta go earn some income to feed us all. He's keen to take the direct bus from our place, the bus stop's just at our doorstep too. Hopefully it'll be a good and short ride into town and back!

Alright, think that's enough rambling for the night, write again soon.

Day 3 - More hacking

Today is Day 3 and the guys are still drilling and cutting downstairs.

Not only will we be getting new living tiles, new dining tiles are also on the way. We dont see the kids as they can't come here with the thick blanket of dust in the air, while we have to be here, preferably, to keep an eye on the work.

So WK spends his time putting up more things for sale, while I endeavour to do the same today.

Moving house is so tough. Thought we would have settled into a new routine here by today, but alas, we've been floored. Grrrmmm.

And how long will this exercise lasts? Likely one whole week!

If they do finish drilling and removing the old tiles and cement today, they would be able to lay the new tiles on Monday. 2 days are required for marble polishing, so that takes us to Wednesday! Exactly a week from when they started work. This is all on the proviso, the hacking's completed today.

Be careful what you wish for

When we were cleaning the floors last week, I had wished for nicer marble flooring as somehow there are stains and blemishes that won't go away no matter what cleaning material we use like Cif or bleach or soap or floor cleaner or etc.

Today I got what I asked for.

A completely new marble flooring in the living room is on the way.

Just went down, not only had they hacked 12, its now into 30s. And it is nearly the whole living floor. At the rate they go, it'll be no surprise if the "infection" spreads to the dining area as well, so that'll be like 50-60 big tiles.

Right now, am I estatic??

No. I only worry about the amount of dirt and dust in the whole house. How tedious it will be to spring clean all over again.

And, the kids and Gigi, they will have to camp out at MIL's tonight, and probably tomorrow and the day after or maybe even more. As a minimum, based on the current no of tiles, it'll take 4 full days to finish, completion to marble polishing.

Sigh, but yet thankful at the same time.

The subcon working on the tiles.

The state this morning, only 6 tiles originally.

Moved in, renovating again!

We've moved! Since Tuesday.

The last 2 nights we've slept in the new house, and the kids did wonderful sleeping in their own room and their own bunk beds. For once, we had the whole bed to ourselves, but our dog, not having used to the proximity of neighbours (hence more noise) barked way too early each morning at 5. Kayden, also wakes at 6.30am thinking it fun calling me over the baby monitor, "Mama Mama". Hrrmmpph...

We've finally moved all our things over, but the unpacking is slow and tedious! No wonder everyone says every house moving is spring cleaning, as thats the only way we are forced to get rid of things we no longer need or use. I think WK's eBay listing's 100 over items now, while mine, will increase soon too - once I have time to spare at the computer.

We've finally got the floor to a cleaner state (everyday there are black footmarks on the floor) but alas, today the developer sent some workers over to replace our living room marble flooring as some tiles have hollowed through time, not sure why. Anyway they are replacing it for us FOC, as I am typing away.

But all that drilling's no good to a newly moved-in house. There is a blanket of dust in the air, and imagine, the amount of soot left over to clean up once the work is done. The more hollowed tiles they remove, the more existing ones loosen, and thus the work patch gets bigger every hour. I complained about 6-8 hollowed tiles, now, they have removed 12, with more to go! Think by the time they finish, it could well be 20-30s!

However, its best to get it all replaced and done now than to leave it for later, cos this will be the last time they're doing it for us in view this place is already 1.5yrs old (hence way past the defect warranty period of 1 year). Got to say the developer, Hoi Hup's really nice to be doing this for us. Since we've take possession, they've fixed a lot of stuff for us. Extremely thankful to those who's in charge of our development.

Anyway sorry for the rambling, again this will be a no photo post as the bluetooth device's downstairs. Guess photos of a lived in "new" house will only be up later, next week or week after with all the amount of work left to do, tsk tsk.

Everyday's really tiring, but again, I'll say it again, its all worth it, to me. There's no place like your own home.

The move

Everyday we will make minimum 2 trips to the new house. Definitely once in the day time for cleaning and then at night with the hubs for moving our stuff!

Today, the movers have moved our bulky items and some of our boxes to the place plus kids' bunk bed, fridge and washing machine have arrived. Its starting to look like a real home :) Lotsa work to do - cleaning, wiping, unpacking, packing, finding enough storage space! Latter being worst as how come there is always never a big enough store room???

During the move, only did it occur to me, the kids have so many TOYS and so many CLOTHES. Sigh. Yeah sure its good news for them, but bad news for the mama who can't find enough place to store them in a smaller house!!

No wonder also, Kayden told me some weeks back, "Ma you can sell my clothes, Kayden have a lot of clothes" when I kept on pressing him for more toys he can part with. Hmmm.

And also, how come the floor is always dirty? We have vacuumed and mopped yesterday, and today with all the moving, there is so so so much dust again. I need to go get some floor cloths - we dont have a single one! Hehe.

Still have some things to buy from the supermarket as well as small electronic goods like a kettle, rice cooker, shoe cabinet, one more storage cabinet, dining chairs , TV console and plants. Lucky next week hub's on leave, but why do I have this feeling we wont be able to complete the whole outstanding list?

As hubs always say "Take it easy, we do it slowly". Yes right indeed.

Btw sorry no photos as I've been too busy to photograph and also, now too tired to down and upload. Next week ok? Once we get the desktop all setup, its faster to use that machine.

Tomorrow's another long day, but these are happy and fruitful days, to me. Definitely worth the sweat!

Spring cleaning by the A-Star team!

Today we spent the whole day at the new house spring cleaning.

The contractor had done round 1 last week but could not fit in a time early this week to finish up. The house was in a pretty good shape after round 1, I thought, there were just little bit of dirt and dust after the carpentry went in and the electrician came to install the ceiling fan.

So anyway instead of the contractor finishing the job, my team and I rolled up our sleeves and did it ourselves. This saves us $200, as it will be trimmed off the bill.

My A star team comprises of Gigi, myself, Kayden and Sophie.

I've to give the kids a lot of credit (darn, forgot to take their photos in action to proof they really did their part, perhaps tomorrow as I see us having to do this for the rest of the week :)). Kayden spent a full hour vacuuming the house, no not that he's super hardworking, but rather he loves the machine! More so, the magic it creates by sucking up and magically making dust specks disappear. So he zooms from living to study to his room back to living and kitchen. And he did rest like a real worker, for maybe 5 minutes sitting under the fan to cool down. He had pink rosy cheeks after this "hard work".

Our dear daughter too was intrigued with the vacuum cleaner and she too had a hand in it, but being younger and smaller, it wasnt easy for her to handle, so mostly I took over, you can bet how irritated she was. Anyway she helped with wiping cabinets and doors, but hehe quality's really only at a 2yr old level which is close to none. But still! Its the effort that counts, whats more she wanted her own share of Cif (the cream cleanser) and her own cloth and me, I am not allowed to HELP or touch her stuff. Hmmm.

So anyway, think we did a good job, I think one more day the cleaning work will be done. Tomorrow I head down to NTUC to buy a mop and some floor mopping detergent cos I have the OCBC $5 Happy Days redemption. Goodie. See, become an aunty already, so happy to get discounts :) And every cent matters!

Btw the sofa is ready and they will deliver either Thursday or Friday. Wow, things are moving along very very quickly, swell!

Moving for the kids

It just hit me that I have not written about the kids a long time.

I mean their most recent post is about being ill, and that, I doubt, count as memory worthy for when they are older. More so, isnt this blog about them? They make my emotions go extreme opposite ways throughout the day. Happy when they are just plain funny or say the darnest things, and angry, you could easily guess, ie when they throw a fit to get their way. Sends me from 1 to 100 in 2 seconds flat.

Since mostly I write about the house, easy facts, thought I should write how the kids are adjusting to the thought of moving to the new house.

Sophie...

She is easy on this. She loves the new house plain and simple and can occupy herself easily when she is there. She just loves it, I suspect the pool's a main draw, but maybe a new play area's cool to a young 2 yr old too. She just loves to go.

Her only problem? Sleeping on her own, in her own room. No more Mama by her side. She's been refusing to entertain the thought of sleeping in her shared room (with K) in the lower storey and everytime I glam up the topic of their own room and own bed and more so, bunk bed, she says "Mei Mei sleep with Mama, upstairs".

Finally one day, when I asked, she says "(What if) Mei Mei cry, Mama (can't hear me)" from upstairs. Immediately I told her the baby monitor will always ensure that I hear her, so as soon as she cries, I'll run downstairs. 2 seconds she thought silently, and she said, "OK, Mei Mei sleep downstairs". She amazes me a lot with the things she say, and mostly, her ability to process and verbalise her thoughts, cos comparatively, she is more advanced than K was her age.

So she is all set to go, and I *cross fingers* on them staying in their own beds!

Kayden...

Now he is more of a challenge for he is a super sensitive boy and more so, a big creature of comfort like his daddy. He's not too keen on new stuff, but he understands that we're a family so we move as one. Perhaps one part of him feels like he is forced to go, but deep down, he's still stuck to me like glue and will choose to be with me wherever I go (ah ha, unless there is Ben 10 or TV!! I still lose to modern technology on any normal day)

Then there is his connection with his grandmother. He's stayed with her since he was 2-3months old and she's been his secondary caregiver when I'm not around so naturally they have a strong bond. With us moving out, I know MIL will miss the kids most and Kayden had told me that GM asked why does he have to move? And he proceeded to explain to me that GM is his family too... Hence, my rule, a family stays together, applies to her too.

He likes the new house but I know he has this burden of moving away, from the house he is familiar with and from the grandma whom he loves. I'm not so sure if this is the cause, but he is a whole lot more whiny-er and cries easily this week (the move's in 9 days!). Anything small like Sophie hitting him or pinching his cheeks (they fight like this) or when I refuse to carry him, he really cries, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. His little troubled heart probably triggers easily at every small thing, so everything's looking sad. Other than the tantrum bits, he is still the same.

But I know, kids being kids, new place being a new playground, he'll be fine. He'll just have a period of adjustment longer than his sis, but he dont have to worry, as I bet we'll still see his grandparents at least 3-4times a week. We're not that far away, only 10-15mins drive.

Oh yeah one more, I think he also doesnt like the thought of an empty new house to live in. "Ma, where are the beds, chairs, tables??" Perhaps when the furniture is in, it'll help him transition better. At least one bright start - he loves the hanging stairs lamp!

As for us, we're taking things so easy that we have not even started packing. Only thing I've done is post more unused stuff on eBay to sell, things that we wont need in the new house. The market's very price-sensitive, so as long as I sell cheap, the sales are coming in... Which is good, I think, in a way, I guess. Hmmm.

Oh well, ready or not, 9 days, here we come. It'll be a very hectic weekend ahead with furniture deliveries all coming in 2 days before the official move-in ritual. Let's see how we can make it, me being a uber lazy last minute person.

*That's how the boy looks like forcing his sister into position and yet try to be gentle in handling her, while he, forced himself to keep still. Kids photography - so tough! What's more, nowadays, all done w e camera phone!*

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.