Tareka getting excited about effluent

tiles done, we're getting there

Indoor-outdoor flow

Flooring for the living area, kitchen and playroom all done.

Flooring for bathrooms and bedrooms going in at the weekend.

Septic tank in, water tanks in, drainage being sorted right now, due to be done early next week. Inspector checked out the drainage today and seemed pleased with it all. We LOVE our building inspector, he's ace :)

Kitchen and fire

A break from building updates

I've recently signed up for a few parenting-related things, so I though I ought to document their progress here. Number 1 is Growing Up New Zealand, where people expecting babies before March 2010 are asked to volunteer for a research project about what it's like for kids to grow up in NZ.
They will interview me and Tareka on Monday and Tuesday next week, then we have yearly interviews after that once BabyDumpling is born for most of his or her life. I am quite excited about being involved in such a mammoth research project and also wondering where life will take me and my children over the next 20 years :)

Number 2 is a Triple P research project about "dealing with disobedient behaviour in 3-5 year olds". I am having trouble dealing with Mapera's usual not-listening stuff and getting frustrated and screaming stuff, so I am always up for more help and advice. This research project is investigation the effectiveness of a discussion group for parents, let by a psychologist. We'll have to answer various questionnaires and attend discussion groups over the next 6 weeks I think. We get to keep any materials used in the groups and I am hoping for some new strategies that I can use on both my kids.

I've had the consent form sent through for Triple P, so once that is sent back to them, they decide whether I will be in the group that starts right now, or in 6 weeks time.

Watch this space for updates!

Final painting and brick hearth

GIB stopping and painting

First all the gaps in the gib are filled and sanded nice and smooth

Then the painters come and spray everything with an undercoat

The final colours are rolled on. This should all be complete today (Sunday), so we are hoping that the kitchen and bathrooms will all be fitted this week. Tareka and Alec are off down there next off-shift to lay the hearth, then we'll be fitting the fire and wetback once the hot water cylinder is in. We'll have to give the flooring people a couple of weeks notice, so as long as all the fixtures and fittings are in this week, flooring should be going down in about 3 weeks. After that, our drainlayer is all ready for his bit - septic tank, water tank and drains - as soon as the downpipes are on outside.
I think there is some painting to be done outside too, so that will wait for better weather.

Fingers crossed for being all done by the end of this month!