One project completed and another to begin

So goes the circle of life for most of us. We are having a small victory celebration this evening, James is having a few Cornona and I'll be eating popcorn, whilst we watch a film together, in the early evening! After a final push this weekend James has finished the pointing, he finished the front and the flashings on the chimney today. It's a job that was started the tail end of last year and has been constantly interrupted by other jobs that have come up and really started in earnest with the light nights.

This marks a milestone for us this year. We had list at the beginning of the year; do wee man's room, get planning permission granted and point the house. We've now done them all, plus a few other things, woohoo!!

Front of house pointed

Flashings pointed

As to the other project to begin we've been thinking about the build next year. I'm sure I mentioned that we have to demolish just over a third of the house to build our extension. Only about a third needs to be demolished at once and then the other little bits will be done over time as funds allow. Our builder said we really should move out during the process, he says it will take a lot longer if he has to make good every job before he goes home. It's not in the budget to move out so we've been looking into making somewhere to go if it all gets a bit much and we need a clean space to keep our sanity. I've looked into static caravans and garden buildings. Caravans cost the most, but then they are designed to be lived in and have everything you need for a self contained home. Garden buildings come in all shapes and sizes but within our means a wooden building is probably the most economical. In the long term we don't really want a caravan sitting round the garden, but we could use more storage (who couldn't!?) so we've settled on a wooden building. 

I've found a building that slots together like a cabin and comes ready partitioned with a few rooms. There's one larger room and two very small, but enough space for a place to get away. We're planning on staying in the house as much as possible and sleeping here but it means that if a job is not complete and it leaves us without power, water or some other essential we'll have a room to be in that's dust free and safe for the kids when I turn my back. We'll run power and water up to it and insulate it to keep it warm. So that's our plan to build over autumn and winter in preparation for spring. There's lots of ground work to be done first though, so at some point we'll borrow a digger and clear the back of the garden which is currently covered in rubble. 

Next weekend James is moving our boiler away from the back of the house where the demolition will take place and put it in a temporary spot further away and reconnect it. It makes one less job for next year and clears room for the new drainage channels to be dug. At the moment water just pools against the rear wall of the house. 

So that's our current plan for what to keep us busy over the next few months along with the everyday of job and kids, exciting isn't it?

Just as an aside Blossom had four eggs hatch and she's looking after the chicks beautifully, she gets very agitated when they all go in different directions and is only happy when they're all under her wing.

Meeting her best friend for the first time in ages, it wasn't very friendly! 

Safe and sound, where she'd like them all the time.

Teaching them to eat

We also had a bit of a play on a water slide when the sun was shining on Saturday and wee man loved it.