Mouse in the house

It's Queen's birthday weekend and the kids and I are in Pauanui once again, enjoying the comforts of a kitchen and laundry (the kids don't really care about the kitchen and laundry though, I have to say).

This weekend I was lucky enough to have my sister, Nikki, and niece, Briar, keeping us company and we have had a great time.  We visited Hot Water beach (about 50km from Pauanui), and found a cute little woodfired pizza place near Cook's beach called Purangi Estate where we sat underneath kiwifruit vines and enjoyed a bite to eat.

Sofia, Briar and Olivia being mermaids at Hot Water beach.

Back in Auckland, Steve is still painting our house (At the moment I have an image in my head of him on a ladder painting 24 hours a day).  He is currently doing the main bathroom (this bathroom existed prior to the renovation, but has lost a window and has had a new ceiling line added, as well as a sky light put in), and it's taking him longer than he would have liked due to filling lots of holes and sanding back chipped paint. He's painting out the minty green ceiling though so that alone will make the bathroom look as fresh as a daisy.  Here are a few photos of it as it looked when I left on Thursday:

The paint colour is cream at the moment, but will all be painted out to white.  The floor tiles will be charcoal and white in a checker board pattern.  We will use similar green wall tiles along the wall which used to house an exterior window.  We decided to keep the art deco theme which exists in this bathroom, so for now it will just be a mini makeover to make it look ten years younger (would that make it looks 1920's rather than 1930's though... hmmm).

 

A better view of the wall which used to have a window in it.

 

 Max kindly walked through this blue paint and then back out onto some carpet in our old lounge/new guest bedroom. 

Steve got very cross with me because I had left the paint drying instead of cleaning it off immediately.  My defence was that I had to clean the paint off Max before it went everywhere else and looked like something off the Cat in the Hat movie.

Except imagine white walls with blue paint.

We have a mouse with really big teeth in our house, so if Max doesn't destroy the house this mouse will.  You might laugh.  But look at this:

That hole in the heating vent was made by a mouse.  The night before, it sounded as though a big cat was trying to get through the vent and into the kids' room.  A few of the vents have teeth marks in them.

Steve set a trap but I have not heard any news reporting the catching of it, so I am worried it is a really clever mouse and cheese is just not going to cut the mustard.  Which food will motivate this mouse?  70% cacao chocolate?  Hang on.  He/she is an Auckland mouse.  We need to catch him with a double shot trim soy latte.

Steve's dad, Bruce, and his brother Mike have been instrumental in getting the painting done.  Steve has also been lucky to have been fed and watered by Mike and Ann Louise on quite a few occasions now, so I don't think he's resorted to Big Mac Land too much (Steve? Have you?).  My dad is next up with his hammer and saw to build our deck (Dad, I promise we'll get some sort of a plan to you and some wood ordered before you arrive!).  We owe our families a big ol' banquet dinner when our house is done. 

Here's the latest gallery:

This is a view from the newly laid wooden floor in the hall towards the new bit.

This is a picture Steve took of the old floor boards vs the sanded boards.

Bruce busy painting away in the new bedroom.

The skylight showing some blue sky - lovely!

Getting the concrete floor ready to lay the new wooden floor.  What a lovely paint job!

Looking towards the new dining area

The concrete has been laid for the tiled hearth.

 



And that's where we are up to. The flooring is supposed to arrive this week, so I have fingers and toes crossed it does.  I am going back to Auckland tomorrow and the intention is to use the pop up kitchen as little as possible - I have a plan for some healthy takeaways.  I just about drove myself insane last week making some Food Bag meals in the slow cooker and rice cooker - they were really good and the leftovers helped to feed Steve this weekend, but there were so many dishes.  Simplicity is where it's at!

I'll update you on our fussy monster mouse as soon as I can.  Just need to head to Pyrenees to get that rodent a Ristretto.

Anna x