Wednesday, October 29, 2008

More Hospitals

Brian had surgery today on the 5mm kidney stone...it was too big to pass, so they had to zap it with a laser to break it up. He had to go under, so we had to go in and pick him up and get his discharge instructions. Lucky thing I had Kenna with me to keep it all straight...

Kenna marches into the hospital and begins talking a mile a minute. "Oh, is that the doctor? What her name? What your name? What her name Mom?" The nurse answered I'm Susan, that was about all she could get it "oh, I'm Kenna Shea Bo-ger, I'm two, what you doing? Daddy is so so so...sick. He go to doctors for a checkup. He needs a checkup. Daddy needs a checkup." Ok, Kenna that's enough...lets let the nurse help Daddy...momentary silence. Always too short! Sometimes it's all anyone can do to get a word in edgewise. The nurse was quite enchanted with her and asked, is she always like this? Oh yes, if only she knew the half of it.

Blustery Day

I'm so cute I must be Irish...his pj's.

It was very windy the other day. We went outside to play and it didn't last long.


Tubby Buddies

So cute!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Haircut!

We cut Brooks hair today, and decided to go short to see how it would look on him.

Before, getting ready

Shaggy look - before

During - loving the candies to keep still!



After - it's pretty cute!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Cherry Crunch - Recipe

Now this story is really worth posting about. Mom, don't have a heart attack. I made cherry crunch today! This is the first time since we've been married that I've made a crunch, cobbler or crisp...all of which get my gag reflex going on most occasions. Here's the story. We are having company for dinner and are having our homemade pizza. I was thinking of what to serve for dessert, and the easy cupcakes came to mind. Then I remembered that one of our guests is on a diet and would not appreciate the temptation. So I was looking for a quick but somewhat healthier option (hey, it's still dessert...too much sugar...but better than chocolate icing!). Being the deferential person that I am (:-), I came across this recipe from my mom, and thought my husband and children would really enjoy it. So I made it. I will likely even have a small piece just to make sure it tastes ok (relative term!) before serving it to company. Kenna was delighted in helping me and said it was really good (the raw dough part), so I think it'll be a hit. I guess it's a diet for me, desserts in the house I won't eat!!

CHERRY CRUNCH
1 C oatmeal
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C flour
1/2 C chopped nuts or coconut
1/2 C margarine
cherry pie filling

Combine all ingredients but the pie filling. Press about 3/4 of mixture into bottom of 8x8 pan. Add filling and top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Our Pumpkin, Our Friend

We got a pumpkin on Sunday. They both are loving it, but Kenna seems to have a special bond with it. Yesterday while playing with it (mauling it), it rolled down the front steps, and the stem broke off. I was surprised it didn't smash. "Maybe Daddy can fix it", she says as more of a statement than a question...I don't think so, it's just broken. Now she cannot stop apologizing to the poor poor thing. Today, upon our return from the store she hugged it. Oh how we must bring him inside! He's so so so cold! She promptly got her blanket for her new orange friend and while rubbing him declared he is a very good baby.

I got the camera and asked if she'd like a picture with her pumpkin. She draped herself over it with a big hug. Oh my. She is one crazy little girl!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Home-A-Rama

Yesterday we enjoyed our "date day" by visiting Home-A-Rama. This is something they do each fall in our area. Developers and builders pick a location, build amazing million or multi-million dollar homes there, decorate them, and show them off. Then they sell them and build up the rest of the neighbourhood. This year, based on the economy (we think), Home-A-Rama was a lot smaller than in past years. Sometimes they have 20 or so homes, this year only seven. We thoroughly love looking around and seeing what's new and cool and totally beyond our reach! Like Brian said to a friend "We decided not to buy this year" Har har.

Trends we found in every house: 1) a laundry room on every floor, so as not to carry clothes all around the house. 2) a combo laundry room and office, on the main floor. We could not figure that one out. 3) Huge wine 'cellars' (glassed in rooms) off the kitchen. Gorgeous!
4) of course, a second floor entertainment room with a tv that is bigger than my current home.
5) extensive outdoor living areas, with pools, pool houses, built in bars, bbq's and porches.

This house was my favourite from the outside. I am always partial to the 'castle' look, with stone and a turret.

Side view of my fave exterior

This house had humongous rooms, but was decorated VERY weird. Everything was bright blue and aqua coloured, with a dolphin/mermaid theme. Kinda gross.

I believe this house was the smallest. It felt very small in comparison to the others.

This house did not feel too large, but had 5 full baths and 3 half baths. Yikes.

A gorgeous home

A cute sitting room in that home, the only place in the house with the exterior brick showing through.

For some reason I didn't get this Ivory house from a front shot. Oh well. It was pretty ugly from the outside, the columns were a little too much. The inside was very well laid out, but it was decorated very italian/greek...with mirrored and glass furniture, mirrored walls, mirrored everything. It had a master bathroom that you would never have to leave!

The last house we looked at ended up being our all around favourite. It was the 'green house' too, it was a concrete home, and had solar panels and such. I didn't pay too much attention to that speech.

Deck off the master bedroom, in the back of the house

They always had floor plans for each home on display.

The back view of the house.

Our fave feature, when you entered the front door there was a huge island which was a double staircase going upstairs, and behind that was the great room, and above the great room was an amazing library that went all the way around the whole big 'hole in the floor'. It was an incredibly inefficient use of space, but very impressive.

The floors in the kitchen and great room were brick and herringbone (I think that's what Brian called it) would be weird to clean maybe?

All things considered, this house had a very functional but modest kitchen (er, main kitchen). The not-so-modest part...It also had a huge glassed in wine room between the kitchen and dining room, and a butler's kitchen (not pantry, kitchen!) off the doorway you can see in the corner of the picture.

Looking from the library down to the living room

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Rite Aid - Free

The following items are free after rebate from Rite Aid, thru Saturday.

TheraFlu Warming 8.3 oz $3.99
Excedrin Extra Strength or Tension 20 ct express gels $3.99
Triaminic Cough Syrup 4oz or Thin Strips 14 -18ct $3.99
Breathe Again Nasal Spray $7.99 (limit 2 rebates!)
Nexcare Microvex Cold Sore Treatment $8.99
Novitra Cold Sore Cream $8.99
Orajel Cold Sore Treatment $6.99

Cutest

My handsome little man, riding his car.

Kenna, telling the story of Jonah.

Don't Kill Me Daddy

He insisted! Sparkle shoes go nicely with sports socks...? Brooks thinks it's pretty anyway!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Brian and I

This is a picture someone took of us on Sunday.

Closet Swap

When we refinished the floors, we decided to swap our room and the den. For a variety of reasons, but the main one being our bedroom was bigger, with two windows (nice and bright), and the den was smaller, and very dark (the only natural light is from the window at the top of the door leading to the back porch). We weighed the pros and cons and thought it would be the best move for the time being. We spend tons of time in the den/office, and almost none in our bedroom. And we don't mind going thru to the backyard via our room...maybe not the most ideal, but who really cares. So now the new den houses our computer and other office equipment, the kids tv, my craft supplies, the large futon, and the comfy green chair (from livingroom set). There is plenty of space. We are slightly more cramped in our room, but since we only go in there to sleep, it's really not a big deal.

So today I finally got around to swapping the closets around. The one advantage to the smaller room is that it has the biggest closet in the house. That is not saying much, as this house was built in 1952 and the closets are teeny tiny.

Old bedroom closet

Games storage up top

Pictures off the wall we tore down and other misc. things spilling out and causing clutter.


Things moved over to our new closet. I didn't really bother with the stuff up top yet. I guess I'll have to think about if I need the space for other things. It's a catch-all now, with my Willow Tree christmas nativity sets, the yellow pages, ammo, home video tapes, sparklers (?), and iron.

There you go. Clothes all hanging! Socks are kept in the over the door rack. We don't have enough dresser space for them!

This is what was in the other closet, our beach and sports stuff, mostly. Boogie board, the iMac (our backup computer in case something happens to this one. Works great, but it's older. It's saved the day before!)

I thought the games should stay. It seemed appropriate that all these things be in the den.

Teacher

I went in to ask Kenna if she had to go potty this morning, and she said "Look Ma, I'm teaching him" and she continued on 'reading' her book to Brooks. Too cute.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Kids Room

There have been some changes in the kids room, since all the renovations...

Brooks playing hide and seek while we make his bed. We had some kids over this weekend and all the toys got pretty much trashed, so we put it all back together today.

This is Kenna's new bed. Brian found this like-new futon at a garage sale for $35. It matches perfectly! We were going to use it in the den (his original thought) but based on the colour, we just had to put it in there. They love to read books on it, like it's their little couch.

When it's a bed. Getting ready to put sheets on, it's not quite a double...more like a very wide twin, but it's perfect for her. I have to use queen sheets on it until I find some doubles that match.

Brooks is in a big boy bed now. He has a weird thing about getting out. He seems to be under the impression that he can get out of bed without getting a chastisement, as long as he stays in the room (not true!). He gets out of bed, and comes to the doorway, but won't come out.

Toys all put away.

'Lil Cowboy

Brooks has recently discovered the joy of the rocking horse. Until recently I had it packed away from all of our renos. Before I packed it up he was a bit too young for it. It's a gorgeous handmade Mennonite rocking horse, and it has no "foot posts" to help balance, so it's a little harder to ride. He really loves to go for it, and the thing ends up scooting across the room.

Some action shots




Sunday, October 12, 2008

Weekend Update

This weekend we visited a family from our church very briefly...Brian was actually looking at some leaky windows for them. They live pretty much in North Carolina, so we all went along for the drive. Anyway, they have a few goats, chickens, and a horse! Kenna marched straight up to the horse, stuck out her hand and touched it's nose. I was in complete shock that she didn't have an ounce of fear about how big the thing was compared to her.

The horse's owner (a young teen) offered to give her a ride. "Sure. Just hold my sings". She always totes around lots of 'sings'. This day it was her 'statue' (an Ironman figurine from a happy meal) and tiny baby blanket. So I held her things and she got up on the horse, held on to the saddle and away they went! She didn't mind at all that it was a bit bumpy. She was even only holding on with one hand at times, until I told her to use both. I wish I'd had my camera. I said "You're very good at riding" and she said "Yes, I love horses!" So there you go! She kept trying to feed the horse hay, which it wasn't interested in, but she was coaxing it along.

Brooks was a little timid, he eventually would pat the horse, but not on the face, and he didn't want me to set him up on it. So she had a very fun day and learned we have a little horse lover on our hands. Another wonderful note is that our water heater is now replaced and working better than ever.

Friday, October 10, 2008

New Club

I started a little babysitting club in our area...there are 3 couples (incl. us) that live within a mile of each other, with kids. We all met at church. 2 of us don't have any family in the area...making it harder to get out for date night and so on, so we have an arrangement that once a month we each get a Mommy & Daddy afternoon or evening or whatever. Our weekend is next! Last night I watched Sarah and Morgan while our friends went on their date. This is the first month we've done it, and so far everyone likes it.

Brooks says Morgan like war-kin or or-kin. She's about 10 months old, and he loves to get down on his tummy and kiss on her.

Love!

Sarah and Kenna saying "Cheerios!" Naturally Kenna has a goofy smile.