Saturday, November 29, 2008

Hippo Song - Video

We were finally able to catch Kenna on video singing her song, nicely. Usually when I pull out the actual video camera, she suddenly gets silly, gets shy...or something! This time my father in law was using a regular camera to record it, so she didn't know it was happening. The first part of the song was missed because the camera was on the wrong setting. This was during the dessert of our Thanksgiving meal. We had a really wonderful dinner, complete with a 21 lb turkey! A little over-kill for 6 people I know, but we are loving the leftovers!

Sorry the lighting is so dark...we didn't have them on yet, it was only about 5 at night, and it didn't seem dark at the time...either it was, or the camera was just getting it darker.


Tuesday, November 25, 2008

My Lovely Evening

A study in human nature. Or human shopping behaviours. Linens N Things used to be a really nice store, as in, the shoppers shopped, paid, and left. There was very little mess or trouble. Put up a 50% off sign and watch those same people get into a frenzy, go crazy and destroy the place. On Saturday the store looked great. All the rooms were put back together and pretty. Oh the difference one day can make. I was horrified to find out I was in the Windows Dept last night. Yikes! Words alone are not sufficient, I just had to snap a few pics with my phone. Just look at what I am dealing with...

This is the pile of window panels, valances and scarfs I picked up off THE FLOOR! With no packaging to match. I spend the better part of the night folding, shrinkwrapping, trying to figure out what on earth this stuff is. Truly unbelieveable. In case the picture is somehow deceiving, let me assure you, this is A LOT of curtains!!

The toss pillows and slipcover room. A huge room, this is just one aisle. Lord Jesus come quickly!
Rugs. Whatever the Tazmanian Devil was looking for, I hope he found it.
Lets say I am earning my money! I wonder why I have no desire to fold laundry today:-)

Monday, November 24, 2008

Two Too

Kenna has been a little edgy today. She's playing nice enough with her brother, but is throwing in enough little troubles to make me watch them more closely today. Otherwise it all ends up that he's screaming and trying to bite her or something and she yelling too...likely her fault to start with.

Afternoon snack was an apple. I cut a wedge into 3 pieces and set it in front of Kenna. Brooks started to voice a complaint and I said, Don't worry, I have some for you too. "Haha, you get two Brooks...I have three" she says in a taunting way. Argh.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Cookie Monsters

Yesterday we made some cookies from a homemade "jar" recipe we were given. They turned out really good! The kids were in love with stirring and scooping.

With the crazy economic times here I have taken a part time job at Linens N Things again. They are going out of business, and the store closes the first week of Jan, so it's just for the busy holiday season. I work 5 evenings a weeks 5-close, with Wed and Sun's off for church. This was my first week, and I've really been enjoying it! It's a novelty for the kids (so far) that Daddy gets to feed them. Haha!




Yes Mom

Brooks is learning at such a rapid rate. His language is improving so much every day. He has a funny hang-up right now with Yes Mom. He has learned he has to say Yes Mom to me when given an instruction or whatever, but instead of linking the word Yes with my name, he thinks Yes Mom is the polite thing to say for any occasion. So everything is Yes Mom. When Brian asks him to come etc, he says "Yeh Mom" It's Dad Brooks can you say Yes Daddy? "Yeh Mommy", ok, can you say Daddy? "Yeh Mom, Daddy". It's hilarious. You can see his little mind spinning. If you insist on him saying Yes Daddy he gets very frusterated and says "No! No! Yeh MOMMY " Like we are the ones trying to mess it all up. It's cute, I'm sure he'll figure it out soon.

Eating a cookie for snack, always has a nice smile for Mom!

This is what Kenna calls a 'nice smile'. Hanging out with Auntie Meghan who is in town for Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Cool Dude

This little guy has suddenly turned ALL BOY. I wonder where my sweet little cuddle-bug baby went to. He likes to holler, wrestle, tackle, hit, throw/kick/catch, wear baseball hats, and watch football. It's priceless to watch him, when they all line up, he counts 1-2-3-GO! Then he yells, Run! or Good Catch! or Go Go Go! and when they all fall down he slaps his thigh and says "oooooooh man!" It's so funny to me that he actually understands whats going on. He will watch football or hockey for long periods before getting bored.

Kenna doesn't watch it at all. She comes in the room and wants to have a discussion about it, "oh it's your game Daddy? It's baseball? oooooooh, football. You like it Dad? You like football? I like football too, it's my feeve-rit" He tunes her out after about 2 seconds so it's up to me to field all the questions:-)

Lovin' his sunglasses

Friday, November 14, 2008

Little Artist

Last night while I was making dinner Brooks kept saying "oooh, look Mommy, look. Cir-co. Cull-o. Look, oooooo" I ignored him for awhile because I didn't think he was talking about anything specific (he likes to talk about shapes now and name off colours) but I finally stopped to see what he was talking about. "(gasp) Brooks!" "It's nice, it's nice" he tells me. Sometime during the day he managed to draw on the stove with a black and then a red crayon. Apparently they were colours and circles according to his little narrative.

A huge difference between Kenna and Brooks is the mischief they get into...she has maybe only once or twice tried to draw on something that wasn't paper. If he manages to get his hands on a pen or crayon, he makes a beeline for the couch and starts scribbling away! (Gonzo works great to ink-or anything- of out a microfiber couch). He is constantly trying to colour on the table, the couch, the dresser in his room, and now add the oven to his list of art canvases. He's a wild little boy!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Free After Rebate

This month at Walgreens you can get an Almay One Coat Mascara (6.99) and L'Oreal Age Perfect Pro-Calcium (19.99) free after rebate. I need to read the box on the Age Perfect thing, I think I will be giving it to my mom, I think it's for mature skin:-)

Last month I was able to get the other things pictured...I was able to get the Scrubbing Bubbles starter kit (sprayer and 2 refills) for .99 cents! It's normally $25, but was on sale for 20.99, I had a $10 off coupon and there was a $10 rebate. Yay. We've been using it ever since, and it really does do a nice job keeping the shower clean. I'm happy with my free stuff!...most of it I haven't opened yet 'cause I'm trying to finish up all the other things I have first. It's my little stash I guess.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Crafty Thing

This is a Save the Date I made tonight, just for fun. Ever since I made my own wedding invitations, I am always on the lookout for a nicely done "homemade" invite. I thought this idea was very classy, so I gave it a try. Someday maybe I'll have an invitation making business...or probably not...I don't have enough ideas to offer a variety of styles. It is fun though!

Remembering...

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, the time the Armistice of World War I was signed in 1918, we observe two minutes of silence to remember.

There are a few differences that I have observed while being in the US, one of them is that Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in US) is much less celebrated than it is in Canada. It's an odd observation, because the US obviously has an amazing military, you'd think this 'holiday' would get a little more push, since there are so many who have served to protect and preserve the freedoms that we all enjoy. The most obvious difference is the lack of poppies...in Canada there are poppies for sale everywhere. The bank, Wal-Mart, where ever you go. And everyone wears them leading up to the 11th. I guess I shouldn't say it's not as celebrated here, but just less obviously celebrated, as there is no mistaking someone wearing a poppy!

Canadian poet John McCrae was a medical officer in both the Boer War and World War I, he is remembered for this poem commemorating the deaths of thousands of young men who died in Flanders.


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

This is my poppy, I placed it on my kitchen window sill so it would trigger my memory while doing dishes and cooking, since I won't be going out today, I can't wear it.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Hippos Everywhere

It's a real treat to hear Kenna sing one of her favourite songs, it's very cute! She knows all the words, but really makes it her own. There's a lot to the song, so I am impressed she remembers it as well as she does. "I wanna hippo-pa-namus a Chris-MOS...I don't wanna die or why-wan-a-ruses (rhinoceroses), I only like hippo-pa-namuses. An hippo-pa-namuses like me toooooooo" Kenna has been singing this song since last Christmas, it's hilarious. This particular line that I quoted is her fave part of the song, even though she gets it all wrong. Everyone cracks up that she sings I don't wanna die at the top of her lungs! My fave part is when she sings "I can see me now on Chris-MOS morning creeping down the 'tairs. Oh what joy and what a-prise..." she gets the tune spot on. Now that the season is approaching I pulled out the CD again...I heard this song at least 7 times today! If you haven't heard it, it's a cute song, check it out at the bottom of the blog page. You'll smile.

Fall Fun

Today we had some outside chores to do, like cleaning out the car and raking up needles after all the rain we had last week. The kids had fun helping and just doing their own things.

When I came outside with the camera, they both froze and grinned. They know what cameras are for, no doubt!

He loves having his picture taken, and always smiles so nicely. Quite a treat, when his sister is such a nut with the weird smiles.

Helping Mommy rake. He's such a trooper!

Her very favourite 'poison-berry' tree. She talks about it constantly. "Poison-berries are not for 'quirrels or kids, dey only for birds" I hear that little lecture once a day (if I'm lucky, if I'm not, I hear it about a hundred times)

Brooks is very good at throwing now. It always goes where he's aiming! He adores his soccer ball from Grandpa Kennedy.

He is also good at soccer. I am amazed at how he can run and kick the ball. He kicked this one all the way down the front path, which is pretty long for a little kid to have control of it, I think.

Kenna does "a-nacks-icks" (gymnastics, if you can't get that!) like she saw in the Beijing Olympics. One of her more impressive feats is walking the perimeter of the flower garden, balanced on the stone edge. Her other routines involve flailing around and then freezing with arms and legs poked out at weird angles (floor routine at it's finest), and jumping from the coffee table to the couch. She's a rare talent!!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Spinach & Artichoke Dip - Recipe

This past weekend I hosted my first Stampin' Up! workshops. Everyone had a lot of fun! You can check out what we did here. One of the snacks I served was a shot in the dark...I had never made it before! A very daring move when having guests, but it sounded like it couldn't go wrong. The results were rave reviews. I think it rivals the spinach dips at any restaurant that I've tried!

Spinach & Artichoke Dip
From: Kraft
Prep: 10 min; Total: 30 min; Serves: 22, 2 T each

1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts, drained, finely chopped
1 pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
3/4 C grated parmesan cheese
3/4 C light mayonnaise
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 t garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients until well blended.

Spoon into 9 inch pie plate or quiche dish.

Bake 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with Triscuit crackers, fresh veggies, or tortilla chips.

MAKE AHEAD: Most hot dips can be assembled in advance. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hrs. Bake uncovered as directed just before guests arrive, increasing the baking time by 5 - 10 min. to ensure that the dip is heated through.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Bossy Girl

Kenna loves to command the playtime, telling Brooks and other children what to do, what to say, where to go, what to touch...she's more than a little bossy! Last night in the car she was putting an imaginary doll to sleep, and apparently we were all being too loud and the baby couldn't sleep. She informs us LOUDLY (Brooks, making noise, Brian and I in conversation) "You better be calm down guys or you be get a smack bottom" We just looked at each other! A smack bottom? She is just so hilarious sometimes. As an aside, of course she always gets in trouble for such bossy behaviours. But it really is just so funny that I can share on here without her knowing we're laughing! What will I do when she can read? :-)

Monday, November 3, 2008

Hockey Fans

Brooks woke up from his nap and watched hockey with Daddy on Saturday. I was amazed that he actually watched it and didn't get up and run all around (typical). Manly bonding I guess:-)

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Man Hunt

Last night, we had a Man Hunt at the mall with the youth group. It was so fun! This is the 'motley crew' of people in disguise. It was so perfect that it was Halloween because LOTS of people were dressed up...made it hard to spot them amongst all the other weirdness. Trick or treating at the mall is very popular for kids, and there are some adorable costumes out there. Kenna was funny, she really caught on to the trick or treat part and gathering candy from every store we passed. "But Mom, I don't have a basket!" she noticed that the other kids all had something to collect their loot and was feeling a little left out I guess. I had to explain we weren't really there for Halloween.

For those that know them L-R Tom, Chae, Ryan, Mary, Teresa, Dave, Dessi (Hillary Clinton!), Jason, Alyosha, Michelle, Amy...they were all very hard to spot.