Out of their shell

Treats are good- The Boys would agree!

The Next Generation getting ready to watch V

Ikea - Friday Night!

Patricia told the wife that she was going to IKEA since they have free dinner for the kids. Since we are in the market for a new couch for the family room we thought we would check it out. After all, they also have 45 minutes of free babysitting. So, we headed down to Red Hook for a quick visit that quickly turned into three hours.

We dropped the kids off at Ikea babysitting. Alexander opted out for 10 minutes then wanted to go and we obliged. We were able to check out the empty IKEA, scope out leather (or pleather) couches, and didn't have to entertain the kids for almost an hour.

The store is like every other IKEA in the world, but there is something about the experience when the store is virtually empty. We bought a couple of new beer mugs and new beer glasses. Checked out some sofas. Decided on some throwaway silverware. All I can say is 45 minutes goes by fast.

Dinner at Ikea is ... lets just say stick with the meatballs. I got pasta, sauce, and meatballs. The meatballs were good but the pasta sucked and the sauce was ketchup with oregano. The kids said the Mac and Cheese was gross and concurred on the pasta. The apple juice and chocolate milk passed muster. We ended up buying 2 hot dogs and a pretzel to fill up their empty stomachs. The wife liked her meatballs and mashed potatoes.

We then went through the store again with the kids doing all the things kids do:

- Jump on all furniture

- Touch everything that is fragile

- not listen

- Ask multiple times when we are going home and then running away before you can answer

At the end of the night I was impressed that we burned through 3 hours painlessly, the kids did not watch TV or play video games, and the wife and I were relatively calm. I think I found a place to go on cold winter nights.

Posessed to Skate

RCKR and Chapush-ska

Cortelyou and Rugby @10:48 am

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Now playing: The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
via FoxyTunes

Spring has Sprung

Dorchester Rd. Friday Afternoon

Snow is melting, the air is warmer, dogs are even getting into the outdoor action, and the kids (at least my kid) think it's time to shed the winter coats. Not so fast kiddo!

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Now playing: Adolescents - Where The Children Play
via FoxyTunes

Living on Rugby Road for 2009

As we enter the last year of the first decade (or is that next year) I am amazed how time flies. Just 9 years ago we were booking our wedding and getting engaged. Now we have three beautiful children. We get to spend lots of time with them and each other. We bought a great house. So, I have some simple wishes for 2009:

For the wife, a Real Estate Boom!

For Dylan, Keep getting smarter!

For Alexander, a return to Pre-School!

For Ryan, don't stop being the happiest kid in our family!

For Me, Nothing cause I wouldn't change a thing about my life (though losing a couple of pounds might be nice (Note: have to start eating well and start exercising again)).

The December Birthdays

Are you one... are you two!









Ronan and Dylan's Co-Birthday! Are you one... are you two ... are you three ... are you four ... are you five ... are you six!

Thanksgiving...

The wife's cousins and the next generation hanging out after a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner. Dinner via Grandma and Jajoo, Appetizers via Mema and Great Grandma, and patience via Mom and Dad.





This is the new headquarters/ Ryan's room. I changed it around alittle bit the day after Thanksgiving.






One day this kid will hate or love Piano Lessons.








Triple G, Mema, and Stan the Man!

Halloween! The Reddish League of Super Heroes!

This year was a bit different. The wife likes to brag that our kids asked us to dress up. The real story sounds a little bit like this:

Mommy: Do you want Mommy and Daddy to dress up for Halloween?
Number One Son: What? I'm watching TV
Mommy: Don't you think Mommy and Daddy should dress up for Halloween?
Number One Son: Can you get me some Chocolate Milk?
Mommy: I asked you a question.
Number One Son: I said please
Mommy: No! What do you think Daddy and I should dress up as for Halloween!
Number One Son: Supergirl and the Flash, now can i have some chocolate milk?

Now if you take my version and the wife's version-- mix them together-- you get an idea of what actually resulted in the picture above.

The Feral Cat "Neuterer"

This Saturday morning I woke up at my usual time—6:30 AM. While this is a typical Saturday morning for a mother of three boys, this Saturday morning was devoted to wrangling our feral cat population instead of my three sons. All the neighbors were involved and everyone agreed not to feed the cats the day before. I prepared all the traps and waited for my neighbor Sharon to help me out with the trapping. A cat walked into my driveway smelling the food that I had laid out. She was hungry after a day without eating. I decided to set the trap and sure enough within 30 seconds-- I caught my very first cat. I thought to myself, “this is easy.” So, I got on a roll and caught five more within the next 30 minutes. Needless to say I was pretty impressed with myself. Even my skeptical husband was shocked. When Sharon joined me, we caught three more for a total of nine.

Later that morning over on the corner of Argyle and Ditmas-- Andrea started her trapping. She caught two pretty quickly and then a third one a little later on. Andrea had two traps left and our goal was to catch the black male cat. As my son Alexander refers to him, “The Daddy”. She called me later to say that he had walked into the trap but was smart enough not trip the trap and walked out. Sunday is another day.

Seeing how easy it was, my other neighbors Beth and Svetlana, set another trap. They caught the same cat twice. This cat had already been fixed. They moved the cat and we caught another female. With no more room in my garage, I brought this cat to Andrea. Unfortunately she was a smart one and got out. Those are the breaks.

For the first evening feeding, we discovered we had a nursing mother. We did not know where the kittens were so we had to set her free. One days work and we had eleven cats. Our goal is fourteen cats.

Education

Dylan is well into his second week of First Grade. On the heels of that another milestone has passed. As previously mentioned, Alexander and Ryan also are starting school.

Alexander today started Pre-Kindergarten at Lolek I Bolek. Did he cry? Carry on? Resist as only Alexander can? He cried, but in the end was carried into the class by his teacher Doletti. A call at mid day found that Alexander was doing fine.

Ryan today started home pre-school. Alexandra took the first two weeks and Ryan did fine. To think, only 16 more years and Ryan will be off to college.

Schools In!

Dylan started first grade on Tuesday.
Alexander starts Pre-K on Tuesday.
Ryan starts home pre-school on Tuesday.

The kids are growing up...

Alexander Turn's Three

Alexander turns three. We had a small family party at the Beach Club and then this morning we had a short but sweet party in the yard. We got a large bounce jumpy thing for the kids which they all loved, and had some cup cakes. Then rain, then hail and we all ran into the garage. The two car garage does come in handy for something.

One Year

It's been one year in the house and I like to think I avoided the first year blues. Here are a few upsides and downsides

Upside

- The greatest wife and kids a guy could ask for...
- A great house in good condition
- Great Tenants
- Creative Lease Options
- Lots of space
- A brand spankin' new kitchen

Downside
- No air conditioning in our bedroom
- Mice
- Mosquitos in the backyard
- Backed up Sewer lines


So at the end of the day only vermin and modern convenience's have encroached on my happiness. Living on Rugby Road!

The Wife Hits the Airwaves!

After a little delay Alexandra's 90 seconds fame was aired on ABC's Eyewitness News. This Old House has rated our very own neighborhood as among twelve best places to buy and old home in the United States. That alone has me feeling a little bit better about our investment. The feature on the This Old House website and the August 2008 print edition of This old house has generated coverage from the NY Post, Brooklyn's Channel 12 and Channel 7 Eyewitness News. Sandra Bookman came to interview Mary Kay aka Great Grandma, Alexandra showed her a house in Prospect Park South and Ditmas Park West and Sandra also interviewed Dana Sclar from Ditmas Park. Most of Alexandra's airtime focuses on the house in Ditmas Park West. The children and I are very proud of their mother aka Alexandra aka "The Wife". Until we have a video that we can embed on the site you will have to head over 7online.com to check out the video. Click here.

Disney World

So the whole family and the in laws went to Disney world for a week.
Uncle John dog sat my father in law's dog and Six Pack aka Gordon, painted our stairwell. The stairwell was painted the same color, Hawthorne Yellow by Benjiman Moore.

Disney World was an adventure and was 5 days of non stop park hopping. Needless to say we will not go till Ryan is 5 years old...