de Jager boys

Playdate at Our House

2009-07-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was supposed to be a beach day, but the rain kept us inside. So we invited Logan, Darcy, Jules and Adelaide to come over and play at our house instead. We had lots of fun doing construction work with Logan, building towers for Darcy, and playing Playmobil with Jules and Adelaide. Hopefully we get together soon - at the beach!

Getting Oom Arie and Uncle Steven WET!

2009-07-07T17:02:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday afternoon Oom Arie and Uncle Steven came over and relaxed with us in our backyard. All the "boys" couldn't resist a good waterfight with the super soakers, buckets, and hoses, and Matt and Nik were full of giggles as they chased everyone around. We all ended up getting quite wet, which felt great on a hot summer's day!

Summer Photos

2009-07-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

We were excited to see the results of this summer's photo shoot with Nadine Inkster (www.nadineinksterphotography.com). Here are a few of the great shots.

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2009-07-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday we celebrated Mommy's birthday. The boys were too excited to wait until breakfast so we celebrated (rather early in the morning) in bed.
Of course there were presents but the cards with sound clips were the big hit.

After the cards were read, presents opened and birthday kisses given, we headed downstairs where Matt and Nik showed off the sign they had decorated.

Nik made sure that Daddy bought the right cake from the right baker and that it had just the right number of candles on it (he thinks Mommy is 9).

Happy Birthday Mommy, we love you.

Celebrating Canada Day!

2009-07-01T21:10:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrated Canada Day at the Surrey Canada Day celebration. Oma came with us, which was a nice treat. Both Matt and Nik loved playing on all the different bouncy slides and went down again and again. They also rode on the train and the helicopter ride, and Nik was brave enough to go on the rollercoaster again. He loved it! We ended with eating lunch while watching a juggler on the stage. It was a fun way to celebrate Canada's birthday. Special thanks to Oma for the new buckets that she gave the boys today - they make great hats!

Hanging out with the Cousins

2009-07-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our cousins came over to play, and all the boys had a great time hanging out in the backyard and playing together. Thanks for coming, Cameron, Joel and Tyler!

A Visit from a Chickadee

2009-06-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Matt walked into the house and said, "Look Mom, there's a birdie inside!" He spotted a little chickadee sitting on our chairs near the back door. Matt and Nik sat down to talk to the tame little bird as it hopped from chair to chair. Eventually, Dad took the chair outside with the bird sitting on it, and it flew away. Maybe we should remember to keep the screen door closed!

Sleepover in the Playhouse

2009-06-28T20:08:00.001-07:00

Last night Dad invited the boys to sleep out in the playhouse with him. Both boys loved the idea, and all three brought their sleeping bags and pillows "upstairs" and settled in to watch a movie on Dad's computer. Matt eventually came into the house and slept in his own bed, but Nik and Dad slept in the playhouse all night long!

The Slavik's New Pond

2009-06-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

This past week Uncle Norm and Aunt Sandy had a new pond, waterfall and stream installed in their backyard around their gazebo. We went there this morning for coffee and to check out the new water feature. Both Matt and Nik loved relaxing in the gazebo and eating their banana bread with Uncle Norm. They also loved checking out Uncle Norm's new "rocket" fishing rod and playing "restaunant" with Aunt Sandy's McDonald's playset. It was a relaxing morning in the sun!

Guess Who?

2009-06-25T20:24:00.001-07:00

Today at their last preschool day, the boys had fun decorating masks. Can you figure out which mask belongs to which boy?

Dinner with Gammy

2009-06-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went out for dinner with our special friend Gammy to the White Spot Restaurant. Both Matt and Nik were very excited to be there with her, and we had an enjoyable dinner together. It's wonderful to have special people like Gammy in our lives!

Father's Day Weekend

2009-06-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend we began our Father's Day celebration on Saturday with Dad. Since he was going to be travelling for business on Sunday, we got to celebrate with him one day early. The boys and Dad spent the morning together, traveling by truck over the new Golden Ears bridge, stopping for ice cream on the other side, and then coming back with the Albion Ferry. We love you Dad!

On Sunday we went to Grandpa and Grandma's for lunch to celebrate Father's Day with Grandpa. Matt and Nik had fun with their cousins, and got to fly a kite for the first time. It went well until Nik dropped the kite string and had to chase after it... but he caught it!

Then we went to Opa and Oma's house for coffee and to wish Opa a "Happy Father's Day." Matt and Nik showed off their new planes that they had received from Grandma, and they spent lots of time exploring and hiding in the blueberry bushes. It was a great Father's Day weekend spent with all the "fathers" that they love!

Foot Painting

2009-06-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we brought out the fingerpaints for the boys to try... only they didn't use their fingers! They began by painting with large brushes and had lots of fun mixing and squeezing out the paint. Then Matt decided to try painting with his feet, and that made him giggle until his feet dried and he got stuck to the paper. Of course, Nik had to try as well and laughed at the colours squishing between his toes. And how did we get them clean? We put them into a tub of soapy water!

Time with Oma and Opa

2009-06-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

Every Monday is an "Oma day" and every Tuesday is an "Oma Opa day" for the boys. Oma and Opa look after the boys while Mom goes to work, and the boys always enjoy themselves. Whether they are at Oma and Opa's house, exploring Mill Lake, or playing in the playhouse, they always have fun playing with Oma and Opa. And, of course, Oma always spoils the boys by giving them KinderSurprise chocolates - yummy! Thanks to both Oma and Opa for taking such good care of Matt and Nik every week!

The Golden Ears Bridge

2009-06-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was the official opening of the Golden Ears bridge, linking Langley and Maple Ridge. We went with the Slavik family to check it out. The boys enjoyed riding on a city bus to the event, and there was lots to see from the bridge deck. Now every time the boys hear about the bridge on the news, they get all excited about it!

Birthday Brunch

2009-06-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

Last week Uncle Norm and Grandma Vi celebrated their birthdays, so we invited them over last Saturday morning for brunch, cake and a party. Matt and Nik were very excited to celebrate with both of them, and we had a nice relaxing morning together.

Driving on the Carpet

2009-06-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

We've been redoing some of the floors in the house, including Dad's office and the living room, and last week we ripped out the old carpet in preparation for the new hardwood flooring. The boys thought it was fun to drive over the old carpet before we rolled it up. As you can see from the last two photos, the office and the living room look much different now with the new floors. The next step - decorating!

Off to the Dump!

2009-06-11T07:06:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday we went to the Delta Landfill for their Open House. The boys loved it, since it had all their favourite things. They were able to sit in some equipment, play in a giant sandbox, ride in a bus, eat a free hotdog, and take home some compost for the garden. It was a fun morning at the dump!

Baseball, Basketball and More

2009-06-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last week in Sports class the boys had the opportunity to work on their throwing, catching and hitting skills. The teacher let them hit the ball without help of the t-ball stand, and both Matt and Nik managed to connect the bat and the ball a few times. Logan was there to cheer them on as well!

A Chilly Swimming Pool

2009-05-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we set up the pool in the backyard. The water was very chilly, but the boys bravely stepped in and splashed around for a while. Next time we'll have to set it up and leave it in the sun to warm up before jumping in!

How to Spend a Sunny Day

2009-05-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

We've definitely been enjoying the sunny, warm weather lately, and today was no exception. We headed down to Crescent Beach for the Camp Alexandra Festival, and the boys enjoyed a summer treat from the ice cream truck. They also explored a fire truck, played in the playground, and picked up some new large bubble wands for the backyard.

Since the new grass has filled in, we brought the bouncy slide out of storage again. I had fun trying out the new camera as I was trying to get action shots of Matt and Nik jumping off the top of the slide!

And, of course, what day is complete without a few turns around the cul de sac on the go-carts or the new tractors? Matt and Nik love to play outside, and have spent at least nine hours outside both yesterday and today. It's great to have so much space in the backyard so they can enjoy the sunshine!

Fishing with Uncle Norm and Aunt Sandy

2009-05-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went fishing with Uncle Norm and Aunt Sandy. It was a beautiful, relaxing day and it felt great to be outside enjoying the sun. Nik and Uncle Norm caught the first trout, which they named "Murphy", and eventually Matt caught one as well. In the end, we took three trout home and enjoyed them for dinner. Now the boys want real fishing rods with reels!

Boys and Their Toys

2009-05-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Last week we noticed that the little green tractors for the boys were getting a bit small and the batteries were wearing out, so we found them larger, more powerful tractors. These new tractors have two gears and can go in reverse, and the boys love their new toys. They've even figured out how to "skid" with them - go fast down the driveway, then lift up your foot and turn sharply - it always makes them laugh!

Lieveheersbeestjes

2009-05-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

This past week Oma got a large box of ladybugs. She puts the ladybugs in her blueberry fields as a natural way to keep aphids and other pests under control. She gave a jar of "lieveheersbeestjes" to each of the boys, and we released them in the bushes around their playhouse. While both Matt and Nik enjoyed watching the bugs crawl around and fly, they weren't sure what to do when the ladybugs were crawling all over them!

Pillow Forts

2009-05-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

Today Dad and the boys created pillow forts with all the couch cushions. Each boy had his own fort, complete with a front and back door, and they spent a lot of time in their forts this afternoon. They brought in books and their sleeping bags, and made each fort into a comfortable place. Matt and Nik also spent their afternoon "rest time" in their forts and relaxed and watched TV from the comfort of the doorways. It was a fun activity on a rainy day!