"Daddy said YES!" A story of miscommunication

You should always double-check your children's work when you give them a task to do. You never know how they are going to translate your directions. Take this morning, for example.

Setting: I am making breakfast. Aaron is in the shower. Boys are HUNGRY!

Me: Micah, go ask Daddy if he wants eggs.
Micah: ok! (runs to bathroom. Runs back). He said YES!
Me: Really?

A note of translation here: Aaron doesn't usually want eggs. I was asking to be polite.  I thought I should double-check by sending the other twin in.

Me: Benji, go ask Daddy if he wants eggs.
Benji: But I  want eggs!
Me: Yes, I know. Go ask Daddy if he wants eggs.
Benji: Ok! (runs. Runs back) He wants eggs!

I check the fridge. We only have 4 eggs and I need one to make dinner. Darn. I decide to tell Aaron that he can't have eggs. I go to the bathroom.

Me: Sorry, you can't have eggs. We don't have enough.
Aaron (from in the shower): I don't want eggs.
Me: What? Micah said you said "Yes" you wanted eggs.
Aaron: No, Micah knocked and said, "Can I come in?" and I said "Yes!"
Me: (laughing) And what about Benji? He said you wanted eggs too.
Aaron: Nope. Benji came in and asked if he could have eggs and I said, "Yes, of course!"
Me: Wow. (leaves bathroom)

And the moral of the story is If you have children, miscommunication is inevitable. Always double-check. Or in my case, triple-check.

Happy 3 Months, Silas!!

Happy Three Months, Silas Edward! You've come along way, baby! 

 Here you are, just a few days old. 

We were just getting to know each other. You were learning to nurse and learning to sleep at night. Now you are a great nurser and you are only waking up 1-2 times a night (as opposed to every 45 minutes when we took this picture).

 You are over 12 and a half pounds now! WOW! You are growing out of your 0-3 month clothes and have a few 3-6 month outfits that you fit in. 

 You have just started talking to your toys on your play mat. You can even reach out and grab your tiger! 

You also love music--but I knew that even when you were in my belly because every week at church you would jump around when we sang. When you hear singing or a CD, you stop and listen intently, stop fussing, or smile! 

 Even though you are only three months old, you already think your big brothers are the coolest thing ever! When they are jumping around, singing, or saying "Hi buddy!" to you, you smile and laugh! They love to blow flubs on your belly. You aren't sure what to think of this but Micah and Benji think it is hilarious! 

 You love your Daddy too! Whenever you hear his voice, you turn your head to look for him. You think his beard is kind of scratchy to your face but if you need to get to sleep, Daddy is your man! You love to rock, walk around, or get "the magic butt pat" to fall asleep. If all that fails though, you love to fall asleep nursing with Mommy. 

 You finally found your thumb! 

We were cheering you on, little man! It took a while but this week, you finally found the sweet spot. You hold your hand over your face while you suck. You also love to suck on your blue blanket, the one your great-grandmother made you.

When you wake up from your nap, you cry a little bit but as soon as you hear and see Mommy, you stop crying and smile! And you help Mommy out too by arching your back when she picks you up out of your bed. You know the routine! 

We took this picture today, Silas, on your three month birthday! 

You are SO loved, little guy, as your Daddy and I tell you every day. You are our smily sweetheart, our squishy little "Chubs." Keep growing, baby! We love getting to know you more each day. 

Sewing for Silas: Slippers!

I hate baby socks. 

Sure, they're tiny and cute. But they don't. stay. on. 

At all. 

The solution? Baby slippers! I had a pair of these little slippers that someone gave me for my twins (I never used them! In fact, I have no idea where I got them. Hand-me-downs?) but have loved them for Silas. The only problem? The original pair is too small now! 

So, I made some new ones today! 

I traced his foot and the original pair to make up this little pattern. 

And....

 ...they fit! YEA!

Silas (almost 3 months old) laying on the beautiful blanket knitted by my grandmother

 Happy baby loves his new slippers! No more cold feet!

And they don't come off without undoing the velcro! YES! 

Meng Menu + London Broil Recipe

Sunday: Broccoli Cheese Soup, bread

Monday: Pizza roll, salad

Tuesday: Sloppy Joes, baked fries, green beans

Wednesday: Asian marinated pork strips, rice, broccoli

Thursday: Cheez it chicken, mashed potatoes, kale

Friday: London broil, baked potatoes, salad

Saturday: Breaded pork chops, mashed potatoes/gravy, corn

Here is our menu for the week. I have been including London Broil in our weekly meal plans pretty frequently lately. It is a really easy meat to prepare and it is budget friendly too. I usually pay $6-7 for a London Broil that is a little over a pound. It feeds our family of 4 with leftovers. Here is how I prepare it:

London Broil

Let the meat come up to room temperature for around 30 minutes. 

Set your oven rack about 6 inches from top heating element and set oven to broil. Preheat for about 15 minutes or so until nice and hot!

Line a baking sheet with sides with foil. 

Drizzle London Broil with olive oil on both sides. Season liberally with Seasoning Salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Rub in thoroughly on both sides. 

Broil for 6-8 minutes on one side. Turn and broil for 5-7 minutes on the 2nd side. This cooking time will produce  a medium-rare to medium steak, depending on how long you leave it in. 

Remove from oven and let rest on a cutting board for 5-7 minutes so the juices won't run out when you cut it. 

Slice very thinly with a sharp knife and serve! We like to have this with baked potatoes (microwave!) and green beans or salad. Yum! The whole meal comes together in about 20 minutes. Delicious and fast! 

New Curtains! Before and After

Here was my DIY project yesterday afternoon: New Curtains!

(please excuse the blue painters tape. It's only been up for 5 years. We'll paint that wood one of these days!)

(Nice shot of our new Durango too!)

BEFORE:

I made these curtains in 2008 so they have been up for a while. I was ready for a change. 

AFTER: 

 I love the fabric but HOLY COW I paid and arm and a leg for it even though it was 40% off at Joanns. 6.5 yards of anything isn't cheap, I guess. Plus I fully lined the curtains with 6.5 yards of muslin to protect from fading. 

I love how they look! They really add a new dimension to our dining room. 

Yay for DIY weekend projects!

(I must give a shout-out to my husband, Aaron, who against his will (his will was to nap) graciously moved the curtain rod and hung the curtains for me. Love you!)

Meng Menu

Sunday: Chili

Monday: Fajitas

Tuesday: Hellmans chicken, parmesan rice, broccoli

Wednesday: Broccoli cheese soup, bread

Thursday: Beef and bean burritos, garden salad

Friday: Grilled cheese, chips, apples

Saturday: Waffles, fruit salad,  turkey sausage

I realized that I hadn't blogged about menu planning for a while. That's what having a new baby will do, I guess! Silas is 2 months old now so I should be back on my game, right?

Aaron asked me to make some more dishes with beans since they are a good low-fat source of protein. So I have chili and beef and bean burritos on the menu this week (tweaking some recipes from allrecipes.com). I am not a huge fan of bean soup but does anyone have a favorite bean recipe to share?