"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? 

Our Top Ten Memories of our Christmas Vacation

Our Seven Best Memories of our Christmas Trip to Florida:

1.  My best friend, Candace came with us to Disney World! I'm glad we're still friends after she braved the 11 hour car trip from Virginia to Florida with us.

2. We went to Disney World for the first time! At 5 years old, Micah and Benji were the perfect age to be perfectly enchanted with everything Disney.  

Our family at Cinderella's Castle. I wore Silas in the wrap for the first half of the day and Candace wore him for the second half.

Even Silas got in on the Disney Fun! He slept the WHOLE DAY in the wrap! YEA!

We had a blast doing all-things-boy:

Meeting Buzz Lightyear, laughing it up at the Monsters INC show, getting major whiplash and laughing our heads off while the boys drove on the race car track, riding the spooky Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and taking the boys on their very first roller coaster: Thunder Mountain Railroad. 

Surprisingly, Micah (our often timid son) LOVED the "crazy train" (as he called TMR) but our crazy-Benji thought it was a little scary.

Meeting Buzz Lightyear! The boys LOVED riding the Buzz Lightyear ride as well!

3. A definite highlight was spending time with family, especially seeing M and B spend time with their cousins, Charlotte (5), Naomi (3) and Heidi (8 months) for the first time. 

Charlotte, Micah, Silas, Benji, Naomi, and Heidi

Christmas Eve: Our Family with Aaron's sister's family (Brittany, Jared, and girls)

Charlotte, Micah, Benji, Naomi

All four of the big kids loved playing together and "Char-lick" didn't mind that the boys couldn't pronounce her name. 

4. Although we spent the majority of time with Aaron's HUGE family (one family party boasted of 60ish Mengs), we also spent a few precious hours with my grandmother, Nonnie. 

She loved snuggling with her newest great-grandson. In fact, she did this instead of eating. 

Grandmother, Grand daughter, great-grandsons

Precious memories

 And I learned that my own great-grandmother, Elise May Long, had my shared interest and talent for writing and radio drama! Who knew?!

5. Another special memory was spending time with Angela, Aaron's older sister. She lives 5 minutes from Jacksonville Beach so the boys got to see the ocean for the first time! To them it was the greatest puddle ever (!) with an endless supply of splash-makers (shells) for throwing in the water. 

6. We spent Christmas Eve relaxing with just our family at the camp we were staying at. We had fun throwing rocks in the lake, looking at deer tracks, trekking through the woods, helping the boys climb through a rope maze, and napping. 

Silas turned 2 months old on Christmas Eve too

7.  Christmas morning was magical when the boys realized that "Santa came!" by witnessing that the cold hot chocolate and (rather dried out) dinner roll they left for him (hey, we didn't have cookies or milk!) had been drunk and eaten. Score one for Santa (and Mommy)! 

Our Top Three Not-so-awesome memories:

1. Getting a flat tire on our way home from Disney World. While we were stranded for 1.5 hours, Silas decided to have his first scream-fest. Thankfully, we got FREE help from the turn-pike serviceman. Thank God!

2. On the way to take Candace to the airport, Benji told us he had to pee. Of course, we JUST passed the rest stop. We asked him if he could hold it. 

"Nooooo! I can't!" he assured us. 

"Oh, yes! you can!" We assured him. 

Guess who was right? 

20 minutes later we hear: "I just peed" followed by a contented sigh from the back seat. 

Lesson learned. 

(Poor kid had to sit in his soaked pants for the next hour while we got to the airport and I frantically searched for size 5T pants in the airport mall. Thank you, Universal Studios Store for stocking $20 SpiderMan pants for my kid). 

And the next time he said "I have to pee!" from the back seat? You better believe we pulled over and let him do his business on the side of the road. 

3. We did a TON of driving. We put 1800 miles on our new car. Whew. 

Our Three boys: Benji, Silas, Micah

Overall, we had a great trip and Christmas in Florida but we are glad to be back home in Virginia. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Meng's!

DiY Peplum Shirt: Tutorial!

Peplum tops are so popular right now! With a cute little ruffle bottom, what's not to love? A peplum top is flattering too, especially for me since I am 7 weeks postpartum and have a *bit* of a tummy right now. 

Here is how to refashion a large maternity shirt into this cute top!

You need:

 An oversized maternity top (or any other large and long shirt)

First, cut off the bottom of the shirt 1 inch below your natural waist

Lay a shirt that fits you well over your large top. Cut sleeve to length if you want shorter sleeves. 

Fit your shirt with pins by using the smaller shirt as a pattern. Be sure to leave a seam allowance!

Sew along the pin line, removing pins as you go.

Try the shirt on and adjust if necessary.

Trim excess fabric.

To make the peplum, take the bottom of the shirt (the part you cut off) and sew 1/4 inch elastic (cut to the measurement of your natural waist) to the raw edge of the peplum

Use the stretch stitch on your sewing machine (the broken zig-zag above) to sew the elastic. 

Stretch the elastic as you sew to gather up the peplum.

Next, turn the shirt part right side out and put the shirt inside the peplum so right sides are together. Pin generously, stretching the elastic as you go. Use the stretch stitch again as you sew along the elastic a second time, joining the shirt and peplum together. 

Hem sleeves (if shortened).

Turn right side out. 

DONE!

The finished product!

Even cuter with a belt or bow! 

This was a fast project and I think the results are pretty cute! Enjoy making your own peplum top!

Three reasons why I love using cloth diapers

My little guy, Silas, is six weeks old today and just started using cloth diapers full time with him this week. Thanks to some generous friends, we we able to use disposables for his first weeks but that stash is practically gone so cloth it is! I used cloth diapers with my twins 5 years ago until they were potty trained but I had forgotten how much I liked using cloth. Here are 3 reasons why I love using cloth diapers: 

My current stash: All-in-ones on the right and my homemade bamboo prefolds and covers on the left

 #1 I don't have to worry about running out

When using the disposables over these past 6 weeks, I was very aware of how quickly the bag was emptying. I would even get annoyed when Silas would poop as soon as I put on a clean diaper. "Geez, kid! that was clean! Let's keep it that way for at least an hour, k?" 

With cloth diapers, I can just run a load of laundry instead of getting irrationally angry with my newborn. ;)

 #2 I can change him as much as I want to

This reason is related to #1, of course. Because I'm not worried about running out, I can change him as much as I want to without worrying about throwing "x amount" of money in the trash with every change. I once heard a parent confess that they only changed their (older) baby twice a day because diapers were so expensive. I really felt for this parent because I know all about tight budgets. With cloth, I know that I am getting my money's worth out of the diapers and I can change my baby every hour if I want to--not that I'm in love with diaper duty, but hey! I have the option. 

#3 Cloth diapers are SO cute on my baby!

Ah-dor-a-ble!!  

DIY Felt "Paper Dolls"

I loved paper dolls when I was a little girl. The only problem with paper dolls is that you have to be really careful with them so that they don't rip. Wouldn't a "no-rip" paper doll be great? Enter the Felt "Paper Doll"--the perfect paper doll for little girls with little hands. 

Shhh! This doll is for my 2 year old niece, Taegen. She is traveling to my house in Virginia from Kansas with her parents as I type (so I have no worries about her--or my sister--seeing this post before she gets here). 

Want to make your own? here is how I did it: 

Draw a doll figure. I like to make the head a little bigger because that is how little kids look--big noggins, ya know?

This was probably the "hardest" part (and not really hard at all, even if you think you can't draw). 

Here is a tip: free hand draw and then fold the drawing in half length-wise and cut out. That way, your doll will be symmetrical. 

Next, trace the doll in black marker on another piece of paper. 

Now to draw the clothes.

Lay another piece of paper on top of the marker drawing. 

Use the doll template to draw clothes right on top! 

A shirt....

A dress? Pants? Skirt? Ballerina tu-tu? Whatever you want! 

By drawing on top of your marker drawing, you can make sure that the clothes will fit the finished doll. 

I actually cut two doll shapes and hand sewed them together to give the doll a little more stability. Hot-gluing two doll shapes together would work well too.
I also hot glued the hair (which I drew using the marker template as well) and underwear on (don't judge me for the huge man-panties on this doll...I'm not perfect...)

I made the face with embroidery thread but hot gluing felt eyes and mouth or even drawing a face would work too. 

Next, use your clothes patterns to cut out clothes from felt. 

Skirt and shirt!

Shirt and pants!

Little red dress? Yes, please!

Ballerina tu-tu? Adorable!

Go wild! Cut and coordinate lots of outfits. Felt sticks to felt so making the cloths out of felt will ensure that your little girl will have hours of fun putting clothes on her new little friend. :) 

I hope my niece loves her new "paper doll" and I hope your little girl will love her's too! Make one today!