Happy 6 months, Silas!

Happy 6 months, Silas! You are getting SO big!!

 

You weigh around 15-16 pounds. 

You are such a happy  baby! This is how you greet me every day when I get you up from your nap. You love your blue blanket so much. It is your favorite thing. 

 You are more cute than crabby though Mommy would appreciate it if you would START SLEEPING AT NIGHT and stop walking up and talking for hours. You were sleeping better at 3 months than you are now (you have been waking up 3-5 times a night! Sheesh, kid!) 

You are napping better though and usually take 2-3 solid naps a day. 

 Jumping is your favorite thing to do EVER! You jump every day. Sometimes you even fall asleep in your jumper. When we try to take you out to put you down for a nap, you wake up and 'say': "What?" I wasn't asleep!" ::jumpjumpjump::

 You are developing strong relationships with your brothers. Look how tiny you were at 10 days old! 

And look how big you are today! (You all love your blankies). 

Your brothers never fail to make you laugh. They are so gentle with you. You love it when they swing you in your bouncer (Mommy looks the other way)

Benji calls you "Buddy." 

Micah is not ignoring you as much and says, "I love you, Silas!" every day. 

 You can't wait until you can run with them! When they run by you, you bounce and lurch forward, wanting to play too. 

 Tummy time is a cinch for you. You are a strong boy! 

You sat up all by yourself on April 7th! You were so proud! You love sitting up and playing with your toys. 

You are starting to eat grown-up food. Forget baby food! You get excited, licking your lips and opening your mouth when we eat dinner every night. You love mashed potatoes, yogurt, spinach, salmon, pulled pork, and hummus (!). You don't have any teeth yet but you do a good job with tiny, soft bites. You are not a fan of bananas or applesauce (yet). Your tastes are adventurous!  We will be starting more regular meals for you in the coming weeks. 

You love your Mommy! You even give delicious, sloppy open mouth kisses at times. 

When Daddy comes home from work, you can't concentrate on anything else. You have to have all his attention, love, and hugs! 

You continue to love music and will stop crying immediately if Mommy sings to you, even if you can't see her. 

We love you so much, Silas! You are pure joy in our lives. 

Let's just start sleeping a bit more at night, ok? (yawn!)

Meng Menu + Recipe for Broiled Asian Pork Strips

Monday: London Broil, mashed potatoes, salad

Tuesday: Skinny Chicken Florentine

Wednesday: Pizza roll, salad

Thursday: Fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans

Friday: Spaghetti, salad

Saturday: Broiled Asian pork strips, rice, broccoli 

I have not missed the irony of having Skinny Chicken Florentine on Tuesday and Fried Pork Chops on Thursday. Maybe they will balance each other out. ;) 

Pork loin is on sale this week for 1.99 a pound! I always buy it when it goes on sale. I slice it up and freeze it; we usually get 5-6 meals out of a pork loin. Score!

Sometimes I get tired of just having pork chops though so I came up from this recipe that is delicious and FAST!

Broil Asian Pork Strips

Pork loin strips: I usually cut 1 inch pork "chops" off of the pork loin and then cut each chop into 3-4 strips length-wise. Cut as many strips for your family as you need. 

Marinade: 

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS apple cider or red wine vinegar

2 TBS brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste. I really like garlic)

Chili pepper or cayenne pepper to taste (chili pepper for milder palates) 

1 quarter of an onion, sliced or 2 tsp onion power (to taste)

Mix all ingredients except for the onion until combined. Add in onion and pour into a zip lock bag. Add pork strips, seal, and squish around. Marinate for at least 4 hours (overnight is better). 

To cook: Place oven rack 4-6 inches from broiler element. Preheat broiler for 5 minutes. Line a baking sheet (with sides) with foil (easier clean up) and place a baking rack on top of foil. Spray baking rack with cooking spray and place pork strips on baking rack. Broil for 7-8 minutes. Pork will be slightly caramelized on the edges. 

Serve with rice and broccoli or green beans. If desired, boil reserved marinade for 5 minutes until reduced and serve over pork and rice (make sure you boil to kill any bacteria from raw pork!). 

We love this recipe! It is so flavorful and fast. 

Enjoy!

How I lowered my expectations for "Fun" Mommy-hood

When my twins were babies, I couldn’t wait for them to be old enough to do mommy-kid activities. I wanted to finger paint, cook, play Memory and Candyland, snuggle and read for hours, and make happy, rosy memories with my boys.

When they were around 2 years old, inspired by the success of my mommy friends and the parenting blogs I adored, I excitedly laid out paper and paints, prepared elaborate craft projects, bought games, and borrowed books from the library. We were going to have FUN and be happy and laugh and I would take pictures and make photo albums of my happy kids and my happy motherhood.

Here’s what really happened:

The paints were a mess. The paper got soaked and ripped. The colors were mixed into a color that resembled a really bad poopy diaper. The art project took longer to clean up than the boys spent "painting."

My boys played “Ants in my pants” instead of moving their gingerbread men through Candyland. The colored cards flew all over the living room, joining the tiny demon-cherries from “Hi-Ho! Cherrio!” The homemade Memory cards were ripped and crumpled.

Cooking was a circus. Cups of flour were dumped on the counter instead of in the bowl. Eggs slipped and smashed on the floor. And one of my sons was so afraid of the hand-mixer that he ran screaming out of the room before it was even turned on.

There was no snuggling and reading for hours. My two year olds could barely sit still for one picture book. “Green Eggs and Ham”? WAY too long! I learned to flip through books at the library and throw back the ones that had more than 15 pages or 10 words per page.

This was supposed to be a "Two hours of FUN" box! not "10 minutes and I'm done" box

I was discouraged, depressed even. I was failing at Mommy-hood. Most days I thought: “Well, that was a fun 5 minutes. What am I going to do for the rest of the day? I guess I could start by cleaning up this mess.”

We made snakes with beads for 3 minutes one day. Then I cleaned up beads for the next 3 months

I wanted to make those special memories with my kids but every activity was either a failure or over before I could even snap a picture.

Plus I was going nuts and yelling things like “THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN! We are GOING to have FUN, OK???”

I was a real Fun Mom.

I eventually gave up. I lowered my expectations for Fun Mommy-hood.

We didn’t do messy craft projects anymore. I threw “Hi-Ho Cherrio” and the memory cards in the trash. I made cookies while my boys napped. We read “The Foot Book” instead of “Green Eggs and Ham.”

And this was the best thing I could have ever done. 

I discovered that the things I liked to do were not the things that my kids liked to do. The happy memories I had of coloring, playing board games, cooking sweets and treats, and reading on the couch with my mom for hours were not the same things that made my boys happy.

I had to accept that they loved running and wrestling, not sitting still playing board games.

I swallowed the fact that they weren’t interested in coloring or “making things.” And I realized that any craft that took longer to prepare or clean up than it did to make and play with was way overrated.

I still made them sit and read with me but we would read one board book instead of three picture books.

And when I did tackle that Pintrest Project from my “Fun Activities for Kids!” board, I learned to say “Well, that was fun!” after 3.5 minutes and really mean it.

So glad I have this picture because I think this is the only time they wore these adorable pirate costumes 

 Most importantly, I discovered that my kids are different from me and that is ok. And I learned that the best memories I could make with my children was not “doing things” together: it was seeing my boys happy, grins that lasted for seconds, not the “activities” that lasted for hours.

Meng Menu

Sunday: Broiled Asian chicken thighs, rice, broccoli

Monday: Shredded Pork tacos

Tuesday: Hellmans chicken, parmesan rice, green beans

Wednesday: Pizza roll, salad

Thursday: Sausage, Kale and pasta with lemon cream sauce

Friday: Out to eat

Saturday: Hamburger Sliders, baked fries, carrots and apples

I haven't posted our menu in a few weeks. I always make a one but I forget to post until around Tuesday or so....

Chicken thighs were on sale last week so I socked up and bought a tray of 9 boneless/skinless thighs for $3! Score! 

I also am using leftover Pork shoulder that I made last week. The pork was one sale for $1.49/pound and I bought a 7.7 pounder. I had never cooked a pork shoulder before and was a little nervous. But it turned out great! I cooked it "low and slow" for 7 hours at 275: 6 hours covered with foil and 1 hour without foil at the end. Delicious! We have already eaten it for dinner twice on buns with BBQ sauce. We still have a ton left so...tacos it is!

Finally, I have to give a shout-out to Thursday's meal: The Sausage, Kale and Pasta in lemon cream sauce. I made this a few weeks ago and it was SO. GOOD. I put it on my imaginary if-I-one-day-run-a-restaurant menu. Yum. 

Facing the Stereotypes: Our (GOOD!) Public School Experience

Scene: Walking home from dropping the boys off at school. I stopped to chat with a fellow mom.

Other mom: Hey there! Are you on Facebook?
Me: (thinking, Who isn't??? I LOVE FACEBOOK!) Yes!
OM: You should join our new group, the Perrymont Parent. It has the picture of the school as the profile pic.
Me: Awesome! I'll join.
OM: Great! By the way, we are looking for parents to write a brief note about their child's teacher, what you like about them, or whatever, to put in the school newsletter.
Me: I love my kids' teachers! I'll be sure to write a little something.

And I did. I joined the FB group and I spent 7 minutes composing a short love note for each Pre-K teacher for my twins. Because I DO love their teachers. I love their school!

I love their Public School.

And the fact that I love their Public School is a little surprising to me. Here's why:

As a former homeschool student, the prevailing thought was that all public schools were "bad."
Public school students were only "a number" in the classroom, would get lost in the crowd, and would therefore get a "bad" education.
Public school kids were a "bad" influence because of their "worldliness" and bad attitudes.
All the teachers were some combination of atheist/evolutionist/Marxist/liberal/lesbian/tree hugger and that was "very bad."

Growing up, I was deathly afraid of public school.

Fast forward 20+ years and I am much smarter, wiser, more logical, and less silly.

I also have twin boys who are school age.

Last year when I launched my blog series about Adult Homeschoolers, the drive behind the project was my overwhelming, agonizing, paralyzing decision about whether or not to homeschool or send my kids to public school (private school wasn't an option).

All those fears from my childhood were blunging my brain, making my stomach cramp, and keeping me awake at night.

So I dove into exploring my educational past, and the educational experiences of so many other homeschool students.

I talked the ears off my husband (who went to public school) and my best friend (who went to private school).

I accosted to every mom I came in contact with (friends, strangers--whatever!) who happened to mention that she had school age children and threw out that loaded question: "So, public school?....how do you like it? Have you had a good experience?"

And, amazingly(!), all of those moms who sent their kids to public school answered, "YES!"

I had to face my fears with Truth:

My husband, a product of that "bad" public school system, turned out perfectly fine. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, way better than "fine."

Through writing my homeschool series, I realized that I, as my children's parent, will still be the #1 influence in their lives.
I could still have a great relationship with my boys.
I could still teach them about God and having a relationship with Him.
I could still raise them to be respectful, grateful, loving men.

Even if I choose not to homeschool.

Even if I sent them to Public School.

So, we enrolled them in the small neighborhood Public School that is literally right across the street from us.

I nervously asked my husband, "So, what is registration?" and then filled out all the forms, crossed all the T's, dotted all the i's.

And they started school in August.

My "photogenic" twins on their first day of school

They loved it.

A few weeks later, I nervously asked my husband, "So, what is a 'parent/teacher conference'? What do I say? What do they say?" and then went to have a one-on-one with my sons' Public School teachers.

And I loved them.

They are wonderful women: kind, patient, creative, loving, and darn good educators. My children are learning so much in a loving, creative environment. My husband and I are constantly saying that each teacher is perfect for the personality and learning style of each of our sons.

During one of our parent/teacher conferences, I told one teacher that she had been an "answer to my prayers." She then shared about her relationship with the Lord. Yep, the PUBLIC school teacher.

The uncharted waters of Public School have been far from "bad." They have been good, so good for our family.

I do know that all the stereotypes that I encountered as a homeschool student were probably not completely unfounded. Many parents have had justifiably bad experiences with public school classrooms, teachers, and their child's peers.

However, stereotypes are just that: stereotypes. They are not true in every instance, or even most cases. And after our experience in the Public School system, I now take those stereotypes with a healthy grain of salt. 

As a former homeschooler, I am more than happy to shed my fears and add "Public School" to the list of viable options for my children as my husband and I continue to make conscience decisions about what is best for their education.

All Work and no Play...

I realized that it has been a MONTH since I have blogged. Eeesh!

I wanted to. I really did.

I also wanted to clean my house. And do laundry. And cook dinner every night. And go to bed at a decent hour.

But none of those things happened much in the past month or so because my work schedule was so. insanely. busy.

I somehow ended up teaching 4 online classes in the past eight weeks. That's right. Four ENGLISH classes. I had over 80 students who had some sort of writing assignment do every week, sometimes 2-3 writing assignments due each week. Whew.

But I posted final grades on Monday and am MOVING FORWARD with only one class for the next 8 weeks.

And hopefully lots more blogging on the horizon.

Thank God! Because all work and no play makes for a very dull blog. And life.

Meng Menu

Sunday: Frozen pizza (for boys)

Monday:  Salmon, rice, broccoli 

Tuesday: Taco salad

Wednesday: Chili, garden salad

Thursday: Pan chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans

Friday: Eggs, bacon, fruit salad

Saturday: Leftover Chili, corn bread

Is it just me or are grocery prices rising? I spent way over my budget this week: $164 BOO! I did spend a lot of coffee (Aaron and I have a taste for Starbucks coffee) and while it was on sale ($2 off each package) it still adds up. Plus I bought toilet paper. Still, it seems to be increasingly hard to keep my spending to $125. 

Then I think, what is my grocery bill going to be when I have two 17 year olds and one 12 year old??? AHH! 

Disorder to Order: A Mother's Divine Work

I hate cleaning. Some women find it therapeutic. I usually just find it irritating and discouraging. Because 2 minutes after the dishes are done, the sink is full again.

Fifteen minutes after the living room floor is picked up, it is full of blankets, toys, and socks. 

And, don't you know the rule about mopping your dining room floor? If you mop in the afternoon, someone WILL spill a full cup of kool-aid at dinner that night. 

Cleaning feels like my life is going from order to disorder, order to disorder. Constantly. 

Here is my livingroom at 11am this morning. My sink, countertops and kitchen table were also overflowing with dishes. Disorder in its full glory. 

Like many mothers, I struggle with finding purpose in the every day. "How is cleaning up those pointless messes actually promoting the work of Christ? Does this daily cleaning drudgery even matter to God?"

It is easy to wrap my mind around the fact that, as a mother, I am a giver of life, just like my Heavenly Father. After all, I carried my babies in my body and birthed them; I nurture my family every day with food. 

I readily embrace my God-given female vocation as life-giver. But cleaner-of-messes? Can that job be redeemed?  

It can. Not redeemed in the sense that I am super-happy about cleaning my house but redeemed in the sense that bringing order from disorder is an imitation of the work of God. 

God formed the world from an order-less nothing. 

He takes sin--the ultimate chaos--and replaces death with life. 

He constantly takes our out-of-control thoughts, emotions, and lives and draws us back to his truth and his heart. 

Again and again. 

So in my daily dish-scrubbing, sock-sorting, blanket-folding, laundry-lugging, kool-aid mopping I am imitating God's work by bringing order and peace back to my home. 

Again and again.**

 It took exactly 17 minutes for me to get to this "After" picture, including folding the basket of laundry that had been sitting in the living room for 5 days. Ironically, the basket was full of cleaning rags and burp clothes, a testament of how I, as a woman, wife, mother, must constantly bring order back to my home.

Order to disorder?
No.
Disorder to Order.
Again and again.

A Mother's Divine Work.

**Note: This was not my original idea. I read something like this on a blog many months, maybe even years ago, but I have lost the link. I hope, though, that by reiterating the thoughts of another, I can encourage someone else. I know I need this truth daily.

Meng Menu

Sunday: Fried Catfish, cheese grits, garden salad

Monday: Hellman’s chicken, parmesan rice, broccoli

Tuesday: Pizza roll w/ sausage and onions, salad

Thursday: Pork chops, parsnip and potato mash, kale

Friday: Bacon and eggs, hashbrowns, fruit

Saturday: Sloppy Joes, oven fries, green beans

Truth: eating healthy is more expensive. Hence, my grocery bill has been a bit high lately. This week I spent $142. :P Not what I like but if half my grocery cart is fruits and veggies, then it is worth it. 

We have been trying new veggies lately. Two weeks ago we had cauliflower mash. Last week, I made stuffed green peppers (we eat peppers all the time but I had never made stuffed peppers). This week, we are trying parsnips. I actually have never eaten a parsnip before so we'll see how it goes. So far, all of our new veggies dishes have been a big success! 

While Thursday is Valentine's day, Aaron does math tutoring on Thursday nights so we are going out on Sunday night. Yea! Looking forward to a date. :)