A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - extra curriculars

 

Activity of choice: ballet and tap

 

 

Activity of choice: gymnastics @ The Little Gym

 

 

Default activity: enthusiastic observer

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

 

 

Face what is before you with confidence and with a heart aligned with the One who knew your name before time began.  He sings songs over you and quiets you with His love (Zephaniah 3:17).  If you are brave enough to listen, you might hear the sound of your own name echoing back from the great I AM.

 

from Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole

by Angie Smith

BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

recipe from www.closetcooking.com

previously taste tested and approved by Melanie Makes

 

 

Our crew definitely favors comfort foods.  For the little lady that means Paula Dean's chicken pot pie after a busy day at school.  For the little man it's a heaping bowl of spaghetti with garlic bread.  There is something very satisfying about watching your family savor each bite of their favorite foods, request seconds, and leave the table with bellies bulging.  Admittedly, I have many favorites, but as of late I find that a plate of Mexican food feeds my soul. There's just something about scooping up fresh salsa on crisp, salty chips...

 

To kick off the weekend, I shook things up by preparing this alternative to traditional quesadillas.  The doc and I enjoyed the sweet and spicy combination of flavors, with a heaping side of Spanish rice, chips, and cold frosty brew.

 

Servings: 4

 

Ingredients:

1 package (10 inch) flour tortillas

1-2 cups Cheddar Jack cheese blend, shredded 

2 (+) shredded cups chicken, cooked and shredded (I used the white meat of a rotisserie chicken.)

your favorite BBQ sauce

1/4 cup pineapple, sliced or diced

1 jalapeno, sliced (red onion could be substituted)

cilantro to taste

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. With tortilla flat layer half of tortilla with cheese, chicken, pineapple, jalapeno, and cilantro.  Drizzle (according to taste) BBQ sauce over top.

4. Fold top half of tortilla over bottom.  Repeat.

(I spray each quesadilla with cooking spray for an added crisp exterior.)

5. Bake for 15-25 minutes until golden and cheese is bubbling.



Month Nine

 

As the baby of the family, the littlest is the recipient of many tender moments of affection and numerous words of affirmation. From the moment she wakes, she is enthusiastically invited to join her siblings morning routine as they shower her with gentle pats, pokes and kisses.  She soaks in all of the attention and joyfully responds with playful coos and celebratory claps.  And, in spite of our best efforts, she is constantly on the move, exploring the world around her, curious and adventurous.  She often can be found wildly banging her hands on the fireplace, searching for crumbs under the table, pushing objects across the kitchen floor or attempting to let herself out of the screen door.  She continues to be very flexible when on the go, but on quiet days enjoys taking two naps that average two hours each, and is usually in bed for the night by 7pm.  Favoring table food, she no longer appreciates pureed offerings of baby food, and often swirls them around in her mouth before playfully spewing them out.  A few of her favorite foods are bananas, wheat toast, cheese, blueberries, yogurt, and rice.  The little lady and man enjoy offering her tiny morsels off their plates at dinner time, and delight in watching her gobble them up.  I can't imagine her plump, baby rolls will disappear any time soon.  She continues to be very engaged in our daily activities with watchful and alert eyes.  Pleasant and cheerful, she has yet to meet a stranger that she didn't like.  What a joy it is to watch our spirited gal interact with others.  Each day she grows in expression, vocalizing her delight or displeasure of activities.  She continues to be family's joy, our littlest blessing.

It Must Be Said.

There are no shortage of words spoken in our household on a daily basis.  However, there are a few  that need to be documented before they are no longer (repeatedly) spoken. 
 From the mouths of babes...

 

 

- "Apparently ..."

(the little lady's daily attempt to analyze the world around her)

- "It appears that..."
(daily observations from watchful eyes)

- "I know you're going to say 'No,' but..."
(so many requests...so little time)
 

 

 

 

- "DA-DA, DA-DA-DA-DA-DA"

(shouted out in frustration, the littlest is quick to string together an angered slur of da-das when being cleaned after a meal as if she is cursing the very hands that clean her)

"Num-num."
(the. girl. loves. to. eat.)

- "What about me?"

(the little man's daily inquiry, identifying his place as THE middle child, and attempting to make peace with it)
 

"I do!"

(the little man's response to most invitations, taking any opportunity to spend quality alone time with a member of the family)

"Yep."
(agreeable and to the point, his chipper response to "Would you...?" questions)

"Maybe next time./Maybe later./Maybe for my birthday."
(his hopeful response to each retail request that is not granted)



A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - Backpack...check.



School's Cool

Oh, what a difference a few months make!  When the little man started school back in January, the transition left him a bit rattled.  Fast forward to now, and our confident, superhero-loving boy happily smiled for the camera, ready to embrace his life as an official preschooler.  He will attend Mt. Olive Christian Preschool this year, which came highly recommended by dear friends (who now reside in our old stomping grounds of Shaker Heights, OH).  Already, we can tell that this school environment will be a great fit for our little man, who is growing in height, personality, and charm daily.  As the girls and I took our seat outside his classroom awaiting his dismissal, my heart was full, as I anticipated seeing his sweet face.  He burst through the doors, smile wide, high-fiving his teacher's hand, his sister's and finally my own.  Reunited.  What a treasure these days are, filled with moments that I know will soon be forgotten.  But for today, I hold them in my heart, replaying each silly face, comment and boyish mannerism our little Joe displayed as he prepared himself to leave our home and walk into his new classroom.

 

 

"Jun...ie!"



 

Oh Joe, you have my heart.

 

Ready to meet teachers, Mrs. Zobel and Mrs. G.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - School life