Meal Plan 9/20-9/24/10

Updates: We like having fresh vegetables for our stir fry instead of frozen. The veggie enchiladas freeze and reheat well, but there are not many leftovers.

This Week:
Monday - Stir Fry
Tuesday - Spaghetti
Wednesday - Taco
Thursday - Veggie Quesadillas
Friday - Leftovers

I am not planning meals for Saturday since we have a birthday party that day and will try to go to a plate benefit for a local girl fighting cancer. (Many people/organizations down here will sell BBQ plates as fundraisers, which I did not see in Ohio.) Sometime on Saturday Alex will need his nap!

18 Month Stats

Alex had his check-up on Monday and is on track developmentally.
Here are his 18 month stats:
Weight: 26.6 pounds (He stood on the "big kid" scale!)
Height: 33 and 5/8 inches
Head Circumference: 19 and ¼ inches
(His pediatrician mentioned that it is normal to still have the “baby belly” at this age.)

Good news: Alex only needs one flu shot this year as opposed to four last year. Bad news: Alex has a double ear infection, but he is getting better.

one weekend 2 shots (September 11-12)

I bought my first real pair of running shoes on Saturday. I tested them out on Saturday evening, and they are great (light and comfortable). I could not resist wearing them to the grocery store on Sunday morning. They are only supposed to be for walking and running, oh well.


Alex seems to have figured out that carrying a bag means that you are going "bye-bye." He had fun playing with the reusable grocery bags on Sunday.

Seen and Overheard on a Saturday Afternoon

"Alex, the speaker is not a chair. No climbing, Alex. Get down please, Alex."


"Look Alex, this is your chair. This was Mommy's and Uncle Shrek's chair."

According to my mom the little rocking chair was one of their more expensive purchases for me as a small child from a craft sale. Thirty years later, I think that it was worth the $25.

The pictures were taken on 9/11/10. We were watching Ohio State football, which we do not always get to see down here. Go Buckeyes!

WWF

John coined the term "playing WWF" for when Alex climbs on us. This usually happens when we are playing in his room since it is both open and carpeted. Alex learned to raise his arms and flop on you, which add a dramatic effect. It was a coincidence that the night I took these photos Alex had on his pajamas that say "don't let my size fool you."

photos taken 9/9/10

Meal Plan 9/13-9/19/10

We are settling into a pattern with our dinners, but we are still experimenting with some little things.

Here is the plans for this week:
Monday - Veggie Enchiladas/I have dinner with some friends.
Tuesday - Stir Fry
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Eat on campus/I have an event that night.
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Pizza.

We also have some leftovers for lunches, which I like. The veggie enchiladas are frozen, so that will be a good test for some "make ahead and freeze meals". I like stir fry night because we eat more vegetables. This week I bought fresh vegetables instead of frozen. We'll see which one we like better.

Sitting in the Back of Class

We are about three weeks into the semester, and I am getting used to teaching a class. I still have so much to learn, but it is getting more comfortable.

Since it is a freshmen seminar, we are various speakers from university department presenting to the class. The first speaker came today and she was great. My favorite part was sitting in the back of the class and observing. We have a great group of students who are willing to be active participants in the class. They are getting to know each other now since they have three classes together as part of the Learning Community. (Yes, we do have one "serial skipper" who may drop the class.)

Speaking of class, I should go do some reading before bed. Tomorrow, I have more grading to do.

More thoughts on Home

I last wrote about home in July. Recently I have seen and heard things that make me think about home.

We have been listening to The Suburbs by Arcade Fire.

I recently saw a very cool video at The Wilderness Downtown. (It works much better in Google Chrome than in other browsers.) I was moved when I watched it because I have not been to my childhood home in about 20 months (approaching the 2 year mark). I know that the house looks and feels different now than it did when I was growing up there. Life has changed in many ways since I last visited. Alex has not been to Ohio yet. (I have mixed thoughts about traveling with a toddler...) We still have many ties to Ohio and will visit, but it is different now. (And that is okay.)

one weekend 2 shots (September 4-6), Labor Day Weekend

It was so nice to have a three day weekend!



We took an 18 month photo of Alex and Shrek. We had not taken a Shrek photo in a while, and it is neat to see how he has grown and changed.



I was able to take a walk around the neighborhood each morning this weekend with Alex. The weather has cooled down slightly, and it was quiet in the mornings. It was great to get in some exercise and time with Alex.

Meal Plan 9/6/10 - 9/11/10

It is a holiday weekend, so I am posting a little late. I was able to hold off my weekly grocery shopping until this morning. It was like I had two Sundays :) The only thing is that I have to be ready to teach class tomorrow morning, and it is our first class using the textbook.

Here is the plan this week:
Monday - Hamburgers (We grilled out for Labor Day.)
Tuesday - Stir Fry
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Spaghetti
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Pizza

This past week, I made a couple of recipes from The Pampered Chef. I was reminded that I should follow recipes more closely. The changes I made worked out but did not taste as good as the original.

I put together a dry erase menu board for our kitchen today. I used a 12x12 frame from Michael's, a 12x12 piece of patterned paper from Stampin' Up! and some American Crafts Thickers (my favorite letter stickers). I found the idea from the blog Make and Takes.

one weekend 2 shots (August 28-29)

I need to post about last weekend before the 3 DAY WEEKEND arrives!

Alex has been doing this randomly. I ask him if he is doing yoga.


I made vegetable enchiladas from this SOS cookbook, and they were a huge hit. I made them ahead on Sunday and froze half for another dinner. Alex kept asking for more (Mo?).