Haircut!

Miles got his first real haircut today!  He had already had 4 trims, but it was past time to get a real cut.  We went to a place called Snip-its, and he did great!  Here's a before shot, some during, and the final product.  He is now officially the cutest 1 year old in the world.

Miles at 1 Year

 Height - 31 1/2"  (95%)

Weight - 22# 10oz (50%)

Head - 19" (95%)

Hide and Seek

Mama's Place on the Totem Pole

Gisèle, holding out a chocolate Teddy Graham from her snack cup:  "Daddy, here's one for you."
(Holding out another one):  "Daddy, here's another one for you."
(Holding out the empty wrapper, with a few crumbs at the bottom):  "Mama, here's some pieces left for you."

Superbowl Wings

Technically these are called Teriyaki Wings, but I've always called them Mom's Superbowl Wings.  They're a must at any major sporting event!  I usually end up doing them in 2 skillets since there are so many.

Superbowl Wings

4 lbs chicken wings (the little drumettes that you can buy in a bag)
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp sugar

-Brown the wings in a large skillet with oil.  Add the broth, soy sauce, onion, garlic, & worcestershire sauce.  Sprinkle with the sugar.
-Simmer for about 20 minutes, until there's hardly any liquid left.

What Our Dining Room is Really Used For...

Happy birthday to the love of my life.  I hope to celebrate many more with you, Jamie!!

Uh-Oh!!!!

Oh no!!  We're in trouble!  Jamie just spelled something so that Gisèle wouldn't know what we were talking about, and she interrupted him to explain the point further.  She understood the spelling.  We're in trouble.  What will we use for a secret language now!?

Mis-speaking

Gisèle eating a cupcake at her birthday party

"Hostible"  (Hospital)

"Diamond room"  (Dining room)

"Prinsome"  (Handsome prince = Daddy)

Trying to pronounce the name "Josiah":
*note: she doesn't know any of these words
"Magenta"
"Vagina"
"Messiah"

"Doda"  (Dora, said in a Spanish accent)

"Chicken Cheatin"  (Trick or Treating)

Butter Chicken

This recipe is one of the most popular on Tasty Kitchen.  The chicken marinates overnight, so be sure to plan ahead!  Also - this makes a lot.  You can feed 6-8 people, I think, with 1 recipe.

Butter Chicken


4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts (halves), cut into bite-sized pieces
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 lime, juiced
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup butter
1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 pint whipping cream (I used about 1/3 skim milk / 2/3 cream)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cups basmati rice (cooked)


-Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, coriander, cumin, and cardamom.  Mix together, then add the lime juice.  Pour this mixture over the chicken in a gallon bag, then refrigerate overnight.

After the chicken has marinaded:
-Saute the onion in the butter until it's soft.  Add the marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes.  Stir in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.  Cook about 30 minutes over medium-low heat, covered.
-Add the whipping cream and cilantro just before serving over the rice.

Cheerio, Old Chap!

He likes cheerios.  And avocados, carrots, wagon wheels, oranges, cheese, peaches, puffs, yogurt... just about anything, really.  Except for green beans and peas right now.  It's fun to give him his dinner, because he leans toward you as you hold something out for him.  He'll stretch his arms high into the air, like he's trying to lift himself out of his chair by sheer willpower, and then he'll bring his hands down to BANG them on his tray, because he's just too excited to hold it in.  He grins so big that his nose and eyes wrinkle up, and you can't see anything but cheeks and little gapped teeth, and then he just starts repeating his favorite word with increasing volume:  "da-da-Da-Da-DA-DA!"  He just gets so excited when he sees food coming toward him! 

He's 1 today.  My baby boy is growing up!  He's just a week or two away from walking, and is SO much fun to play with right now.  He doesn't just react now - he initiates games!  (Peekaboo, wrestling on the floor, reading books)  He loves to dance, and loves when I sing to him.  I can't believe it's already/only been a year!

Happy birthday, baby boy!

A Tea Party with Nana

Mom and Dad

 
It's official: We are now "Mom" and "Dad."

I thought we had at least a couple years left of "Mama" and "Daddy," but Gisèle switched things up on us a few weeks ago.  It's still jarring to hear her say it, though: "Hey Dad, you know what? Mom says that..."  I look at Jamie with a little (sad) smile and look of bemusement in my eyes every time I hear it.  We joke about her acting 13, but this new phase makes it seem a little more real.

How much longer do we have?  She's still mixes the teenager ("Hey, Mom...") with the 3-year old ("... I'm driving my ballerina car!") for now, but that's going to change.  Slowly but surely, the teenager side of her will take over, until my little silly toddler is just a memory.  I better take pictures while I can, and try hard to appreciate every aspect of her at this age - the tantrums ("I wanted to do it!!") and the sweet moments ("Mama, you're a princess and I'm a princess and Daddy is a prince and my Miles is a prince but he's a baby prince and I'm a princess like Cinderella with a byooootiful gown.")