sarcasm...understood

I can't remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did yesterday. 

The kids for the most part were playing really well together until Hayden got mad at Layla and clocked her in the forehead with a toy Nerf gun. I was was organizing Layla's closet. 

 (I got each kid a "sweater shelf thingy" to label clothes for each day of the week...I'm trying to avoid all drama in the morning before school.)

I heard crazy screams and crying coming from the playroom.  I ran in there and Layla was in a puddle of sobs on the floor.  Bless her heart...I thought she broke her arm.  Good grief.  Anyway, Hayden immediately told on himself.  "Mommy, I hit Layla face." You know the toddler speak, a string of words all strung together.   

So you know the drill, band aids make everything better.

Especially when they match the dress she is wearing.

We just went on about our day, we had lunch...

Tried to choke a few spoons.  What is that about?

And as you can see Hayden doesn't have a shirt on.  After lunch we were going to have a nap, but I wanted Hayden to have a shirt on for his nap time.  Layla was kind enough to go into Hayden's room and get him (what I thought was) a shirt.  I heard her say "Here is your shirt Hayden, do you want me to help you put it on?"  And I heard him reply, "No sissy, I do it."

I was cleaning the kitchen and not really paying attention to the goings on in the living room.  Hayden is really struggling to get his shirt on. I can hear his grunts and struggling. I dried my wet kitchen hands and headed to help him.  I found him struggling to get his "shirt" on and realized it wasn't a shirt at all.  It was a pair of shorts. 

I have always wondered if my daughter ever picked up on mine and Gary's sarcasm. Well I think she has.  She was sitting on the couch watching him struggle...laughing at him. 

I tried so hard to help him.  I tried to tell him that those are shorts, not a shirt. I brought him a shirt and he wanted no part of it...He kept saying "Sissy shirt" He wanted to put on the shirt Layla had given him, he is so innocent and totally trusted her.  I finally couldn't help it any longer.  I was laughing so hard...rolling.  My stomach hurt from laughing at these two silly kids.  Laughing at Layla picking on her brother.  I think she was paying him back for the forehead smack she received earlier. And laughing at his will and determination. 

Finally I told him it was nap time and he needed to get into his bed.  He stormed off with his 2 year old self, and headed to his room.  Struggling like crazy I got a shirt on him and put him in his bed.  And he was MAD!  He said,"Hayden MAT." (mad)  He was crying that he didn't want that shirt on.  So I stripped it off his body, kissed his face and shut the door.  Seriously, It was a beating.

When he woke up from his nap 2 hours later, he was wearing the very shirt that I had to take off of him.  It was on backwards, but he did it...Good job buddy :)

staying cool on a hot day

Last Friday we joined some of our friends at the Children's Museum.

We always have fun exploring and running wild in the museum.  This is the only picture I got of all four kids together...I was lucky to get this one :) 

I love to see the smiles and hear giggles from my kiddies.

Hayden was the perfect doctor to these two babies.  He washed is hands in the pretend sink and quickly went to work using the nasal aspirator, on the babies mouths.  I was cracking up...he was SO CUTE!!!!

How did he even know to do this?

My smiley chica...oh how I love her!

Hayden loved the water fun.  He was getting all the other kids soaking wet, but since the temps were about 105 no one cared. 

5 ingredient marinade and potatoes

I love steak.  I haven't always been a steak eater, but I am now, and I love the way Gary cooks steak.  In the 10 years we have been married his grilling abilities have gotten so much better.  We both have become better cooks.  We have had some major kitchen fails, but we learn from those mistakes.  We are the perfect cooking team and love to cook and bounce ideas off each other.

Watch out Neeley's...heehee!

Anyway, today I want to share my favorite steak marinade.  It can be used on steak, chicken, ribs, pork, brisket, or any other meat.  I like it the best on a good ole rib eye steak.

Gary is the meat cook in our house, so I don't have exact measurements.

Worcestershire sauce
Garlic Powder
Fresh cracked black pepper
Cumin
Lawry's season salt

Gary washes the meat nicely and pats it dry.  He then pours the sauce on the raw meat, sprinkles the other ingredients over the meat and throws the steaks into a gallon sized storage bag. After you get them into the baggie, mush them around a bit to get the spices all blended in and let them sit in the fridge for 3 or more hours.

I am not happy with the outcome of my steak photos, but you get the idea. 

The meat smelled so good I couldn't take another picture, I had to dig in.

Before grilling let the meat come to room temperature. 

I think the secret is in the grilling. There is an art to knowing how long to cook a steak...we have sat outside many nights with a watch trying to time it just right to cook the perfect steak.  Lots of practice.  And sadly that is why we rarely eat steak out at a restaurant. I would rather cook it at home the exact way we like it :)

That steak pictured above was so big.  I never eat a whole steak...I usually eat half and then we have leftovers for the next day.  The same with the potatoes and beans.  We always make more than we need and then use the leftovers for another fun creation the next day.

The scalloped potatoes seen above are fresh sliced new potatoes.  I slice them very thin in the food processor. Throw them in a grill pan with some lovin'...aka...olive oil, salt, pepper and half a sliced onion.  And Gary grills them too. After they are grilled I sprinkle them with shredded cheese. Yum.

We use the leftovers for breakfast the next morning.

This recipe is a post for another day, but it has eggs, bacon and leftover potatoes.  Lots of cheese and obviously topped with tomato and avocado. 

I love the weekends....Gary does most of the cooking and I get to watch and give my recommendations. All I recommended was that he hurry up and get it ready :)

mr. independent

Hayden is trying to do so many things on his own.

In fact, he objects to any help we offer him.  So instead of fight him, we just let him do things his way.

Including dressing himself.  He did pretty good with the shirt...it is on backwards.

BUT, he put his whole body in one leg hole of his pajama shorts.

And we just let him run around like that...ha!  IT was so funny.

We did fix it before bed time.

Got to wear shades

When I saw the weekly photo challenge theme at i heart faces was "Got to wear Shades" I knew I had to participate.  I just love this silly picture of Hayden.  He had gotten into my purse one day and put on my pink shades.  I laughed like crazy, and he did too.  He wa so proud of himself!  Luckily I grabbed my camera just in time to capture the hysterical moment.

You too can enter this photo challenge, just click on the badge above to visit the iheartfaces website.

 

single sentence sunday

this is what i found when i put Hayden in time out today.