How Deep the Father's Love for Us

I loved this song the first time I heard it. Dan and I played it for communion at church today for the very first time. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I thought it was an appropriate reminder of just how unbelievably "vast beyond all measure" God's love is for us.

Here is the version of the song that I used to put on repeat. It isn't the greatest but the lyrics never fail to get to me.

Feed the Birds (and the little boy in the corner)

It only took the critters about 24 hours to eat up all of the bread that I put out. It was SO cold that this particular little bun was pretty stuck to the twig that it was hanging on.

A lovely female cardinal waiting for her turn at the feeder.

Meanwhile, Silas found a new little spot to squeeze into. I kept calling him Little Jack Horner although he was eating honey mustard pretzels instead of Christmas pie.

Feed the Birds

I always think of that song from Mary Poppins when feeding the menagerie in our backyard. An entire family of squirrels have a big nest in our backyard maple tree. They sound like elephants when they're chasing each other on our roof. At least three big rabbits live in the brush between us and the neighbors. I have a hunch that they were the ones responsible for eating away my rosemary and cilantro plants last year. There are too many birds for me to even name. The neighborhood cats frequent our backyard and porch as well (checking out the fine buffet of squirrels and birds, I'm sure). And the raccoons! We can't forget them. I wouldn't be surprised if some deer showed up in our backyard one day. It would certainly fit the vibe that we have going on.

What do you do with your stale hamburger buns? I figured I would try something creative this time.

Silas thought mommy was being so funny tromping around in the snow.

It didn't take long for the squirrels to find the buns in the peach tree. They were chomping away within minutes! I took these next two pictures through our kitchen window.

Happy snow weekend!

Muffin Tin Potato Gratins

So delicious and so easy! I found this recipe in the November '10 issue of Everyday Food. Thanks Martha!

2-3 Idaho potatoes
1 tablespoon of butter
salt and pepper
heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400*. Butter each muffin tin cup. Slice the potatoes VERY thin. Layer the sliced potatoes in the muffin cups, seasoning with salt and pepper every 3 slices or so. Pour 1 tablespoon of heavy cream over each muffin cup of potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes or until very tender (test with a sharp knife). Loosen gratins around the edges with a knife. Invert on serving platter or cookie sheet.

I baked mine for a bit longer (ok, I kinda lost track of time...) and the potatoes got a bit crispy. They were still lovely!

18 Month Check-Up

Silas had his 18 month check-up today. He checked out great! 32 inches and 27 pounds. His growth has started to slow down a bit putting him in the 50-75% instead of the usual 90% (which the doctor said was absolutely fine). Dr. Hayman also went through a questionnaire with me to see if Silas showed any early signs of autism. He passed every question! And by passed, I mean that he's perfectly fine and doesn't have autism. You know what I mean. :)

The doctor said Silas was average when it came to his language skills. While he talks a ton, he doesn't have many words yet. He calls Dan "Dada" and my dad "Pa." He says "key" for cat and squirrel and a combination of c and k sounds for Uncle Kevin. He says Pooh, cookie, uh-ooooooh and ticka-ticka-ticka for tickle. His first word was ball (around his first birthday) and "dog" followed shortly after. He STILL doesn't call me anything although he knows that I am "Mommy." Although he doesn't have an extensive vocab just yet, he understands a TREMENDOUS amount. We even have to spell certain things (mainly Veggie Tales, cheese or pretzels so as to not get things stirred up). Dr. Hayman was looking for 10 words by the time Silas hit 18 months and I think we're right around that number. His next check-up won't be until he is 2. By then he should have 20 words or so. I think he will hit that mark and exceed it. I can tell that he is really starting to comprehend the art of conversing. He tried for the longest time this afternoon to communicate which song he wanted me to sing. It ended up being his current favorite, the Belly Button song (from Veggie Tales of course). If you've never heard the song, you're really missing out. Silas even has some sweet new dance moves to go along with it.

Silas' First Haircut

First snip!

At 17.5 months, Silas was definitely due for a haircut. His wispy little hairs were a bit out of control. I had trimmed his little "wings" in October for our family pictures but the time had come for this Momma to let go of the little baby look and get used to the idea that well... Silas isn't a baby anymore! I couldn't believe the emotions that I felt during the days leading up to the haircut! Long time friend Kara Hubbard so kindly agreed to help us out and cut Silas' hair. Kara even came to our house! With the help of Silas' beloved Veggie Tales videos on youtube, Kara was able to get lots of snips in on the mesmerized little son. The only squirming that Silas did was when a favorite song would come on. After a little swaying and clapping, he would sit perfectly still again in his highchair. What a big boy! And just look at that big boy haircut! Cute cute CUTE!

Happy New Year!

This is how New Year's Eve will be spent at the Powers' home this year. Have a wonderful and exciting 2011!