Alexander's birthday was yesterday. Our little boy is now nine years old! Nine years ago yesterday, I was in the hospital in Tulsa, OK, seeing my precious first born for the first time. He was our first miracle baby, the one three doctors told us would be so hard to conceive, and now he's almost in the double digits, and I can't believe it. He is so big and capable. When he dresses up for church, he looks like such a little man in his dress pants, shirt and vest. He sometimes puts on his tie, and the picture is just too much! He requested that we go to our local Mongolian Barbecue place for dinner, and I made him a carrot cake wth cream cheese frosting. We bought him a remote control hovercopter, which he has been playing with in every spare moment. It turns out that it scares the bejeebers out of Jerome, though, and he had to be held and comforted the entire time it was flying last night.

I have been really bad about posting my birthday lists this year, so here is Alexander's:

Nine Things That Make Alexander Great

• 1. He is the most empathetic child there is.


• 2. He still holds my hand when we cross streets or parking lots.


• 3. His smile lights up the world.


• 4. He changes baby diapers when he notices they need tending and we're busy with something or someone else.


• 5. He loves learning, and sharing what he's learned.


• 6. He is so excited about reading that he'll read just about anything, and reads stories to his younger siblings, but still likes having story time himself.


• 7. He thinks that anything we make here is better than something you can get or buy somewhere else.


• 8. He has good manners and makes us look good when we are in public.


• 9. He is content. It is rare to find him feeling jealous, unsatisfied or bored.

Happy Birthday Alexander!

On to the menu plan...

So, I made the ricotta noodles last week. I ended up increasing the cheese and salt and pepper. It was alright, but mostly the benefit of doing it in a crockpot was that I was able to leave it and take the boys to gymnastics while it cooked. It would have been better baked in the oven.

• Monday: Mongolian Grill, Birthday dinner for Alexander, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting


• Tuesday: Stewed Chicken and Brown Rice


• Wednesday: Tuna Tomato and Caper Pasta, Green Salad


• Thursday: Chicken Divan, Rice and Salad


• Friday: Eggs in Purgatory, Toast, Salad


• Saturday: Kielbasa and Sauerkraut with Apples and Onions in the Crockpot, Baked Potatoes


• Sunday: Enchiladas Blancas, Tomato Rice, Corn and Black Bean Salad

What is on your menu this week?

Labels: Birthday, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen