Messy Baby and Banana Boats

A few nights ago we had pasta for dinner and as I have said before Eliza is refusing baby food now, so when I am making dinner I have to keep in mind what she is capable of eating too.

We all had chicken and broccoli with our pasta and she just had pasta with sauce and some broccoli on the side.

Can you tell she loved it?

I dread the day when she realizes I am not really a good cook. I mean how hard is it to heat up a jar of sauce and boil some noodles?

You see how she keeps her focus on her brothers. They are her main entertainment. That is something else that one day she will realize they really aren't as fascinating as she thinks they are.

We received something in the mail this week, I couldn't tell you who it was from, but some kind of mailer and it had a recipe for grilled pizza and a banana dessert. So today during my lunch hour I headed out to the Walmart to buy stuff to make these recipes. Chris thought I was crazy.

I forgot to spray the grill with non stick stuff so the first pizza turned out to be mine.

Isn't that the way it works, mama always takes the scraps? When my pizza crust fell apart, Ethan told Chris I really needed to talk to Chef Boy R Zee, which is the theme character for Son Seekers this summer at church. The theme is "Get a taste of God's love" at Son Seekers Cafe. I happened to have seen Chef Boy R Zee tonight and he was very pleased the children are already taking notice of his little visits here and there before service starts on Sundays.

Not to worry though my pizza was awesome! Roma tomatoes and cheese. Next came the boys pizza. Theirs was pepperoni, of course.

Isn't he cute? He isn't flipping a big 12 ounce steak, y'all, it's a pizza. ha!

Chris even admitted that this was really good. The grill really gives the crust a smokey, crunchiness. I loved it. And so did baby!

But what came next was definitely the highlight of dinner. Banana Boats

I took 2 bananas and cut them long ways (with the peel still on) so that there was a good size gully down the middle.

Then the boys took marshmallows, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips and filled them full.

Looks good doesn't it? Just wait until everything is melted.

Onto the grill it goes. 10 minutes or so.

There. Pull the bananas out of the peel and enjoy.

Just ask him. I can assure you he didn't have couscous all over his face like this the other night.

You are probably thinking he is not for real, is he? Yes, he was praying for more.

Dear God,

It's me, Ethan. Can you please help mommy give me more banana boats?

No, sorry. Even God knows little boys shouldn't have too much chocolate at one time. But he was ok with it. He'll just suck on his fingers instead.

And finally, the boys are doing odd jobs here and there to help us because we (not we as in the Bordmans, we as in our church) are trying to raise $100,000 for the church to build a Village of Hope in Rwanda (I hope that link works) this year. They each have little banks that they are collecting money here and there to donate.

Tonight Owen asked if he could help with the dishes.
Hold on.
I want to make sure you heard me.

He asked if he could help with the dishes so he could have some money for his bank.

So Chris is explaining the finer points to washing dishes. We had to rush out the door so fast that I forgot to give him his money, but I think he may have earned $5 for this effort.

And finally, Owen has bad dreams occasionally and so before he goes to bed I tell him that if he has a bad dream he can wake up and pray to God and it will make him feel better. Who knows if he listens to me, right? I just told you earlier the boys have selective listening skills. Some may call this a finer trait to possess. I am not one of those people.

Tonight as we were driving to church Ethan started talking about nightmares and bad dreams and how he can wake himself up from a dream to make it go away. Owen was quiet taking in the conversation and then when the conversation got quiet he said "Ethan, do you prayer to God?" He melts my heart. He does listen to his mommy. He does! He does!

I hope your Wednesday was as good as mine.