Never Argue

...about math.....with an engineer.

"So, Mike, if I have a 9 x 13 pan and I want squares that are 1 1/2 by 1 1/2. How many servings would I have?"

Some math inside Mike's head....."About 54" (I think the answer was in the 50's).

"What?! I was thinking we'd get about 80!"

"Are you talking 1 1/2 inches by 1 1/2 inches or are you talking 1 1/2 square inches?"

"Aren't they the same thing?"

"No, 1.5 time 1.5 is different than 1 1/2 square inches."

"What?!"

We sat down and he explained it to me. It involved googling a scientific calculator and using the square root button and some to scale drawings but I think I got it.

"So," by this time my brain is working on fumes, "if I want 80 servings that are 1 1/2 square inches how many rows do I need to cut both lengthwise and widthwise."

Some math is involved so we could get the closest to 1 1/2 square inch pieces that we could. Can you guess the answer? 8 cuts lengthwise and 10 cuts widthwise. Yep, 8 times 10 makes 80.

Now, couldn't I just have started out thinking like that?

The Art of Sorting

I've just received a lesson in sorting legos from my wonderful husband and delightful son. Little did I know there was a method to the madness. Mike had these legos when he was a child so he had a step up on me.

• There is a flat piece box
• There is a slanty piece box
• There is a "cool" piece box (apparently coolness is determined by both Mike & Luke)
• There is a box for the "people"
• There is a box for "windows"
• There is a box for "blinky lights" even though they do not blink
• There is a a large box for "bricks" that also holds "completed vehicles"
• There is a box for large, flat, foundation pieces
  

I was thankful that we did not have to disrobe the people except for their "cool" parts (ie wrenches and light saber swords). Even we are not that meticulous.

And you wonder why engineers work "in boxes."

I have to say this though. When they play - it definitely all comes out of the box.

Sisters!

Can you tell they are related?

Abby in February of '05

Libby in October of '07

Both of them

Sitting Pretty

Libby is sitting up. What a big girl! She really enjoys being in this position now and it is so sweet to see babies sitting with their backs straight working at balance. She also cut her second tooth on Monday - one right next to the first on the bottom. Oh, it goes SO fast (until potty training starts that is).

Pies and such is my LIFE!

Hello, hello! Anybody ever ate a pie made out of cranberries? Well, today I made one. It is not as random as may think. I'm testing out fruit recipes for our church's annual Holiday Specialtea. So far I've tested: Grapes stuffed with Bacon and Cream Cheese, Pear Gorgonzola Pizza, White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, Lemon Square Bars, and today Cranberry Steusel Pie. All have been pretty good. We are trying for an eclectic mix - sample items that will be new for our guests. It is fun finding and trying new recipes. I am not doing this by myself. I have lovely friend who's gift is truly being organized and can she cook! And there are a host of other women who are helping as well.

Isn't it a pretty pie? I'd describe it as a cross between a rhubarb pie and a cherry pie. In case you do try the recipe in the link, I did increase the white sugar to 1 full cup and used pecans instead of walnuts.

9th Wedding Anniversary

Today marks 9 years of wedded bliss for us. I am so thankful for Mike and that God has placed together in life. Here is my gift to Mike - gotta love homemade gifts!

PS - To any ladies out there who may want this done for them - I'll do one for you in exchange for one main dish in the freezer ;)

Surprise!!

Friday afternoon, at about 4 o'clock, Mike calls and offers to bring supper home. I'd already gotten all the prep done for the meal I was making (recipe here - only I used butternut squash from the garden) and the rest of the meal was going to be very easy to put together. I said that he didn't need to do that but he said he really didn't want to do dishes. We discussed it for several minutes and finally decided that I would cook as I had planned instead of keeping the meal for Saturday night.

The meal was really yummy - just like my favorite dish at Biaggi's! At the end of it, I said that I would do the dishes and asked if Mike could plant the evergreen tree we had purchased on sale the week before. He said that he really didn't want to get dirty that night. Now, I'm slightly annoyed. He doesn't want to dishes and he doesn't want to get that tree planted! Grrrr. But then, he slips this envelope in front of me. I open it up and there are two tickets to the Newsboys concert that night! I had really wanted to go but didn't really think it would be possible with the timing and feeding Libby. Well, we made it possible and Mike had lined up a sitter and everything. So in the next hour we did some straighting (including the dishes) and I got ready to go. Then we "rocked" out at the concert. Thank you Mike for the early anniversary present!

All The Same

LOL - I feel like all the pictures I post of Libby are the same smiling face but hopefully you can see how she is growing and changing. She cut her first tooth late last week - the front bottom right. I have a feeling that more are coming soon but time will tell. She also has starting "talking" saying "baba." She's so cute when she's saying it though because she uses this light breathy tone. Obviously, her screaming, squealing brother and sister have much to teach her in that area. She is starting to sit unassisted for brief moments of time - she's growing so quickly!