Mommy actually cooks dinner!

I used to cook all the time. When it was just Eddie and me, I cooked 3 to 4 times per week. I used to make Garlic Pepper Beef, grilled chicken, enchiladas, chilaquilles, and much more. I can count the number of times I have cooked on one hand since Gracie and Luke were born. Since I have been myself with them for so long, I've been awful about preparing our own meals. I purchase frozen meals or we buy a rotisserie chicken, anything other than cooking the meal myself.

Since I am home for Spring Break, I decided to actually do some cooking. We went shopping the other day and I bought cilantro, onions, tomatoes, beef, rice, and a few other things. Today, while Gracie and Luke were at day care, I actually chopped the onions, cilantro and some garlic. I marinated the beef. I made my famous Spanish rice. Before I left to pick them up, I had a pot of my rice and sliced, cooked beef ready for us when we got home.

I picked up Gracie and Luke and headed home. While they were taking their babies for walks on the patio, I tried the food. I was a little worried because the rice did not seem to have the same amount of flavor I am used to and the meat was a bit tougher than I wanted it to be. I cut the meat up into small portions and placed it with sliced tomatoes and rice into their bowls.

After getting them to sit down, I put their bowls in front of them and watched to see what would happen. Without spoons, they started shoveling meat and rice into their mouths. I started hearing, "More. More. " just a few minutes after they started eating. They kept making happy eating sounds and Lukie did his Happy Food Dance in his seat.

I finally got them to use their spoons for a few bites, but they kept dropping the spoons and using their hands to put as much rice as possible into their mouths.

Three helpings later, they finally slowed down. They had orange all over their faces from the Spanish rice and Luke had rice all over his lap. They both picked up their bowls and tried to scoop the rest of the food into their mouths.

Forty-five minutes after I sat them in their seats (this is a record, I assure you), I stripped both of them down before I let them leave their seats and set them on their feet to go to the bath tub. They both walked straight there and waited patiently for me to turn on the water and to set them in the tub.

I would call this meal a success. Now, if I can only manage to do this again tomorrow and the next day!