Food Thought

I browse the internet here and there to get food and meal ideas for my family.  It’s difficult to get quick and easy meals on the table especially on a week night so I try and get help through websites and blogs.  More often than not, I come across examples of  little animals or planes or cars or some other fanciful toddler attraction that is formed out of food.  All I can think of when I see these things is:

Who on this earth actually has time for that insanity?

I mean really.  A lion made out of pasta or a dinosaur made out fruit and vegetables?  I’m impressed with myself when I actually put J’s food on a plate instead of dumping it directly on his high chair tray.  I get the concept of trying to make eating fun but holy smokes people?  Are you actually a parent who came up with these ideas?  If so, where do you find that time and energy because I would certainly like the coupon code for that.   Some look like you need a degree in modern architecture or engineering to execute.  Slicing a hot dog to resemble an octopus is something I could do because it takes little to no effort or time.  I’d be slicing that hot dog anyway.  Making a sandwich into a turtle emerging from the ocean? No.

My other thought is do we really want our kids to associate eating with playing or have their food resemble toys?  Food is meant to be eaten.  It just seems like more trouble than it’s worth because the food tastes the same.  I suppose it’s fun for a kid to bite off the ear of a bunny rabbit or actually have an “airplane” fly into their mouths but honestly, why?   I struggle to get J to eat but I don’t believe that turning his food into a palm tree benefits anyone.

I do like the idea of a small buffet or smorgasbord type of meal for a toddler.  But easy things.  Like sliced banana, peas, cheese, and some pasta.  J seems to like to graze more than he likes to eat a big meal and I think offering variety is important.   So the ideas that show a sandwich, some carrots, and some fruit in piles on a plate are doable.   But turning those bananas, peas, cheese, and pasta into a Paris cityscape is asinine.

I like to have J try what we’re eating – crab rangoons the other night were a hit!  But some nights, it’s a slice of cheese and some mandarin oranges.  Or a baked potato and some yogurt.  He really eats what he eats and no matter what I do or have him try, he’s only going to eat what he wants to eat.  And he basically crushes or throws everything he eats anyway so who cares what it looks like on his plate.

I don’t.

He doesn’t.

So hooray for food piles and bowls of cereal!  

Snow!

J played out in the snow for the first time!  Well, where he could actually sit in a sled.  Frankly, he was unimpressed.

Ok, Mama.  What do you have me doing now?

Hmm, not so bad.

Whoa.  Um, ok.  Slow down, Dada.

Much better.

We didn't stay out too long so the sledding story is short.  We bundled him up, he couldn't move, he sat in a sled.  The end.

The Making of a Christmas Card

It's that time of year!  Time for the obligatory Christmas card.  This was the events that led up to it.

It started with the lights on the tree.  They are just asking to be touched.

He helped unpack the ornaments.  Fun stuff!

Then he helped Daddy put ornaments onto the tree.

Then Mama started trying to get posed pictures.  This led to a meltdown.

A complete and utter meltdown.

After a nap, we tried sitting with the snowmen family.

It got a little too personal.

So we moved to the floor.  Maddux wanted in on it too.  But he looks drunk.

Then we pulled out the string of lights!  Oooo!  But the daylight behind wasn't right.

So we tried at night.   So bright!

Look at the glow! And the little piggys! 

We took many pictures.  

He was really enjoying himself this time.  It was hard to decide.

But this one made our card.  Minus the baby pen.

Meeting a Snowman

J made a new friend.  He was wary at first but he grew to love the snowman.

Hmm, who are you?

Are you real?

Oh!  You are real.  Interesting.

I think I like you.  Let me show you how much.

We need some alone time, Mama.

And then he showed the snowman his Christmas lights.  The snowman watched with intrigue.

Look, I'll show you.

See?  They're shiny.

Whoa.  I'll hold them up for you.

Do you like them Mr. Snowman?

I've asked J what we should name the snowman.  He hasn't answered me yet.

In Excess

I know many of you out there probably have this problem with your kids and I want to know:

What on earth do you do about it?

The issue:  Too many baby clothes.

I am in such excess of them.  They are taking over my closet in trash bags, plastic bins, and just piles.  What do I do with them?

I have pretty much kept everything for the potential of a second child but then what if it's a girl?  What if the sizes don't match with the season?

Should I keep them?

And if I do, what do I do with all of them? They are taking over my life.

I have such wonderful family and friends who have given me all of these clothes and I appreciate it so much.  I am just overwhelmed with the amount.

Should I pick through them and weed out those that are either beginning to show wear, that I may not like all that much, or just say the heck with it, you're out?

Does anyone have any tips on how to organize and store with limited space?

It really gives me a panic attack looking at all of it and trying to think about what to do with them.  So much so that I basically shut down, shut the door, and pretend all of it's not there.  Until I have to go into the closet again.

I need help.

And baby clothes that have itchy tags in them should all be burned.

Where did you go?

Hello.

How have you been?

It seems life has gotten in the way for me.   But that's good.  It meant time with M and J and just being us.  A lot has happened in the past few months such as:

J got his first molar.

J went apple picking for the first time!

J started walking.

J has increased his vocabulary to Mama, Dada, Hi, cheese, shoe, What's this?, moo, roar, up, and Goldfish (as in a favorite snack cracker).  It sounds more like ga-sish but he's working on it.

J transitioned to the young toddler room at day care and is loving it.  He's really thriving.

J went trick or treating for the first time.  He was a lion.  Roar!  He was thrilled.  See?  There were even tears of joy.

J has discovered Thomas the train.  The end.

I got a new job!

I have two more classes until I finish my bachelor's degree!  Four long years and I'm almost there.

I have had thoughts.

Lots of thoughts.

Such as:

Short sleeved sweaters are stupid.  Are you hot or are you cold?  If hot, why would you wear a sweater?  If you're cold, a short sleeved sweater is useless.  And short sleeved turtle neck sweaters?  What are those?  Don't even get me started on sleeveless turtle neck sweaters.

Haagen Dazs ice cream is colder than regular ice cream.

Is it weird that I think that?

Don't answer.

I'm still deciding if I like goat cheese.

Changing J's diaper is now like trying to rope and hold down a calf that is awaiting to be branded.

While J is awake there is no more sitting down, drinking a cup of coffee in peace, going to the bathroom alone, reading an email, eating a bite of anything, or keeping the toy area neat for even two seconds.

But it's awesome.

This is a great age and we are loving every minute of it.

Especially bed time.  It's the best time of day.

Hopefully I'll get on here more because I do have a lot of thoughts.  Sometimes they plague me and I need to get them out.  It's better to voice them here where I cannot see your facial expressions of disgust, confusion, and sympathy as I do from M.

Feeding J: More New Foods

It was a struggle there for a bit.  J wasn't interested in eating 'table' food.  But pretty much right around his first birthday, the floodgates opened and this boy wanted real food!

Some new favorites:

Pizza
Blueberries
Toast with butter or peanut butter
Peas! (picks those out from the carrots and green beans)
Baked beans
Corn
Feta cheese
Sundried tomato and spinach ravioli (he went mental for these)
Graham crackers
Ice cream
Bread
Pasta
Macaroni and Cheese
Mandarin oranges
Cucumbers

Not so much:

Cream of Wheat
Watermelon
Kiwi
The cupcake from his first birthday (what?!)

He's also doing really well with the milk.  Except that he likes to spit it out while using the sippy cup because he thinks it's funny.

We were told at his 12 month check up that he needs to put on some weight so we have to put a tablespoon of heavy cream (blech!) into his bottles (he still needs the formula at this point twice a day for weight gain) and put butter and olive oil on anything and everything he'll tolerate it on.  Sometimes I put some in a jar of food and mix it around.  The poor child but he eats it.  I would throw it across the room and pitch a fit.

He eats the school breakfast and lunch now and is doing really well.  I'm happy about that.  Now as we enter toddlerhood, he needs the calories and food for the energy he's going to use up.

No rest for the weary.