Yesterday at School

Today I was told this brief conversation happened during lunchtime yesterday between Tali and her teacher, Anne. FYI - this teacher is very into food, eating healthy and gardening. She's also Hungarian and the perfect combination of structured and kind. (I think she's fantastic.)

Anne: Wow, Tali, you are eating raw, whole cranberries with your lunch?

Tali: Yes, and they are very sour. You probably wouldn't like them.

Ha! She's so funny!

What I wouldn't give  to experience taste through Tali's mouth just for one day. And she's not even four years old yet.

My Little Gourmand

This morning, Tali created her own breakfast sandwich: lemon curd and mascarpone on a lightly toasted whole wheat English muffin. 

Since I'm a supportive mom, I decided to try it for myself. It's actually very good! I'm hoping that in a few years, she'll move on to creating dinners and I can just offer to do the dishes (and help her with the knife).

First Day of School And An Impromptu Picnic

Today was Tali's first day of school in the 3's. She picked out her favorite dress to wear for the occasion and insisted on a bow instead of her typical plastic barrette. There were no tears this year (a first!) and she would've stayed all day if she could have.

Tali's teachers this year are really into food and healthy eating (hooray!). They encourage parents to bring in "unusual" foods such as kiwi (not sure how that is unusual, but whatever) for the class to try. Their goal is to teach the kids how to try new things and hopefully expand their pallets. Each time a child tries a new food, he/she gets a "super try-er" sticker. These poor teachers are going to run out of stickers in just one month if they give one to Tali every time she "tries" a food. I warned them. Not sure they believe me, though.

So I told Tali about bringing in snacks and she decided that she wanted to bring in some Kabocha squash that I made on Saturday evening. I tried to talk her into carrots, but no such luck. She wanted the squash. So, today we brought some for her classmates. Only two kids tried it, Tali and her friend Lyla, and they both got stickers. No one else even touched it.

When I went to pick Tali up, they handed me back the squash and Eli saw it (it was in a bag before). So he pointed to the squash and then signed "help", indicating he wanted some. As we were walking to the parking lot, Tali and some of her friends stopped to play on the little bridge, around the stream and in the grass. Since Eli kept asking for the squash, I sat him on the ground for an impromptu picnic. While Tali played, he ate two big slices! Then Tali saw us eating the squash and came down to have another piece herself and feed one to Eli. As usual, all the other kids played and my kids ate. Someone should study them, really.  

The Farmer's Market

We are very lucky to have a farmer's market less than five minutes from our house. It has become a regular Saturday morning activity for me and Tali - something we look forward to. On occasion, we bring Eli or H, but, with the exception of last Saturday, the two of us have been going every week. We've gotten to know some of the vendors and there's always a local band playing that Tali likes to watch.

Tali has become a bit more opinionated about food in the last couple of months and I can't always count on her to be the champion eater she once was. It's not that she doesn't like something, it's simply that now she has an opinion and chooses not to eat it on that day. But when we're at the farmer's market, her true passion and curiosity for food comes shining through. She's impressed so many people with what she wants to sample and likes. For example, here was a conversation she had with the me and the cheese vendor today:

Tali: I want to try some cheese, please.
Cheese vendor: Not this one, it's the yucky part. (She throws it into the garbage.)
Me: Tali, what is that called?
Tali: That's the rind.
Me: Right. And can we eat the rind?
Tali: No, not that one.
Me: Why not?
Tali: It's a hard cheese. You can't eat that one. You can only eat the rind on a soft cheese.
Customer: Wow! I'm impressed.
Me: That's nothing. You should see what she knows.
Tali (as if on que, points to the Camembert): I want some Camembert, please.

Today the jam guy told me that she's going to culinary school when she's older. She's wowed him each week by picking the most "adult" flavored jams they have. At first, he would warn me that she wouldn't like it. He's stopped doing that. 

Eli is also great there. Although he doesn't like cheese, he eats his way through plenty of samples. Most of the vendors don't mind and usually make some comment about how happy they are to see kids eating vegetables. Today Tali was shoving some tomatoes from a local farm into her mouth and very kindly fed one to Eli who was already eating a peach (given to us by another vendor who we now know).  The guys from the farm thought he was so cute that they took out their phones to snap a picture of him, asking me if it was okay to put his picture on their Web site.

Life is good. Tomato in one hand, peach in the other.

The bread woman only had samples of an olive/roasted pepper bread left by the time we got to her. No problem. Both kids loved it and I bought a loaf. She knows me so well now that I was able to special order a bread for next week (yipee!) that is normally only sold to restaurants.

I could go on and on here, but you get the point. I do want to mention that I do buy from these vendors - we don't just get free samples. Then we go home and my favorite lunch: fresh bread, cheese and vegetables. It's delicious.

Flower from a vendor - given specifically to Tali.

Nice Evening

Nothing beats an early evening picnic with friends. I made pizza, put out some veggies and there was fruit and mini cupcakes for dessert. I'm happy to say that everything but the cupcakes (barely touched!) and two slices of pizza were gone at the end. The kids had a blast, especially Eli who was covered in dirt by the end.

That's the babysitter (not me) with Tali and Eli.

My Thumb Looks A Little Green

Although my mom, grandfather and uncle all have a nice green thumb, I've always thought mine was a lovely shade of brown. That is, until very recently. H had the brilliant idea to (have our contractor) build me a vegetable garden. I excitedly went along with it, secretly praying I wouldn't regret it. In the early spring I spent countless hours doing seed starters in the house and caring for them. But I was so busy that I didn't tend to them as often as I should have and not everything survived. What did survive, I planted in my new garden. Sadly, most of that died. Almost everything planted way too late in the season. But, a few things have flourished!

To date, I have one pumpkin growing and many more potential ones just waiting to be pollinated, three butternut squash, one bunch of Swiss chard, one basil plant and six pepper bushes. Believe it or not, I still have plenty that died and one bed that's completely empty. But, as I set my expectations very low this year, I am thrilled.

My pumpkin patch - it's gotten so big and this is all from ONE seed!

The one pumpkin growing in that huge patch.

Another view of my lonely little pumpkin.

Some potential pumpkins. These are female flowers - you can tell by the small ball (that's where the pumpkin would grow) directly underneath the flower.

My pepper plants (in the front).

The basil.

Swiss chard.

Butternut squash - bad angle, sorry!

These pictures were all taken last weekend and things have actually progressed nicely since then. The pumpkin has gotten bigger and two peppers are now growing on one plant. I snipped some basil this afternoon for our pizza tonight (it was excellent) and I've cut the chard to eat at some point soon. To be honest, I haven't taken too much care with any of these. With the exception of the occasional organic fertilizer and some weeding, I've pretty much left them alone. But, I'm still going to take credit for them. I can see that green thumb getting brighter and brighter every day.

Losing My Purpose

This morning I had to answer the door just as I was about to get breakfast on the table. When I came into the kitchen, Tali had put her yogurt, a spoon, a cereal bar and her milk at her spot, my yogurt and a spoon at my spot and Eli's food and a spoon at my spot. The only thing she couldn't reach were the bananas. What a nice surprise. Now if only she would do the dishes!

Another Foodie-in-Training

Before Eli started eating real food, I was hoping that he'd be a good eater. After Tali (aka the kid who eats everything), I didn't think I would know what to do with a picky eater. But secretly I was preparing myself for the worst. I was not, however, preparing myself for a kid who could beat Tali at eating. I didn't even think that was possible!

Eli is not yet six months and he's already eating three meals a day. He eats everything he's given and sometimes has two servings. Even more impressive? He can chew. Really chew. He can eat chunks of soft food without choking. He just chews and swallows. Tali didn't get pieces of food until seven months.

This morning he ate about 1/4 of a large banana - all in pieces. I'm impressed!

There is a whole new food movement called Baby Led Weaning where kids get "real" food from the very beginning. No purees, no mush, just real food that their parents eat. It's controversial and until now I didn't really believe in it. But I am now thinking of giving it a real try. Eli seems like the perfect candidate.

First Bites of Food

It's been a week since Eli first started food and we are already up to two full meals a day! Like his big sister,  he loves food. Unlike his big sister, I was completely unprepared to start food with him. For Tali, I had pink bowls (which she still uses), spoons, bibs, etc. For Eli, I ran to the grocery to grab some cereal, threw him in Tali's high chair (no bib), mixed his food in a plastic container and fed him with one of Tali's spoons. Of course, it didn't matter to him. He ate it all just the same.

His first bites were very similar to Tali. He accepted it right away and ate the whole bowl. (I actually gave him a bit more because he was still hungry.) At two times during his first meal I walked away from the food and he started crying! He wanted me to come back and feed him some more!

The GI doctor told me to start him on  rice cereal mixed with apple juice (calories) and a tsp of safflower oil (more calories). In a week or two, I could add a second meal. Eli seemed so hungry that on day two I decided to split his meal and give 1/2 the portion at lunch and another half at dinner. But he was so hungry he ate the whole thing at lunch! He ate another full portion at dinner that night. One week later he's regularly eating two meals a day and has tried (and likes) banana, avocado and apple! Plus, he's already chewing. I was in such a rush to get food on the table that on day three I didn't mash his banana all the way and left some very small chunks. The first time one entered his mouth, he looked perplexed and then promptly chewed! 

I wasn't expecting to have another good eater but I'm glad I do. However, my future grocery bills are already giving me nightmares!
 

(PS I apologize to my favorite college professor, Dr. English, who always told me that I had three exclamation points in life. Use them wisely. Seems like I used them all on this post. Oops.)

My New Diet

Little Eli with his great grandparents, Granny and Papa, on a recent visit to New Orleans. This is two weeks in to our new diet.

As I wrote two posts ago (and ten minutes ago), Eli's been to a lot of doctor appointments this past month. At his four month check-up, he had blood in his stool and had stopped gaining weight. The doctor thought he might have a dairy allergy so she asked me to stop eating dairy for two weeks (he's exclusively breast-fed) and see what happens.

Two weeks later, the visible blood in his stool was gone, he'd mostly stopped spitting up and he'd gained a tiny bit of weight. So, she asked me to continue with my diet for another two weeks.

One month after the initial  diagnosis, he'd still gained very little weight so the doctor determined that he wasn't getting enough calories/milk. So she asked me to continue on the dairy-free diet (she has repeatedly apologized for doing this to me) and start to supplement with formula. She also wanted me to see a GI doctor because there was still microscopic blood in his stool. I left the doctor's office basically in tears. Not because I had to give formula (though I hated the idea), but because I couldn't supply enough food for my child and I was starving him. So, I tried the formula. He wouldn't take it. He made the "formula face" and screamed until the offending bottle was removed.

A few days later I saw a lactation consultant who wrote a prescription and also told me about some herbal remedies to increase my supply. I now smell like syrup but I think it's working. I also went to the GI doctor and she was fantastic! She confirmed the dairy allergy and told me to start food immediately so that he can get more calories.


Four days later we went back to his pediatrician and he'd gained 7 oz in one week!

After two months of staying at 10 lbs, he's finally growing. Maybe I'll actually be able to pack away his 0-3 month clothing before his 6 month birthday.

I am now dairy-free and will remain so until Eli turns one. At that point, he should be okay and able to drink regular milk and eat cheese and yogurt. It's been an adventure on this new diet. The hardest part is no butter. It's okay at home because I can use vegan butter but most restaurants cook with butter so going out to eat is a special challenge now. I've decided to look on the bright side of this. I'm getting to explore new recipes, eating healthier, losing the rest of the baby weight and learning how to bake (most commercial baked goods use butter, at least). I'm sure I'll want a huge plate of cheese and a big bowl of ice cream come June 5, but for now I'm okay with this.

There Goes My Lunch...Again

Once again, Tali wanted the rest of my lunch. She'd already eaten two whole carrots and most of a turkey/cheese roll-up when she saw what was still on my plate. Today's desire? Brussels sprouts! Yup, my 2 1/2 year old LOVES Brussels sprouts. Seriously, this kid will eat almost anything.

Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. It was mostly uneventful. I went to pick up cupcakes for our dessert last night and bought one for Tali. The nice boy behind the counter put a "T" on the cupcake for Tali. She was very excited about "her" cupcake. She ate it all (of course). 

Pool Party!

On Monday (Memorial Day), we went to a friend's house for a pool party. They have three girls, ages 7, 4 and 10 months. Tali and the 7-year-old (I will call her Miss A) became instant friends. H and I got a free babysitter for the day. Tali followed Miss A everywhere and Miss A had a blast taking care of Tali. She took Tali on the swings, played with her in the kiddie pool, took her to the bathroom with me, sat next to her at lunch and taught her how to eat corn on the cob. Tali, having already downed almost an entire platter of baby carrots and broccoli which she slathered with some sort of very spicy dip, figured out the corn pretty quickly. She loved it! And, of course, she asked for seconds. Although she never really went in the big pool, Tali had a blast at the party and talked about her new friend quite a bit the next day.

First bites of corn on the cob

Polishing off her first piece

Ginger

In one of the many food documentaries I've convinced H to watch over the past few years, there was a scene that's had a big impact on how I raise Tali. The cameras and narrator went into a first grade classroom with a basket of fresh produce and other healthy foods. When asked to identify things such as potatoes, chicken or broccoli, none of the kids could do it. But, they could instantly identify French fries and chicken nuggets. I was horrified - guess the documentary made it's point. I have vowed to teach my children to recognize and eat as many healthy foods as possible.

As Tali and I are at the grocery store at least twice a week, I use some of that time to teach her about these different foods. When we walk through the produce section, I quiz her on what I am putting into the cart. By now she's pretty good and often identifies things that I am not buying. Today one of the items was ginger. I don't use it that often so I didn't expect her to know what it was. I was right. But once I told her it was ginger, her response was "try ginger." I explained to her that I had to cut it first and she could try it later at home. She quickly went back to the mango she was eating and I assumed that was the end of it. Nope.

This afternoon Tali saw a few ingredients for tonight's dinner sitting on the counter. Without me asking, she said, "that's a pepper" and "that's a onion" but then she pointed to the ginger and asked what it was. I told her it was ginger and again she asked to try it. Since I always encourage her to try different foods (and I never tell her she won't like something as I believe she can determine that for herself), I cut her a tiny piece. She ate it, made a face and asked for some milk. After she washed it down, she left the kitchen for a few minutes. Then she reappeared and asked for more ginger! She ate another small bite and again drank some milk.  I had a few more pieces ready for her but I guess that was all she could handle. Even though it was just two pieces, I am impressed. That's a lot of flavor for a 2-year-old!

How To

How To Eat an Apple

By: Talia D.

Step 1: Ask Mommy for "real apple" (as opposed to dried apple snacks).

Step 2: Pick your piece off the plate.

Step 3: Bite into the apple as if it's an orange slice. 

Step 4: Continue eating the apple in this manner until most of the inside is gone.

Step 5: Break the remaining bit of apple and declare "apple broken in half." Then eat both halves, at the same time if possible. 

Step 6: Ask for more apple.

Salad Spinner

I am a firm believer in the theory that if your children help you in the kitchen, they are more likely to eat a variety of foods. Once they have a hand in preparing their meal, they will want to try what they made.

Of course, I don't have that problem with Tali (yet, it could still happen!), but I still want her be very comfortable in the kitchen. Since she's too young to help with most tasks, I try to find things that she can do. Lately, her favorite "job" has been to spin the salad. This will occupy her for 10-15 minutes - it's great! She loves to spin then check the lettuce to see if it's ready. (In the video, she's saying "not ready yet" as she puts the cover back on the bowl.)

Until I started giving her this task, she'd try lettuce then just spit it out. Now, she'll take a bite, chew, swallow and then throw the rest of the leaf in the garbage. Hey, it's progress. And I guess that means the theory works.

Not That I'm Keeping Track

I know I write a lot about Tali's eating habits, but when you live with a child like this, food is a big part of your life. I'm sure some of you think I'm exaggerating about how much this child eats so I thought I'd give you a play-by-play of her food intake today (cup sizes are estimates). Before I do, there are two things you should know:
1. A bowl is a child-sized bowl. So my guess is 2-3 bowls equals an adult portion.
2. Yes, this is normal for any given day.

Breakfast (hooray! she eats breakfast now): Waffle
First morning snack: 5 whole wheat crackers and three bowls of pineapple
Second morning snack: 1/2 cup of dried strawberries and a piece of whole wheat/quinoa/flaxseed toast
Lunch: 4 slices salami, 1 Laughing Cow cheese wheel, 1/4 cup tomatoes and a few bites of my tomato/mozzarella sandwich (she asked for more lunch but I cut her off)
Afternoon snack: apple and clementine
Dinner: four bowls of whole wheat pasta (three with a sun-dried tomato and basil pesto)

Yes, that was all today. And there were times where she asked for food and I didn't give it to her as it was too close to a meal. I honestly don't know where she puts it. I guess she turns it into energy. The girl rarely sits still.

Food, Glorious Food

Tali digging in to the veggie platter at her class Hanukkah party last month (that's her boyfriend in the background - feeding her a carrot).

At Tali's two year check-up last week, the doctor told me once again that I should expect to see Tali's eating habits change. I heard this at age one and at eighteen months. But Tali just doesn't seem to listen. If anything, the amount of food she'll try and eat continues to increase. I'd be okay if it decreases (it would mean saving money on grocery bills and diapers), but I just don't see it happening.

For months, I've wished she would eat breakfast in the morning. She'll drink milk (with a splash of yogurt) and be perfectly happy. But by 10:00 she's hungry and begging for a snack. This all changed last week and now it's as if she can't get enough. Yesterday, she had two small pancakes, 1/4 of an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese and an entire banana! And yes, she had a morning snack and lunch. While that breakfast might be a bit excessive, she is eating breakfast regularly and it's not decreasing the amount of food she eats the rest of the day.

As far as what she'll eat, her palate is still pretty incredible for a toddler. Like most kids, she loves fruit. But she also loves vegetables and will eat a plate full of broccoli over a plate of pasta any day. Actually, my one struggle with her is grains. It's a bit difficult to get her to eat pasta or bread (that's where breakfast is coming in) as she'd prefer fruit, vegetables, meat (salami or sausage? LOVES it) or cheese. So while other parents have to push the healthy stuff, I'm begging Tali to eat a few bites of bread or some macaroni and cheese.

I'm not complaining, really, I'm not. She has a very healthy and mostly balanced diet. I'm just amazed. And I'll continue to be amazed as long as her eating habits and preferences continue in this direction.

Nursery School Update

I've been waiting to write an update because I wanted to get a few more classes under her belt before I reported on how she was doing. But, today Tali had a runny nose (each time it ran, she would come over to me and say "runin" so that I could wipe it) so I kept her home. Therefore, this post only involves Tuesday.

After all the kids had arrived and settled, the teachers told the moms it was time to leave the classroom. At the previous class, Tali was the only one who didn't cry. But when all the moms (but me) came back in to comfort their kids, she cried that I didn't join them. This time, only one girl cried - and she was hysterical. All of those tears made Tali cry so both moms were asked to come back in the room. (To be fair, Tali and this other girl are the youngest in the class and I'm sure that has something to do with it.) The other kids were fine, even with us there. I was hoping that today would be better, but now I'll have to wait until Tuesday to find out.

At snack time, all the moms were invited to come in as it was one of the kids birthdays and the mom brought mini-cupcakes for everyone. The kids were already sitting down with their apple and animal crackers when the cupcakes came out. One girl, upon seeing the cupcakes, poured her plate of apples and crackers on the table then held it out and shouted "cake!" Not Tali. She went right on eating her apple (which she'd been asking for during half of the class). Each kid picked their cupcake, ignored their fruit, and devoured every last crumb. Not Tali. She would eat a bit of the frosting and go back to her apple. After the kids were finished, the moms packed them up and left. Not Tali. She asked for more apple. Tali and I stayed in the room for an extra 15 minutes so she could eat all of the leftover apple that hadn't been served to her classmates. (The teachers were cleaning up so it wasn't as if they were waiting on us.)

In the end, Tali only ate the frosting (and mini M&Ms that were on top) of her cupcake. She was much more interested in the apple. I was very proud to see her make such a healthy choice at such a young age. Hopefully that will continue.

There Goes My Good Eater

When we went to the pediatrician for Tali's 16 month check-up, the doctor warned me that Tali's eating habits might start to change. She isn't growing as rapidly as she was so she might eat smaller quantities and become more picky. I listened to what she said but kept my fingers crossed that this wouldn't happen. Well, it did. The second part, at least.

I wouldn't classify Tali as a picky eater because she still eats a wide variety of foods. I would instead say that she's learning how to have her own opinion. For example, yesterday she loved baked beans and kept asking for more. Today, however, she spit them out. I know she likes them, she just didn't want to eat them today. (To be fair, I wouldn't want to eat the same thing everyday either.)

This new ability, to create her own opinion about food, is making it hard on me. If I make something for lunch, how will I know if today is a day she'll eat it? She can't tell me what she's in the mood for. And there's no rhyme or reason for why she doesn't want something. She just doesn't.

A parenting decision I have made is not to enter fights that I cannot win. Food and sleep fall into that category. I cannot force something down her throat and I cannot force her to sleep. I can offer her food to eat and I can put her in her crib for a designated period of time, but if she doesn't eat it or doesn't nap, I cannot force her.

Regarding food, I try not to provide Tali with too many options. I don't want to get in the habit of making five meals to figure out what she'll eat. But now I'm trying to navigate this new territory and at quite a loss. I'm sure I'll figure it out. I just miss my good eater!