boy or girl debate

"I want it to be a boy because boys grow up to be a Daddy

 and Daddys are strong."

"Nooooooo!  I want a sisa {sister}.  Baby sisa."

a new favorite

via

I recently heard about this book that was just released.  I pre-ordered it and have been reading it since it arrived on my doorstep.  It is wonderful inspiration for changing food habits and an intriguing look into French culture.

I feel like one of the greatest challenges of motherhood is teaching my children to eat healthy and enjoy eating healthy.  Although I started off great with both kids from homemade organic veggie and fruit purees to lots of fresh whole foods, something happened at about 18 months.  They became "picky."  When they became picky I feel like I lost steam in the food battle that too often happens with young children and healthy foods.

all illustrations from the book are from Sarah Jane, one of my absolute favorite artists

I felt like it took too much time and endless effort to get my kids to eat the way I wanted them to.  Snotty little remarks and snub faces seemed to prevail at the dinner table when I slaved over a wholesome and nutritious meal.

This book offers some wonderful French advice on eating and training children to eat healthy.  Developing a pallet of many different tastes and textures is key.  Not giving into picky eaters is also important too. {I am guilty of all of the above!}

It was amazing to see what children in French schools eat for lunch each day at the cafeteria where experienced chefs cook and prepare fresh foods daily for school children.

Wouldn't you love to buy your lunch at a French school?

I think the biggest key it that there are no other options or choices for kids.  If they don't like it, they don't eat.  Eventually they get hungry enough to try new foods and usually end up enjoying them.

I also love to see that sweets aren't left out.  They are just eaten in moderation only after the other healthy foods have been consumed.

I have tried some of the tips from the book on my kids to see if they might work to cure some of my picky eater problems and to my amazement when there aren't additional food choices, nutritious food is consumed.

We are a long way from eating like the French do but with some conscious shopping and food offerings, I hope we can banish the picky-eater blues!

I highly recommend reading this book.  It is extremely interesting to see the food differences in our societies.  Bon Appetit!

wheels

Today you walked your big bike into school.  

You found your parking spot outside the front doors.

We practiced and practiced to be sure you were ready for a solo ride at school.

And you came home delighted about a day of wheels with no spills!

Hooray!

I must apologize

via

Dear Starbucks,

I have meant to write this for many weeks now, but have been delayed due to a busy toilet-training 2-year-old.  I must apologize for our visit to your store.  We were there one afternoon enjoying a late-day coffee for myself and apple juice for my little ones.  We are all extremely fond of your stores and enjoy visiting them now and then for special treats.  

After all the liquid at our table had been consumed, my little toilet-training 2-year-old got down out of her chair and began fidgeting.  I was too busy talking to my big girl about school happenings to notice the little feet dancing away around our table.  In an instant my big girl exclaimed "she peeeed!"  I looked down at your newly tiled floors and noticed a large puddle of yellow liquid coming from the shoes of my little one {it wasn't spilled apple juice}.

My mind whirled with millions of thoughts about how I was going to clean up our mess without attracting any attention to ourselves.  This is one of those stores that is frequented by business-folk engrossed in their laptops or engaging in business talk with other co-workers.  It is not really the kid-friendly type of store we usually visit.  I frantically grabbed our things and lifted my girl up, holding her out at arms length, and dashed into the nearby restroom.  We cleaned up a completely soaked 2-year-old from the waist down {including the new shoes that had just been purchased} with the few wipes I had in my purse and many paper towels.  Thankfully, I had a change of clothes for her.

We emerged from the restroom, disheveled and nervous about the puddle of urine that still lay underneath our table.  I sopped up the puddle with far too many napkins for our eco-conscious world. After all my efforts to be discreet, the entire scenario didn't even seem to be noticed by anyone in the crowded store.

Nevertheless, I wanted to apologize for the urine stained grout at your store.  Hopefully the floor has been cleaned with bleach solutions to avoid any stench by now.  I was just too embarrassed to mention anything to your staff and certainly didn't want any of them thinking they had to help clean the mess of my toilet-training 2-year-old.

I appreciate your understanding in regards to this matter.

Your ever-loyal customers,

The frantic mother, the toilet-trained 2-year-old and her big sister

wishes

Dandelions are popping up all over the lawn despite the dismay of our gardener (Daddy).  Each afternoon the kids search the lawn for a few to make wishes on.  They posses that magical quality like lightening bugs on warm July nights.  

For now, we are making lots of wishes and spreading lots of dandelion seeds all over the yard.  A few weeds couldn't hurt...right?

all good things come in eggs

The excitement erupting in kids over opening a little plastic egg to find a little trinket or sweet is so adorable.  I love the way littlest things mean so much at this age!

"Egg"periments

Over the weekend we experimented with egg dying.  We ended up using the brown eggs from the refrigerator because all the stores were out of white eggs (imagine that!).  I wasn't sure how the colors would turn out with brown eggs but the kids didn't know any different so we proceeded with the brown eggs.  It was fun to see the way the kids experimented with color and dying.  Their different little personalities came out with the methods they utilized to dye.  My big girl was very exact and purposeful with her dying.  She didn't even drop a bit of dye on the table or her hands.  The little one on the other hand preferred using her hands to take the eggs in and out of the dye.  She mixed colors like crazy.  

Overall, the dye on the brown eggs turned out fine.  They looked very natural and earthy.  Next year I think it would be fun to dye eggs using natural egg dyes.  

Red - cranberries

Orange - Paprika

Yellow - Tumeric or Onion Skins

Green - Kale

Blue - Blueberries

Purple - Red White

Pink - Beets

Brown - Coffee

We'll see...by the time next year rolls around I might just forget about my lofty egg-dying aspirations and buy the 99 cent kit at the store again.