Fickle Food Critic

Overall, my two year old is a good eater.  But more and more often we're hitting a few roadblocks at the dinner table.

 It seems sweet little Gianna has become a bit of a food critic.  One day she loves a food, and the next day she refuses it. Mom is trying to juggle trying to get food and nutrients in her daughter without catering too much to her demands, thus becoming a short order cook.  It's a fine line....that I'm sure many, if not most, parents have to deal with at some point.

Recently I discovered this little treasure while grocery shopping:
Nature's Own Sandwhich Rounds

...and have been using them for everything: sandwhiches, burgers, Morning Star veggie patties, and even tiny little pizzas for my hungry toddler.  They are thin and soft and are high in fiber.

A littlle marinara and shredded cheese and pop it into the toaster oven.

Just the perfect size.

And she LOVES them.

I even cut them into slices with my pizza cutter.

I had steamed one of those frozen vegetable medley's the other day containing a combination she wasn't loving.  After trying for several meals with no luck, I pureed them and added them to tomato sauce which I used on her pizza.  She had no clue. Touchdown. 

I'm just loving all the Morning Star products. 

 It's the tastiest version of vegetarian food I've come across.

Which reminded me of these two cookbooks I have:

And this one Jerry Seinfeld's wife wrote:

They both give great ideas to sneak healthy foods into foods kids already enjoy. 

I think I may have to add these to my bedside reading stack. (I can't remember which one of these books I saw at the Kohl's checkout counter for only $5.)

And just in case you're at your witt's end, I just read this article about feeding a finicky toddler.

Our Little Tadpole

Gianna loved the pool last year.

Gianna LOVES the pool this year.

Daddy got a salt water filter for the little 15 ft. above ground pool and it's been crystal clear every day so far which has been great for our daily swims. (I'm so impressed with the whole salt-water technology.)

I've not been a big fan of floaties or swim wings...just because I like for Gianna to have a true sense of the water and to know the fact that she has limitations and must be careful - not to mention the false sense of security they sometimes provide for kids and adults.

Having said that, I discovered a little article about these cool floaties called Puddle Jumpers.

I loved that there is a boyant band around the waste/chest so that their arms aren't the only things keeping them afloat.

When Uncle Vinne asked what he should get Gianna for her birthday, these were high on my list. 

(I know, I haven't done any birthday posts yet.  They're coming.)

Most of the swimming we've been doing has been in our own pool, so this great little invention has made our experience so much more enjoyable and has enabled her to learn actual swimming techniques, enjoy a little indepence and helped her to try some brave things on her own.

We have been AMAZED at what she's been doing in the pool.  Oh so fun.

She frequently asks us to "throw me high." We do...and she goes under the water and emerges with her eyes wide open and grinning ear to ear - exclaiming, "AGAIN?"

Anyhow, below are a few videos are her in the pool.  I didn't have time to edit them so there are a bunch (six), but they're all pretty short. They may not be as fascinating as they will be to my familly, so feel free to move right along to your blog hopping. :)

For the record, I don't put the Puddle Jumpers on her every time we go in the pool just so she remembers what the water actually is like without them.

Tea for Two

Several years ago, we saw a clip on the Food Net.work about this cool little glass teapot that had "blooming teas.'  It's called the Tea Posy Tea Pot and Iain surprised me with one as a gift several years ago. 

The tea starts out as a tight little ball, and when you add hot water it slowly begins to bloom into an amazing flower (there are many different kinds) and creates the most unique floral tea you've ever tasted.  (It's a perfect gift for the woman who has everything.)

I was trying to keep Gianna occupied yesterday and needed something different to do.  I pulled out the Tea Posy and thankfully had one more "bloom" left from my original set.  As I poured the hot water in the teapot she was mesmerized, amazed and delighted by the magic that was created into the small glass pot.  It made for a lovely afternoon activity.  She only had a  couple of sips (that I added a tiny bit of sugar and and a lot of water to)  but, really just liked the idea of sipping tea like a big girl.

She's getting big, isn't she? :)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For the record, we're still around.

No, I haven't given up blogging.

I'll be back with some sort of normalcy before long.

I have about 12 posts I've started, but just haven't had the ooomf or time to finish.

Somehow I imagined my summers as a stay at home mom to be much less busy and tiring.

What was I thinking?

Lewis Land: The Book

Remember that blog book I talked about a couple of weeks ago?

Well, I ordered it about ten days ago, and it arrived yesterday.

The thought to print my blog came soon after the discovery of missing blog posts on more than one occasion. Plus, I just liked the idea of having a hard copy in hand. 

All the companies that I checked out seemed to have fairly positive reviews. I was leaning toward a company Blog2Print since it seemed to entail the least amount of work. I didn't want to have to go through and edit and add or delete posts. I just don't have time for another time-consuming project.

As I read reviews, I found that the biggest complaint about this company seemed to be that you didn't seems to have much creative control. That's usually a big deal for me, but all I wanted was to print out what I posted in book form.  I really didn't mind if the photos were small or there was a heading on one page and the post on the next. (I know, I was surprised by my lack of concern too.).

Basically, I didn't have to do anything but plug in my blog address.  They "slurped" the posts right from my blog.  You actually give them the range of dates you want printed.  For instance I specified I wanted to begin October '08 (when I began the blog) through December '09.  Next year I'll just do 2010.

You get to pick the cover (hard or soft) design out of some pretty decent options.  I chose one with 2009 on the cover even though there were a few months of 2008 included.

The book itself looks like a really nice high school yearbook. I have to say that I'm really impressed.  For some reason I thought it would be smaller, but it measures about 9 x 11. Seeing the book in it's finished form is inspiring me to tweak my blogging habbits a little bit in the future.  For instance, when I post a video or slideshow (which obviously don't translate into book form) I'll try to post at least one individual photo and a little bit of text relating to the topic. That way won't just have a title listed.  (You can acutally delete and add any posts you want, but as I said, I didn't want to mess with all that.)

The book included 188 posts and took up about 240 pages.  It cost right around $100. (It was my Christmas present from Max....my dog.)  It sounds like a lot of money, but the way I see it, it's a piece of our family history and the time I took in building this blog is AT LEAST worth $100 bucks. And if you're anything like me, you don't go back and read your old blog posts.  This is such a fun way to look back.

I let Gianna hold the book just so I could take a few pictures of her with it - and to my surprise...

She was mesmerized!  She pointed and named people and objects.

I thought that she'd really enjoy it a few years from now, but who knew she'd be so taken at this young age?

Two enthusiastic thumbs up from this Mommy Frogger Blogger.

* This morning Gianna somehow reached the book off the counter and brought it to me.  We spent 20 minutes looking through pictures and naming people and things. 

Cuddle-Bear

My little Sweet Potato is a lot of things: adorable, smart, sneaky, precocious, sweet, loving, verbal, funny, adorable, curious, strong-willed, loud, busy, did I mention adorable? She's all those things and much more. But one word that I would not typically use to characterize her is cuddly. She's always been way too busy and nosy to have time to be cuddly.

There were several times I got a little concerned about it. Was I bonding well enough with her? Does she love me? Am I doing something wrong? Will there be a wedge between us when she gets older? Geez, the ways we torture ourselves.

Anyway, I did what any good neurotic mother would do --- I googled it. Apparently, a "not-so affectionate 15 month old" isn't so unusual - especially with baby girls. Don't get me wrong - she'll kiss the stuffing out of you and she's very loving and even affectionate - just not cuddly. That is until this week.

What a delight (and surprise) to have her run to me throughout the day for hugs and cuddles and kisses and head on my shoulders and burying her head in my chest. When I'm standing in the kitchen, she'll wrap her little arms around one of my legs and sway back and forth and pat me. For someone who refused to say Momma for so long, and held out on all the squishy demonstrative behavior, she sure has turned a corner. And I'm savoring every minute of it.

I will say that in the months of wondering and longing and missing - I had a strong sense that God was whispering to me, "Unconditional love, Maria, do you know what that means?" Convicted, once again. If she never ever returned my love and affection, I am still called to love her with everything in my heart, not wishing she would be different - but loving her right where she is. I was reminded just how much I was like Gianna in my own relationship with God - and how much He just keeps loving me, constantly and faithfully and completely. I finally embraced that precious truth and the floodgates seemed to open. Another lesson in God's fidelity and graciousness. My heart is full. My lesson is learned. Now, to remember it every day - every hug - every cuddle.....even when I'm busy. Thank you, Lord, for my sweet Cuddle-Bear.

And speaking of bears,

This precious bear was given to me by my friend, Michelle, who also gave me that awesome dollhouse. How sweet is the antique dress and shoes?

And she also gave us this fantastic doll bed - again: hand-made by her mother.

Hand-painted, too!

And yes, a hand-made and hand-painted wooden doll with a hand-made dress. I mean, really, could she be any more creative?

How lucky for us that we get to play with all these wonderful toys - made with such love! Thank you Michelle, Jessie & Ms. JoAnn.

This Old House

My good friend Michelle just moved from her house and upon cleaning out her attic, found several childhood treasures from her daughter's youth that she's loaning to Gianna. Most of the things were made by Michelle's mother - by hand.

 

This dollhouse is a fantastic creation. Everything is hand made - even the furniture. Amazing.

A little someone stood in awe at first sight of this borrowed treasure.And there are even a little family of plastic people that fit just perfectly.
I believe there are many hours of pretend play that lie ahead of us.

We are so very grateful for This Old House.

For other treasures from these dear friends, CLICK HERE.

The Red Plate Special

Growing up, I had a friend whose family had a red plate. Just one red plate. One special red plate. It was a red plate that had lovely white writing around the rim that said, "You are special today." This plate was used every kind of celebration imaginable....birthdays, anniversaries, great report cards, marking milestones, etc. and it was not just for the kids - parents too. Even company got to use that red plate if they were celebrating a special event while at their home. I was one of those lucky guests - and it really did make me feel special. (Actually, it was really the family that made me feel special - but the plate helped the celebration.) I always said that when I had my own family, I wanted to have a special red plate too.

Well, I've been searching in stores for years, with no luck - until Internet shopping came into my little existence several years back. I found the plate (it's actually imported from Germany.) But I had a tiny little issue nagging at me. The plate states: "You are special today." Lovely sentiment. Makes total sense.....but I wanted my children to know they were special everyday. I know, semantics. But it mattered to me.

So as I was as I was clicking on my googled links, trying to score the best deal, I stumbled upon another plate at an online Christian store. Same concept. Red plate (not from Germany, I'm sure.) Similar white writing around the edges (not in near as fancy a font - kinda looks like the Charlie Brown font from the comic strip.) But I could buy into the saying a little more. It says, "God thinks you are special today....and every day." Now that's what I'm talking about. The fact that the plate was different than everyone else's plate was was really mattered and was what made it so special.

I actually like the look of the first one better - but I bought the second one. That's what we'll be using - maybe until I can make my own at a ceramic shop one day. That would be a cool alternative. Actually, just getting a red plate from Target or Walmart would work too. It could be any color....just different from your usual dinnerware.

Looking forward to many uses of our special red plate.

Sittin' in Style

Isn't so great when babies are small and there are all sorts of contraptions that can contain them while you get a few things done? Then they grow a bit and finally have an attention span long enough to watch and enjoy a 25 minute video, and you never thought you'd be so happy to do laundry, or empty the dishwasher or scrub a toilet without a little "helper" under your feet.
We've been fairly creative in corralling this busy bee for her quick little video breaks.

Well, there's always the trusty high chair....

And then there was that stool that Mommy actually wove with her very own sore fingers....
That lasted about 10 minutes, until the mover came to take it away.We even tried boxes......but it sorta blocked her view.

And this box seemed perfect........for a good 2 minutes or so.

And that cute little chair Mommy bought in Mexico for a whopping $10 was great........but she had a hard time getting comfy.

And there's always just plain ol' sittin' on the floor...

....which is great ---- until she gets distracted, and then starts digging, rearranging furniture or getting in the middle of whatever I'm trying to do.

What to do? What to do?

I've always wanted to get her one of those cushy chairs from Pottery Barn Kids, but they' re so darn expensive. I've been looking on Ebay, checking second hand stores - thinking I could make a slipcover, even looking at alternative chairs at the big department stores. Nada.

Well, after much deliberation and prodding from my sweet husband, I finally gave in.

I bought one.

(Except ours doesn't say "Julia" on it. Actually, I didn't have it monogrammed - so I could pass it on later.)

I bit the bullet and paid WAY more money than I usually would for something that I really don't have room for -- and I have to say..........

.....I could not be happier with my purchase. (As you can tell, she's pretty happy with the purchase too!)

I bought the Oversized Anywhere Chair from PB which will fit her for several years. (SO glad I got the oversized version). It's adorable, so well made, and just a smart little piece of furniture.

I'm always thinking how I can make things cheaper - but there's no way I would have come close to this. Best money for toddler paraphernalia I ever spent.

Now, back to my chores while she watches her morning video!

The best part of waking up...

I mean, really.....could there be anything better to wake up to in the morning?I think not.

Okay, so maybe a great big dimple flashed your way is a little bit better.

(Oh - and would you believe that THIS was her worst hair day ever! A little cowlick in the back. That's as bad as it's gotten. Turkey.)

I remember all those days when I wondered if/when a little being would occupy that crib. That little face makes that long wait SO worth it.

And on a sidenote: In the above photos, you'll notice she's sporting a sleepsack over her pajamas.

For the last 2 months, we've been putting Gianna in a Sleepsack (wearable blanket) before she goes to bed. A friend of mine with a 15 month old swore by hers and gave one to us for G's birthday. (Thank you Laurie!!!) I thought Gianna was too old for one and really thought they were for winter or cold climates. Wrong. I figured I'd get a bit of a fight trying to start a new practice this late in the game. Wrong again.

I've avoided putting a blanket in her crib at night b/c she was at a higher risk of SIDS than many babies. A couple of month ago, I figured she was old enough to not worry so much about a blanket. I covered her (with a blanket probably a little too big) and 30 minutes into her sleep she let out a blood curdling scream. I could tell it was a panic scream so I ran in to find her with her feet through the crib bars and the blanket wrapped tightly around her upper body - head included. Freaked me out. Freaked her out too.

Anyway, I was thrilled to try the sleepsack since we keep it pretty cool in the house at night. Two major changes - she's been sleeping longer by about 45 minutes a night, and she hasn't had a diaper leak which we just started dealing with. I've gotta say, I'm a big fan.

The brand we have is HALO. I'm ordereing another one so I can alternate them when they need to be washed.

They make them from preemie to XL (30 plus pounds)

New Favorite Product

Last week my parents came over and my dad came bearing a new gadget for us – which is not such an unusual occurrence. I’m really trying to simplify and downsize in our home, so when I saw the box, I was a little wary of it’s contents and I feared further clutter.

The package was a Germ Guardian Dry Heat Sanitizer – which I thought would be GREAT for a newborn, but a little worried that it might not be so useful at this stage. I WAS SO WRONG!

With everyone a little on the sick side – especially the 2 babies who put everything in their mouths….it has come in SO handy. It’s not super-huge, but you can fit quite a lot in the container – even small stuffed animals, cloth toys, plastic & metal objects, etc. and still use it for bottles, pacifiers and the like. You just put the items in the container, place the lid on and press the button. That’s it. It turns off when it’s done. And it’s dry heat – so not wet messes. I keep it in my laundry room and spend the whole day dumping things in.

I guess there’s no way of knowing how truly effective it is – but at least I’m feeling proactive in trying to ward off the “sickies.” I may be the last one who knows about this little contraption – but I have to say, I’m sold on it.

And here are just a few pics of the pre-sick baby girl: