Meal time

My kids love food. Like, really love it. So much so that they often get impatient that they only get every other bite. And they eat a ton! Baby food adds up and can get really expensive, so I make my own. It's super easy, plus I've read articles that suggest that kids who are fed with homemade baby food may end up being less picky than others. We'll see if that proves true or not. Either way, I use my rice cooker to steam carrots, squash, sweet potatoes etc then add a little of the steam water and purée them in the magic bullet. Then I put them into ice cube trays and freeze them. Once they're frozen I break them into a ziplock freezer bag to store them until I'm ready to use them. So easy. I've made peas, carrots, green beans, squash, and sweet potatoes. The fruits are generally easier just to make fresh - ie) I'll cut up a fresh pear and add a little water and mix it in the bullet. I sometimes add a handful of frozen blueberries to it before mixing. They love it all! I've also been trying to introduce spices so they can get different flavors. I put cinnamon in their oatmeal/applesauce mixture every morning, and I've added garlic, chili powder, and herbs to their sweet potatoes. It's really fun to experiment with different flavors and see their reactions. My rule is that I never give them anything I wouldn't eat. So when I made the sweet potatoes and tasted them and thought they were too bland, that's when I started adding spices. My goal is to be able to transition them right to eating the same meals that Forrest and I eat, so I don't have to prepare or buy special meals for them.

Lately Caroline has been not liking her high chair. She'll sit in there for the first few bites, but then she cries and fusses until I get her out and put her on my lap instead. Then she's happy as a clam. But that means that I'm trying to keep the bowl of food out of her reaching grasp while I try to feed her (without being able to see her mouth very well) and feed Charlie, who is waiting anxiously with his mouth wide open for another bite. Generally we all end up covered in whatever food they're eating, but it's ok. I find the challenge to stay clean kind of thrilling. When she will stay in her high chair, Caroline makes me work pretty hard to get her to open her mouth. I don't think it's because she doesn't want the food - she loves it and she'll eat 4 cubes of food (which is about the equivalent of two store bought containers) without batting an eye. I think she does it because she likes to see me be silly. So she sits there with her lips pursed tight until I come up with a silly new song or pull a face that is funny enough to make her crack a smile - then I sneak the spoon in and she's thrilled as she chows down. Meanwhile Charlie sits with his mouth wide open, as if saying "Give it to me! I'll take it! Pick me!" 

And Charlie has made a habit of falling asleep in the middle of dinner. I mean literally, in between bites. He starts strong and then after a few bites, his eyes stay closed longer when he blinks. Then he gets to the point where he just leaves his eyes closed and opens his mouth for bites when I touch the spoon to his lips. I know he's finally 100% asleep when he stops opening his mouth at all. He hunkers down with his face still covered in food and takes a little 15 minute cat nap, then wakes up ready to resume his eating. Like nothing ever happened. I think it's the cutest thing ever. 

Don't you agree?