Tuesday, September 16, 2008

More On Breakfast, Plus Freckles and Repetitive Nopes

Great breakfast ideas from just about everyone! A few of you mentioned cream cheese on toast, so I toasted whole wheat english muffins and left out the cream cheese for the babysitter to give the Pumpkin this morning. I'll ask her tomorrow how it went, but I have high hopes.

Also, I was having cereal for dinner last night*, and the Pumpkin asked for some. I have given her bites of my cereal before (when it's Cheerios or something else I deem acceptable for her age), and she really seems to like it. Well, she had eaten a bunch of her dinner, but really wanted more and more of my cereal. So I poured her a little bowl of her own with a touch of milk on it.

She LOVED it! So I poured her another. I'm happy to say, we now have another cereal eater in the family. This will make some mornings easier, especially combined with toast and fruit.

As for the fruit... I didn't mention it yesterday as part of our breakfasts, and that's because it's not just a part of breakfast for the Pumpkin. Fruit must be had at EVERY meal, and often for snacks too. This child is a fruitaholic unlike anything I've seen before. Just this morning when I was setting the breakfast foods out on the table while the babysitter was watching the Pumpkin, the child walked into the kitchen, saw the bowl of melon chunks on the table and (I am not making this up) mouthed the word "fruit" with no sound, immediately followed by her turning to the babysitter and saying out loud, "Eat! Eat!" and trying to get in her high chair.

Her passion for fruit was exceedingly high this morning, because we had not been to the grocery store in too long and have been down to an orange (which she ate last night with dinner) and applesauce. Also, I knew the eating regression was serious when she didn't even finish her banana one afternoon!

In other news, the freckle count is up to six! There are the two on her arm, one on her ribs, one by her knee and now the one on her thigh and one at her hair line on her forehead. I get so excited when I find a new one, and I keep looking all the time. In fact, the Pumpkin knows the word "feckel" and points at spots on her body when she says it, although she doesn't quite point to an actual freckle. The odd thing though is that they are all on her right side. You'd think with six freckles there would be one on her left side, but nope!

Speaking of "nope," I have a bone to pick with Sandra Boynton! As much as I love the book What's Wrong, Little Pookie?, it is teaching my daughter a major bad habit! Every question the mom asks her little Pookie is answered with "no," "nope" or "no, thank you." My child loves this book, and since discovering her love of it, she has been answered every question asked of her with "no" or "nope!" So when she does this, I start breaking out into the silly question the mom asks about hippos borrowing shoes or green elephants stealing cookies. It gets a big laugh and helps me maintain my sanity with a child who does not know how to answer questions with "yes" even when she means yes. But it still doesn't really alleviate my frustration that she does not answer yes. Ever. So, Ms. Boynton, can you please write a book in which the child answers very nicely yes to all questions asked? Thank you!

*On the rare occassion I had something as crazy as cereal for dinner when I was growing up, my mom used to call it "Silly Supper" night. We could pick cereal or PBJs or something else really easy to make. We thought these were so fun and funny. Now, I realize that it was a night my mom took off of cooking, but she made it seem like a special treat. As an adult Cereal for dinner has been a regular meal. We both really enjoy cooking, but it often didn't seem worth the energy when it was just us two. Now, it is important to us to provide the Pumpkin was home cooked meal. But sometimes we cook food just for her and still enjoy a little cereal for dinner.

7 comments:

I'm Not Skippy said...

We haven't gotten any of the pookie books yet, but we read Belly Button Book and But NOT the Hippopotamus a lot.

Our little guy has eaten most everything we put in from of him and when we're eating he begs for food. . . a lot. Hopefully that'll last.

Cloud said...

Our Pumpkin hasn't learned "yes", yet, either. But we're currently celebrating the increased use of "No!" because that is better than biting... And it is really cute when she scolds us. She shakes her finger and us and says "no, no!"

Shellie said...

And I forgot soup! Some of my boys love soup for breakfast. Others are cereal freaks, one with milk, one without. Yes, I'm sure something like cheerios is going to be a big hit at her age, so easy for her to feed herself.

OneTiredEma said...

Not to brag, but my kids could probably challenge Pumpkin to a fruit-off. Seriously, I never thought as a parent I'd have to say no to fruit--but everyone once in a while you have to try to balance with some dairy or grain or something!

KG said...

Sumo is learning the weirdest words - the fact that she says "freckle" reminds me of how strange the words he is learning are.

For example - he says "bottle." Not in reference to his sippy cup - but in reference to my water bottle. Which apparently is THE GREATEST TOY EVER.

Whatever.

Anyway - I'm lucky - Sumo eats anything. Except green beans.

Anonymous said...

book or no book the "no" days arrive regardless. Boog has never even seen that book and he went through that as well.

I sometimes have cereal for dinner on leftover nights. Everyone else eats leftovers, I eat Lucky Charms. I consider that my reward for cooking the other 6 nights of the week.

OneHappyCow said...

I have to say no to fruit also - quite sad really, but it tears up her little behind.

Caramama, I swear, sometimes I think we are raising the same child! Although I know you have a little supergenius, mine is still quite bright;)

Learning I Have Hypertension

This past winter, I discovered I have developed high blood pressure. This came as a surprise for me, since I generally had always had blood ...