Toddler Times

I've been trying to make a concerted effort of to not load Mozart up with carbs for his snacks.  This is hard as he prefers carb: Biscuits, cookies, crackers, popcorn, bread, dry cereal, the list goes on...  Tonight we stopped at the store on the way home for a couple of things.  The garbage disposal broke, so TW asked me to pick something up for dinner.  Mozart overheard this and suggested pizza.  I was game.  Still had to go to the store, but pizza it is (we are waiting).  When we got home, though, Mozart said he needed a snack.  I cut up pears.  This was not his idea of a snack, and he let me know by wailing, "NO, I need bunny crack!!!"

We, of course, do not give our child crack of any kind.  Not even the bunny kind.**  And let's be clear if we were going to drug him, it would be of the tranquilizing nature. Not that we would ever think of that.  Not even now, as he continues to wail about having his crack.  Not even as he methodically takes his bowl of pears to the sink and dumped them in.  And not even as he throws himself on the floor, lamenting toddler-style, about how unfair life is and then bangs his head on the coffee table, making the screams all the more pleasant.

Sigh.



**The bunny crack he is referring too is Annie's Cheddar Bunnies 

And the season begins!

Next week is officially the beginning of CSA Season!  So, so excited about this ~ and this was only  reinforced today when we went to the local Farmers Market.

When the Season gets fully under way, the Farmers Market is really just a fun activity and way to supplement our shares while supporting the community, but for this short window, we actually buy groceries there.  Today we got our bread, veggies, rhubarb, shitake mushrooms, and fish.  Mozart did not want to leave, of course, and on the way out cited the the lack of soup as the reason for not leaving. TW suggested I make some for lunch and so I set to work on arrival home.

As I hadn't had this plan while shopping, and we've got quite a few staples missing, I was unsure I could accomplish the task, but anyone can make soup with whatever's in the house, right??  With the mushrooms and bok choy, I new I was going the Asian route, so started pulling things from the cupboard.  I had very little miso left, but did find two kinds of seaweed, a very small onion with green shoots growing from it, garlic, and a packet of organic ramen. Adding the rest of the miso, the flavor pack from the ramen, and the stems of the shitake (while tough, they are said to be very flavorful), I put a couple quarts of water to boil. I sauteed the onion, seaweed, sesame seeds and garlic for a bit to bring out the flavor and added to the pot.  I let this simmer for a bit, then added 5 leaves chopped bok choy, more sliced shitake, the green onions, and the ramen noodles, then a splash of soy sauce.  Using the same pan as the sautee, I added more olive oil, and put on the fresh Atlantic Cod we got today (caught last night at 9pm) from Cape Cod Fish Share (which we'll be getting a boat load of fish from starting next week), with more sliced shitake and some sea salt.  The fish simply flaked apart as it finished.  All of this was served with spelt bread from a El Jardin Bakery.

And can I say that I just love having a locally sourced meal!  Excluding the seaweed, ramen and salt, everything was made, grown, or harvested locally.  And the fish: best cod I've ever had!

Mozart wasn't a fan of the fish (more for us), but he did have two bowls of soup.


And just so you know, soup with a straw is the best way to go for all the little people in your life.  We tried it with a spoon, but after two spoonfuls on his front, this mama got smart to the straw option.

I've cleaned out the fridge and gotten rid of all expired or questionable items in preparation for next week when the Riverland Farm veggie CSA starts. The top shelf is for all very good for you, eat-as-much-as-you-want foods.  I've got the washed grapes up there, peeled carrots, pickles, dilly beans, and salad fixings all up top and at eye level.  Next shelf is for mostly good-for-you snacks, and for meals on the run.  Bottom shelf is for beverages (juice/milk) and meal prepping (meats, cooked grains, etc).  Door is for flavor enhancers, and the crispers are for the inevitable overabundance of veggies that we'll get. I'm hoping that by prepping the much of the veggies when they come in and put them at eye level that we'll eat more, waste less.   TW also ordered me a canning set-up today, so apparently, I need to learn how to can without the step-by-step guidance of Mme. Child!  

Mr. Personality

I started this post yesterday, but crashed before I could really even get started.  This is how far I got:

Fart. Screech. Fling. Y. dinner. Pizza box, Where'd it go? Fling. 4. Yeah-yeah-yeah! Want one - sink, no. Snake, yes.

Really, as you can see, it's just a list of reminders for me. This is usually how I thing of my blog posts before I write them out, but this time I was afraid if I didn't write it out I'd lose it. I thought it funny when I opened it up again, so thought I'd share.

Thing is, Mozart is still on those crazy meds, and while this kid has personality on any old day, it is a bit amped up when he is so wired.   I had a busy day yesterday and found myself on the daycare side of town with errands still to do on the other side of town, but not enough time before I had to collect him, so I went to get him early and take him along shopping with me.  Perhaps I should have skipped it considering his state of being, but I was determined.  We went to a couple of stored and ended with Wilson's.  They still have the old style strollers you see in department stores, but they really are from the 50's or 60's and the seat belts have long since lost buckles, etc.  After a trip up to the children's section, and Mozart standing in the thing several times, I used what was left of the seat belt to just tie him in.  So, so much safer after that!

The rest of the trip, mostly in the kitchen department, was spent trying to keep my cool and alternately hush him and apologize to other shoppers while he perfected his screech-monkey impression. And then he passed gas.  Rather loudly.  We were the only people in that corner at the moment, so I thought we got a pass.  But, oh, no.  The next several minutes were spent announcing, QUITE loudly, "FART!"  With glee.

On arrival home, he was running around without direction and just kind of bouncing off people and objects.  I decided it would be a good idea to go to the Y and let him run off his energy.  I voiced my idea and it was met with pure joy!  Course, had to have dinner first, which was a feat, but we managed to get about 4-5 bites in him.  I think there is an appetite suppressant in that stuff, and then of course, he flung the dinner to the floor.  Afterwards, while I was cleaning up, he picked a frozen pizza box from the recycling.  Very proud of himself, he announces, "Pizza!"  Then folds the box and says, "Where'd it go?!"  And continued to do this while we laughed at and with him. 

Once at the Y we went to the gym.  They've got it all set up so the Littles can run and tumble and, as long as they don't get trampled by an older kid, they probably won't hurt themselves.  This place is wonderful.  I wish it was an everyday thing, but it's only Fridays and Saturdays.  And only for an hour.  So for the next hour he ran from slide to trampoline to huge foam wedges, blocks and obstacles screaming, "Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah!!!"  And then every once in awhile, whenever counting might be appropriate, "FOUR!"  That's his favorite number, apparently.

On the way home, he was yammering on about who knows what in the back seat and then said, "I want one!"  We asked him what he wanted.  And the response was something to the effect of, "snnk", and I had no idea what that could mean.  Sounded like sink.  He said no.  No luck with asking him to say it again.  I asked him was it a snake.  "Yes!"  Oh, Boy. 

Cheese bribery.

While I still foresee the coconut curries being the next trend, tonight I made Turkey Tamale Pie.  I thought it was good.  The Wife thought it was good.  The Boy went into full Boy-cott mode.

Several weeks ago we decided the incessant whining for, "SNAAAAAAACKSSSSSS!!!" on arrival home each and every night had to stop.  We talked with the daycare provider and learned that he did have a snack in the afternoon, but it was usually about 2pm.  Now he gets a second snack at about 4pm to tide him over until dinner.  This, overall, has been much better in the way of whining, but it has increase his obsession for snacks.

He has still been eating dinner fairly well, but last night - and now tonight, he flat out refused to eat anything substantial.  Last night he had his portion of naan and decided that he'd rather not try my coconut curry, but wanted more snacks.  We attempted to tell him all about the lovely things he likes in the curry, and how he's tried it before and loved it, but to no avail.  All he wanted was snacks. He went to bed, I'm sure, hungry.  And woke up quite early and quite hungry.

So with tonight's stated boycott, I thought about my own need for sleep, and decided I'd resort to cheese bribery.  This was after about half an hour of convincing the child to come to the table at all for his dinner at all (he was in his high chair, but we do not pull it up to the table until the bib is on, and prior to dinner boycott, it was bib boycott - *sigh*).  I pulled out some cheese.  Made ooohs and aaaaahs over it as I cut it up into small squares.  It used to be that I could convince him to eat about anything with the prospect of a bit of cheese, a blueberry, or bite of yogurt, it was a simple, "you want this, ok, then eat this," and before you know it, he'd finished the entire plate...  No more.  I told him he could have a square of cheese if he ate a bean.  This took much convincing.  I even tried putting the bean on top of the cheese.  He looked at me as if I'd defiled the cheese.  Actually cried.  But finally, he picks up the bean.  And eats half of it.  And so I give him just a crumble of cheese.  Then he eats the rest and I give him the rest of the square of cheese.  We did this - both the Wife and I - for nearly an hour, bean by bean and crumb by crumb.  I think he may have ingested a grand total of maybe a quarter cup of tamale pie and half of one baby carrot (and a slice and a half of cheese).

My mother tells tales of how stubborn I was.  I think Mozart may be following in by footsteps.
We may be in for it.