All You Can Eat

My kids aren't always the most adventurous eaters.  We definitely have our share of "I can't eat that because it was touching that," or "It smells funny," or "I liked it last time but this time I don't want to taste it because it looks weird."  But, overall they eat good food. They don't ask for chicken nuggets or mac & cheese, in part because Matthew's allergies mean we just don't have that kind of stuff.  Instead, they'll polish off a plate of roasted broccoli and ask for more.  They beg for homemade bread.  They love scallops and shrimp, but Cameron will only eat the shrimp and Matthew will only eat the scallops.  It works!

Sushi is Cameron's favorite treat . . . probably because it's also David's favorite treat . . . and mine.  But Matthew has never been able to participate since his food allergies make it impossible to safely eat out. When Cameron asked for a sushi set for Christmas, I don't think he realized what a great gift he was getting for Matthew!  We just had our third all-family sushi fest and we can finally ALL say sushi is our favorite treat!  

Taste Test

Cameron is a picky eater.  I have NO idea where he got this from.  (Ignore any comments from my mother.)  He doesn't like different foods to touch each other.  He doesn't like anything spicy.  He doesn't like any differences in color or texture.  For example, he carefully examined each tiny piece of chicken on his plate the other night and made a pile of the rejects.  "I can't eat these ones," he explained.  "They have brown on them."  David attempted to reason with him, which doesn't work.

"The brown parts are the best," he said.  "That's just where the chicken was touching the pan," he said.  "You haven't even tried it," he said.

Then, David had an idea.  "Let's do a taste test," he suggested.  "We'll blindfold you and see if you can tell which piece has no brown on it, which has a little and which has a lot."  Cameron promptly agreed and proceeded to misidentify every bite.

Tastes Like Good

The boys and I baked French Puff muffins this morning, to Matthew's great excitement.  "I be your helper Mama!  I be your HEEELLLLPPPEERRR!" he screeched as I measured out the dairy-free margarine. 

"Okay, Matthew," I said.  "You can help me measure the sugar. No, no, we don't put our hands in the food!"

Matthew required several reminders not to put his hands in the bowl.  And then, after turning away for a moment only to find Matthew's face covered in flour, it occurred to me that I needed to explain that faces shouldn't go in the food either.  I didn't tell him that if he was going to put his face in something, I'd choose the sugar over the flour myself.

Then I explained that, although a clever way around the stated rules, a new rule was that measuring cups should not be used to bring the food to you.

But it was worth it all in the end -- look at those smiles!  As Matthew said, upon trying his hot-from-the-oven muffin, "Mmmmm.  Tastes like good."

Muffins for Matthew

Matthew has multiple food allergies and to say that this has been life-changing is an understatement.  Food is unavoidable and when something unavoidable is also life-threatening for your child, it's tough.  Sometimes I feel like an allergen-detecting robot -- I enter a room and immediately I begin to scan for threats.  Beep, beep, beep, beeeeeeep!  Peanut butter sandwich! 
It's scary and exhausting and on top of that it's frustrating because so many people don't understand food allergies. I can't tell you how many times I've had a conversation that goes like this:

"No, he can't have ice cream.  He's allergic to milk."

"Oh, really?  You mean he can't have ice cream just because he's allergic to milk?  Huh!"

"Well, ice cream is made from milk, so, no he can't have it."

"What about cheese?"

"Ummm, cheese is made from milk.  So he can't have cheese."

"Wow!  But what about butter?  He must be able to have butter, right?"

"No.  Butter is made from milk.  He's allergic to milk.  So he can't eat or drink anything that is made from or contains milk!" 

Substitute any other allergen and repeat conversation.

I read labels obsessively now, and I throw myself bodily between Matthew and any outstretched hand offering food and I cook and bake A LOT.  And today, I was absolutely giddy when the UPS delivery man knocked on my door, bearing my copy of The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book by Kelly Rudnicki.  Kelly blogs at Food Allergy Mama and I can hardly wait to make Matthew some French Puff Muffins from her new book!

True Giving

Today, as I was making dinner, I was chatting on the phone with my dad. The boys were playing together and, incredibly, not causing any trouble or in any imminent danger. But then Matthew decided he wanted a snack and took matters into his own hands, climbing on a chair and pulling a box of cereal off a shelf. "Gotta go, Dad," I said. "Matthew got himself a box of cereal and I'm going to have to get it away from him before he eats the whole thing." As he heard me say this, Matthew began frantically shoveling handfuls of cereal in his mouth. I began to walk toward him he reached into the box, double fisted. As I grabbed the box away, he crammed one full hand into his own mouth and reached over with the other to put a handful in Cameron's mouth!

Cameron the Carnivore, Part 2

Cameron is fond of the Trader Joe's meatless corn dogs, so I was surprised to find it untouched on his lunch plate. The following conversation ensued.

Me: Why aren't you eating your corn dog?
Cameron: I don't want it.
Me: Why not? I thought you loved those corn dogs?
Cameron: Corn . . . Dog . . . Corn . . . Dog. Corn 'cause the outside is corn. And dog because . . .
Me: No, no, no! A corn dog isn't made out of dog! It's just a name. We don't really eat dogs.
Cameron (laughing): Oh, right. I knew that. We don't eat dogs. Thoughtful pause. Unless they're really mean dogs.

News from the Highchair

Matthew is a grand champion when it comes to eating. Having mastered the purees, we recently introduced him to that age-old baby snack, Cheerios. After a bit of experimentation, I am pleased to announce that Matthew has discovered the pincer grip! What a breakthrough!

He picks up the Cheerio.
He adroitly transfers said Cheerio to mouth.

He consumes the Cheerio ALL BY HIMSELF!Just look at him beaming with pride at this feat of fine motor control! And note the adorable misplaced Cheerio on his cheek!You'll also note the ultra-cool bib Matthew is sporting. My mom recently sent me a link to DaBib and I promptly ordered a few of the Hugs style. Matthew can be a tad messy with those purees and he nearly always needed a change of clothes after mealtime. Additionally, Matthew's chubby cheeks were the perfect path for dribble to collect under his chin, where it would irritate his sensitive skin. DaBib solved those problems with its scrunchy neckline -- one of those "Why didn't I think of that?" innovations.

I was impressed with the design alone, but my recent experience with DaBib's customer service has me even more impressed. You see, after washing the bibs for the first time, I saw that the seam of one of the necklines had unravelled. It was still perfectly usable, but it was disappointing that it didn't seem to be holding up so well and I sent a brief e-mail to DaBib. It wasn't a whiny, "you better fix this or else" e-mail. In fact it was a "love the design, disappointed with the quality" e-mail. I didn't really expect anything to come of it, but I always feel better if I DO something when I am frustrated. To my complete surprise, my phone rang about 30 minutes later and it was the owner of the company! She apologized, told me that she'd never had any quality complaints before and I must have received a bum bib and offered to send me a new bib! Wow! And then today, I opened my mailbox to find not one, but TWO new DaBibs! It put such a smile on my face that I had to share with my loyal readers. (Sorry to those of you who do not have small, messy humans living with you -- you are probably bored to tears reading about scrunchy necklines!)

April Fool's Day!

Cameron and I, we are TRICKY! Tonight, we TOTALLY fooled Daddy with a carefully prepared meal of grilled cheese, peas and carrots. So, here is the funny part: the grilled cheese was really grilled pound cake with orange frosting and the peas and carrots were made from Starburst candies! Oh, man, we laughed and laughed as we arranged his plate!When Daddy sat down to eat, Cameron slyly gave me a big wink. We could hardly contain our giggles as Daddy took a bite and . . . "WHOA! That's not grilled cheese!"
Cameron also came up with a prank all on his own. He took a small cardboard box, put it inside a big cardboard box and sealed it up with packing tape. We casually left it on the table and mentioned that a package had arrived that afternoon. Naturally, Daddy was excited and wondered what was in the package. When he opened the box and found nothing but another empty box, Cameron gave me a big thumbs up, shown below, and shouted "April Fool's!"
Wow. Sometimes we are so clever, we scare ourselves.

Baby gourmet

Having discovered that his own toes are delicious, Matthew decided to sample Daddy's toes. I love the look on his face in this first photo -- behind that innocent visage lurks a dastardly plot!He plans to stick to his own toes in the future -- he complained that Daddy's had a strange aftertaste.

Matthew is also on a Mexican kick. Rice was so delectable, he moved on to baby guacamole. I'm an excellent baby chef, if I do say so myself. Here is my top secret recipe for baby guacamole.

Ingredient:
Avocado

Directions:
Mash avocado.

Matthew raved about it. We're just a tortilla and some beans away from a burrito, baby!

What's cooking?

Ever the innovator, Cameron opened up a diner this morning which he creatively named "Diner." Diner boasts that its menu is unparalleled. As you can clearly read, pizza, soup and toast are among the daily offerings. Additionally, there are several daily chef's specials. See if you can guess what the chef whipped up today.

Ohhhh, you guessed it! Orange segments and pepperoni sauteed with ketchup. Cameron is clearly recovered from the stomach virus.

Mmm, mmm mush

While I am generally a proponent of delaying solids until 6 months, Matthew had been making it increasingly clear that he was ready for more than a liquid diet. Grabbing anything headed for my mouth, staring longingly at my morning oatmeal, drooling through our meals . . . finally we got the hint. So, last night, Matthew sampled some mmm mmm good rice cereal. He was enthusiastic, impatiently grasping at the spoon and glaring at me when he gagged himself in his zeal. He gobbled down a tablespoon and then gave an appreciative pfft, spewing mush all over me and his face. It does make for a cute photo, though, so I can't complain! Cameron, who was vehemently anti-cereal as an infant, was no less disgusted by the stuff today. I tormented him by repeatedly suggesting that he might want me to whip up a bowl for him which was met with anxious cries of "Noooo, Mommy! I don't want to eat that!" He was greatly amused though by Matthew's excitement over the soupy stuff. Afterwards, Cameron requested that I take a photo of him with his little brother to commemorate this grand event. Reflecting the solemnity of the occasion, Cameron kept a straight face while giving Matthew rabbit ears.
Tune in next time for more of Matthew's awe-inspiring feats!

Bakers extraordinaire

Grandma Linda gave Cameron a holiday cake baking set for Christmas, and it sounded like the perfect project on a cold, snowy morning.

Here, Cameron stirs.

When the cakes were put in the oven, Cameron was so exhilarated that he asked me to turn on the oven light. He sat like this, watching the cakes bake, for about eight minutes! For a 4-year-old, this is equivalent to 2 days. Now, anyone can bake a cake. Heck, if that was all we wanted to do, we could have bought a Betty Crocker mix. But does Betty's mix come with PAINTBRUSHES?!?!? That's right folks, we got to paint a design on the cake! Cameron is quite an artist, as I think has been documented in many posts. He took this commissioned work every bit as seriously as he has his previous endeavors.
And did that work every pay off! Check out Cameron's tree!
Here, Cameron shows the cake I decorated. He plans to take it to Chloe's house tomorrow. (Dena, if you read my blog: Surprise! We're bringing cake tomorrow!)

Nutrition, shmutrition

Today, Cameron and I were eating lunch in the cafe after his tumbling class. I had packed his lunch -- turkey on wheat, a low-fat yogurt and a banana. Now, Cameron does eat some junk food and is still obsessively plotting his next selection from his Halloween stash, but we try to teach him healthy habits. I observed curiously as several parents purchased lunch for their child at the cafe, most selecting chocolate milk or Pepsi for their preschooler. But this conversation, at the table next to us, took the cake (pardon the pun!).

Mom: Finish your Cheetos.
Preschooler: I don't want any more Cheetos.
Mom: Fine. Then you have to finish your cookies.

SERIOUSLY! Cameron dreams of me telling him to finish his cookies, for goodness sake!

Cleaning his plate

The things we resort to to get Cameron to eat a well-balanced meal!
I was rewarded for my efforts, however, when Cameron asked yesterday if he could "have a snack of snap peas, green beans or another vegetable?" Wellllllll, if you clean up your toys and ask really, really nicely . . .

Cooking Camp

This week, Cameron is going to Cooking Camp at the school he will be attending in the fall. Cameron has always been slow to warm up to new situations, so I was pretty nervous about his first day. David and I both took the day off and made a big production of what a "special day" it was. We went out for pancakes and Cameron was so excited that he ordered his pancakes and bacon and then told the waitress that he was going to cooking camp to learn to make pizza. (Cameron had also told me that I would no longer need to make dinner, as he would be taking care of it after attending camp!) When we got to the school, Cameron had a huge smile on his face. We introduced him to the teacher and with a smile and a wave he said, "Bye Mommy and Daddy!" We could hardly believe it! David and I spent the next few hours running errands and then returned to pick up Cameron. He proudly presented us with some bread he had baked and spent the rest of the day telling everyone he came across about cooking camp.

This morning, I confidently took Cameron to camp expecting another happy goodbye. After all, if the first drop-off went so well, why in the world wouldn't the second? Fool! When will I learn? I left Cameron sobbing and shouting, "NO, Mommy, don't leave!" It was HORRIBLE! I had a hair appointment for which I arrived ten minutes late with red, puffy eyes and a migraine. Now, of course, when I picked Cameron up he was grinning from ear to ear and couldn't wait to show me the cookie he had baked.

Here's hoping that tomorrow morning goes more smoothly.

Backyard picnic

Cameron and I just enjoyed a picnic lunch in our backyard. Cameron was thrilled and even ate his green beans -- everything tastes delicious when you eat it outside!

The best part, though, was white chocolate mousse for dessert. As you can see, Cameron made sure he got every last little bite!