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Posted by on August 28, 2009 5 Comments

This will be a quick and dirty post about feeding a toddler. Specifically, feeding a toddler who’s going to some sort of daycare/Mother’s Day Out thingamajig in which you are required to provide healthy nourishment that doesn’t need to be heated and will not make the providers think you are a lazy mom.

Here are a few recipes I tried out this week that were awesome. As I’ve said before, we seem to be in a bit of a rut post purees. It’s been a little hard for me going from kicking ass at making all his food from scratch (purees… breastmilk) to resorting to the freezer, cans of spaghetti and meatballs, and turkey sausages.  The good thing is there are tons of moms out there who are doing it well…feeding a toddler, that is.  They are getting creative, fighting the urge to make Tyson’s Chicken Strips for the 4th night in a row, but not getting wildly complicated at the same time.

First up, these super awesome Green Chicken Nuggets from the lovely Kali at Toddler Treats and More (toddlertreatsandmore.blogspot.com).  Yes, I know what you are thinking. They are STILL chicken nuggets…. but wait, THERE’S MORE! You are controlling what’s going into them, you are adding veggies, and they are a heck of a lot cheaper than buying all those pre-made bags of nuggets, especially if you get your chicken breast on sale. They are ridiculously easy to make with very few ingredients and easy to change up (we used broccolli and shredded cheddar since that’s what we had on hand). For those of you who need to avoid eggs for allergy reasons, you can substitute tomato paste, adding even more veggie goodness to the mix!  I doubled this recipe and used 2 chicken breasts to make a ton of nuggets that I threw in the freezer. I’ve been able to take a few out at a time for lunch and even sent some to Mother’s Day Out with Kendall this week. His end of the day report said he “gobbled” them right up. There’s no need to heat them as long as they are defrosted. Taste good to me hot or cold.

Next in line are these Sweet Potato Quesadillas (scroll down for the recipe) from Sabrina at Adventures in Babyfood (adventuresinbabyfood.com).  I’ve been buying frozen sweet potato patties for myself as a breakfast treat for a while, and was able to heat one up in the microwave while the tortilla was warming on the skillet. I spread half of it on the tortilla and topped with cheese (we skipped the chicken since I didn’t have any cooked up) and Kendall devoured it. I even snuck a few bites myself and will be smart enough to make one for myself next time. I’ve sent quesadillas to school with Kendall before, but never one like this.

Finally, a bit of a confession. I am addicted to Martha Stewart Radio on Sirius. I have the call in number memorized and have dialed in for quite a few shows. This week the topic was school lunches so I called in to see what Everyday Food host Betsy Karetnick suggested I send with my 15 month old to Mother’s Day Out that didn’t need to be heated. She suggested a simple frittata. Now, “frittata” to me sounds fancy and difficult and not at all like something I would aim to feed a toddler, but really, it’s just and open faced omelet! She walked me through the steps of how to make one, and my version that I made later that day is something like this:

Pour a little olive oil in a pan on medium heat

Beat two eggs and add to the pan

Do not stir, just cook the eggs like a pancake for a few minutes until they just start to set a little

Add some veggies (I put some frozen peas in the microwave while the eggs were setting so they were ready to go)

After a few more minutes, when the eggs are starting to look done, add some cheese on top

Let it cook just until the cheese melts then slide it out of the pan (I did this in a small skillet)

I was able to cut this one in half and save part of it for the next day. Kendall LOVED it. It wasn’t hard or fancy at all.

Okay, it’s crazy late here. I must go check on Scott. He just had his wisdom teeth removed today. Sorry for the lack of posts lately! Even though this one isn’t all that comedic, I hope it’s at least helpful.

Kendall is nearly 16 months old

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Filed Under: Headed to Toddlerhood |Tagged With: , , , , |5 Comments

Giving in to growing up

Posted by on August 25, 2009 14 Comments

There came a point where I had to just give up on the ringlets that I kept waiting to sprout all over the top of his head, where I had to give up hope that the mullet he was sporting was going to magically transform into a soft halo of curls. I had to admit to myself that my kid looked like a vagabond, and his unkempt hair was beginning to reflect poorly on my grooming abilities. I had to give in to the first haircut.

So off we went yesterday to the nearby low rent version of Hooters, minus the hot wings and beer. We headed to Sports Clips because I had a coupon for a free haircut for all new clients.  And while I was slightly turned off by the bikini clad, leathery skinned, excessively tanned woman standing by the highway with a promotional sign for $10 haircuts as we pulled into the strip mall, I was relieved to see that the actual women inside using razors and scissors were appropriately dressed.

The haircut itself was pretty unexciting. He sucked on his lollipop and she trimmed it up. I would not allow any sort of “blending”. I merely wanted the mullet gone and the hair around his ears trimmed up. Scott thought it was a terrible waste of a free coupon. Guess he figured we should have gone really big and had it all shaved off, or perhaps some fancy designs cut into the sides like Vanilla Ice.  I, however, was not ready for my “not a baby, not yet a big boy” to look like an 8 year old… or a has-been rapper.

^^^^ The final result.  Just a little cleaned up, a little less mullet, a little less sideburns, looking a little too much like an honest to goodness little boy.

No, I didn’t cry, but, yes, it did make me a tad sad.

One reason I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet was Kendall going back to “school” today. He was off from Mother’s Day Out for a couple weeks and started back this morning for the fall semester. It’s not necessarily his first day, but it is his first day in the Toddler class, the one where he will sit in a tiny chair at a tiny table for lunch, the one where he will (maybe?) nap on a mat and not in a crib (when the teacher told me this I laughed and thought, “better you than me, lady”).  This summer he truly left babyhood behind. There is not an ounce of it left.

Here’s a picture I snapped of him this morning just before we left to prove my point.

Kendall is almost 16 months old

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Filed Under: Headed to Toddlerhood |Tagged With: , , |14 Comments

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Posted by on August 21, 2009 12 Comments

Scott is working from home two days a week now, and I am blown away by his work ethic. He’s really *working*, like, the whole 8 hours. I keep telling him nobody would know if he took an extra long lunch break or a few extra coffee breaks, but he’s all honest and shit… for now. And while I don’t get much from him during the day in the form of help, except the two times that Kendall crapped a muddy river and I screamed and insisted he help me clean up, I am getting a healthy and refreshing dose of respect (not that he really lacked in that department, let’s just say it’s been an eye-opener for him).

This morning, for the first and probably only time, he took on the duty of watching Kendall while trying to work so I could head out to the chiropractor (OOOOOMMMMGGGG amazing, all moms should see chiropractors) so he could continue working on this nerve damage in my shoulder, undoubtedly amplified, if not actually caused by Kendall. I was gone about two hours and called to check in on my way home.

“He’s crazy,” Scott says.

::background noise:: ahhh, babababab,baaaww!! EEEEEEE!!

“What do you mean?” I reply sheepishly.

“He’s crazy, Jill. He …I… I can’t get anything done. He’s just”

“Yeah, I understand. I will be home soon.”

“I don’t think he’s feeling well. He won’t stop whining and crying,” he says in an official tone.

“Uhhhhh… well, that sounds pretty normal,” I say, stifling a laugh.

I get home and am greeted at the door by a pantsless little boy, still in his jammy top, covered in banana slime and snot, beaming from ear to ear. “Momma, mommommoma, momA!” he says. It almost sounds like a genuine, “I’ve missed you, where have you been? I love you!” I scoop him up and think, “Ahhh, so this is what it feels like to be missed, to come home to a little guy who is excited to see you.” I never really experience that since I am around him all. the. time.

I am quickly corrected when I realize what he is really trying to say is, “Oh my God, what the hell? You leave me with dad and he doesn’t even read me any stories or put Sesame Street on for me. He’s just sitting there, trying to WORK, and he won’t give me any more snacks! I want SNACKS! Naaaaaack! Naaaaack!”

I head to the kitchen and reach for a box of cereal, set him up at the table and fill a little bowl for him. Scott wanders in and I ask him how it went. He says …… pause for dramatic effect….. get this…

“You have no idea.”

::blink, raise eyebrows, blink, cold stare::

“Oh, wait… yeah, sorry. Yes you do. Sorry,” he blurts out quickly, bracing himself for the knives I might throw at him.

He follows up with several mentions of how he doesn’t know how I get anything done, to which I remind him that I usually don’t. He says he understands why I had to stop working from home and thank God for that one day a week when Kendall goes to Mother’s Day Out, right?

I think he’s beginning to question the whole work at home thing. Clearly this is not remotely as peaceful as the office and no amount of casual clothes and zero commute is going to change that. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame him if he changed his mind.

Kendall is 15 months and nearly three weeks old

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Filed Under: Headed to Toddlerhood |Tagged With: , , , |12 Comments

I give you our new glass canvas!

Posted by on August 15, 2009 5 Comments

Yes, I may be asking for it, encouraging my child to draw on windows with markers. Yes, I understand that at this age there’s no difference between windows and walls to him. Yes, it’s possible that very shortly I will be bemoaning his newly found Picasso skills after he decorates the oven. I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to try out some super cool new art supplies with him, though, and this was PERFECT. After learning about Crayola’s Window Markers on Twitter this week, I had to try them. Check it out:

How cool is that?? It’s possible that *I* had more fun than he did. It’s possible that he thought it would make more sense to eat the markers, but I have high hopes for this fun little activity. We have these giant windows in the “room we know not what to do with” that I’m in the process (very slow process) of turning into an office/play area where we can all exercise our creative freedoms (or just pay the bills). I’m officially deeming them a glass canvas. Why the hell not? The only people from the outside that can see them are our neighbors when they take out the trash, and think of all the trees we’re saving.

I’m even thinking of picking these vinyl decal frames up next time I’m in Target and sticking a few of them on the windows so I have he has some “frames” to draw in (not that I discourage coloring outside the lines!).

Of course, I supervised Kendall the entire time and then put the markers up in a very high, remote, dusty corner of the house while he wasn’t looking in hopes of keeping him from scaling various chairs and tables to get to them. He did get quite a bit on his face and his hands and the window sills, but it all wiped off really, really well, better than the dog slobber for sure. We did a mural yesterday that I let sit overnight and I wiped it off the windows this morning with no problems with just a little vinegar and water. Also found some marks on the window sills that I missed yesterday and they came right off, too. Crayola also makes Window Crayons that we will, undoubtedly, be adding to the arts and crafts box soon.

This was Kendall’s first real experience with coloring. Although he didn’t do much more than a few scribbles, he sure liked sitting in my lap and watching me draw ducks and dogs and stick figures as I pointed out what color I was using.  It was a nice indoor activity that let us take in a little bit of sun without having to subject ourselves to the oven that is known as Texas.

(And for those of you wondering, this post is not a sponsored review of any sort. I sought out the markers, gave them a shot, and decided I needed to tell you all about them.)

Kendall is about 15 months and 2 weeks old

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Filed Under: Headed to Toddlerhood |Tagged With: , , |5 Comments
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