Latest toddler gift...

I've figured it out, though I'm not sure what I'm going to do if we ever live in a climate that makes having a something cold to drink year round a little ridiculous.

Okay, I'm sure that if you are a frequent blog reader you're familiar with the green monsters or SIAB(AKA= Smoothies in a bowl). This is something that many of those in the healthy living area are already all over. Yeah, I'm a little late to the party.

But here's the thing, I think Mama Pea is onto something.

Alright, I'll stop blathering on and just say it.

How do you get a little person to eat their veggies?

Trick question, you don't. Have them drink them.

Okay, stay with me. Tonight, Abi decided she was perfectly content to just have pizza for dinner. She didn't really want her mac and cheese from last night... well she did but not the "green stuff" (spinach) that I had put in it. (It actually tasted really good, and I am planning to have it for lunch tomorrow.)

So I ask her what she wants for dinner, going through the contents of the fridge. She wants pizza...GREAT! I have no problem with pizza but unless I've really jazzed it up with a truck load of veggies it just doesn't do it for me as a main entree for her. So I'm thinking tonight, what can I add to her pizza to make me feel better.

That's when I have my aha moment. She can have a smoothie. We've been having smoothies for a while, but usually I've made them for me and she wants some. Tonight, she is my audience and bonus I've all the contents in the fridge.

Including the despised frozen spinach! I add a huge hunk of it, I'm talking the size of two her little fist. To hide that distinctive green color a bit, I throw in some frozen blueberries to the mango smoothie mix from Jamba Juice (Earthfare has them on sale right now).

The taste, not half bad. Okay... it's really good and I don't even like mango. What's better than that, she is currently sucking down some spinach in a cup none the wiser.

So do yourself and the parents in your life a favor. When their little person has another gift giving holiday or just because you like them, get them a decent blender/personal drink mixer. Tell them to throw in their favorite smoothie ingredients along with some spinach.

Their kid will drink their veggies and you will be highly favored... especially over that person who buys them toys that eat batteries.

Gave her words and she thought she would use them.....

As children get older they want things. As a small child, their vocabulary and ability to articulate their wants may not quite match their level of comprehension of their surroundings. With Abi this was definitely the case; so the loving and progressive parents we are we taught her sign language. As she got older, she would cry when something happened. So we then made the connection for her, use your words and we will use our ears. Of course the reverse is true.

Fast forward a few months, and she is expressing herself and articulating exactly how she feels. We patted ourselves on the backs, this was a good idea. She was understanding and being understood.

Well the other day, she and her daddy are playing. A tickle war has ensued and finally she reaches her point. The point where the tickling is no longer fun, and you're really just ready not to play in anymore.

"DADDY, I'm all done! Please do not tickle me anymore."

Talk about putting on the breaks. We both turn and look at her. The audacity of the pint size person we created is surprising....and yet, we created this. We created this strong little person who knows her mind, and sees no reason not to give voice to it.

How cool is that?!

Yeah, I know she is only 3 like we are on the right path.

What the heart wants...

is to be a good mother. Yeah an easy task to be sure.. lol. In truth it is probably the hardest and the best thing I've ever attempted. Of course some days are easier than others, like last week.

Last week was Thanksgiving, so that meant I had full days with the toddler. It was great. We hung out, we played, we acted silly, and then we cuddled. Holiday gatherings always mean the sharing of beds in my family. Since getting married I've been upgraded and not had to share a bed with anyone but my husband. Well this Thanksgiving I shared a bed with the toddler for the first time in a long time. It had it's rough moments (feet in the stomach) but overall it was okay with some really sweet moments. The best was the middle of the night hug and kiss, sometimes delivered by a still sleeping little one. I say all of that to say, tonight was NOT one of those moments.

Tonight was one of those moments where I doubt my own sanity because I've said I want more kids. Tonight was a battle of the wills between me and the little one. Literally from the time I arrived at her school, each subsequent step required a fight. Wash your hands, NO. Put your scarf on, NO. Put your coat on, NO. If life were easier there definitely would have been a stand in or someone who I could have tapped into my place or that easy button would really exist. Stupid commercials.

However, that really isn't how life works. So tonight for 45 minutes, she screamed. She screamed about everything. She wanted to be anywhere, but with me. You pick a store, she named it as where she wanted to go. Frankly anywhere would have been better than getting in the car. Who can blame her? She has a set of lungs that wont quit.

At the end, reason and logic prevailed. She put her outerwear on and walked in the house. And for the rest of the night, my sweet baby was there. As I tucked her in, she kissed and hugged and kissed some more. She wanted "lots of kisses" and who doesn't love that.