Pork, the One You Love

We had another dinner experiment tonight.   PORK!   I had a couple of boneless pork loins in the fridge that I was having a hankering for.....I looked at Kyler awaiting in his highchair and said, "why not? It's pork, the one you love!"   I had a plan to just tell him it was chicken. s-m-a-r-t

10 minutes on the Griddler and we had us a delish meal with peas and mac 'n cheese. He look one of the cut up bites and shortly grabbed for another. SUCCESS!  Then he shocked me by asking for some "dip"  (aka ketchup) and "musser" which I took as "mustard." Whoa!  Coming right up, my boy!!!!

We had a most amazing meal together and shared some laughs about pork. I was pretending to order to Chinese takeout of Pork Fried Rice (ala "Porr Flied Lice")...although I don't really think he knew what he was laughing about other than Pop's silly faces. It would have been perfect meal together had he not ripped a big ol' man-fart half way through dinner that we both laughed about. Actually, that probably made it just perfect now that I think about it. Oh well, like Papa like son.   Frrrrrrrrrrrrrrt  :) 

He Mustard Up the Courage

Just somewhat of a follow up from my previous post. I basically alluded to the fact that Kyler can be somewhat of a picky eater. He definitely knows what he does and does not like to eat. He is big ketchup fan for dipping almost anything in. 

Tonight was a breakthrough at dinner time for me. I asked Kyler if he'd like something different to dip his chicken nuggets in. Of course he said "yes" because I really don't think he knew what I was asking.....or intending. I had a plan to see if I could get Kyler to try and possibly like mustard. 

Now as you know.....mustard is very distinct taste. You either love it or hate it. I had a gut feeling that he was not going to like it, but I just had to try.  Why?  His Dada is a HUGE mustard fan and puts in on almost everything. I just thought it'd be cute if they both had a love for mustard. 

I put out his chicken nuggets and put the tiniest of dollops of mustard on the corner of the plate...next to the larger splat of ketchup. I told Kyler is was something different and that it would taste funny, and that he did not have to like it. The boy smiled and dipped his finger right in it and off into his mouth it went. 

I wish I could have captured the face. It was a cross between "what the hec's in my mouth" and "hey this is kind of fun."  He ended up finishing off the rest of the mustard dollop with a few of the nuggets and then switched to the ketchup. Whoooo-Hoooo!   I was half expecting him to spit it out or chuck his plate (yes this sweet angel has done that before, Nana)....but not this.  WOW!

I have to hand it to him....he sure surprised me tonight. My brave little man....mustard'ing up the courage to try new things.   It's all a Papa could ask for. 

Battle the Veggie War and CRUSH it!

If you're like me, you struggle with getting your toddler to eat their veggies. I personally love almost all vegetables, and I want our son to love them as well. But if your child is anything like Kyler, he's pretty much limited us to peas, carrots and occasionally he'll surprise with a few swallows of potatoes. I've tried several times to get him to eat sweet potatoes (roasted with honey) and some other healthy alternatives, but I usually end up with the same result:  a huge mess and none of the veggies ending up anywhere inside my child.  UGH!   To save my sanity and provide the variety of veggies we desire for Kyler to have......we sneak. 

Thank goodness there are many products on the market that we lovingly call "crushers."  They go by different names:  pouches, veggie grabs, squeezies.  Whatever you call them, I hope you are in love with them as much as we are. They typically use apple sauce as a base (and sometimes some fruit, e.g. mangoes), but then they sneak in great veggies like:  sweet potatoes, spinach, squash and even rutabaga. I know they are meant to be for much younger babies that might be transitioning into solids, but not in this household!  They are perfect for those emergency snacks on the go, but they are a great supplement to a meal when you just need some veggie action in your child so you can go to bed with a clean conscience. 

You can see from this image with Ella's Kitchen, Kyler gets a nice heap full of sweet potatoes AND pumpkin with this crusher. Plus, the antioxidants the blueberries. WIN-WIN!

We'll continue our efforts of getting Kyler to explore with more vegetables, but we'll always know we can reach for these little pouches in the cabinet and CRUSH it!

Why don't they make these for adults? Or do they?  

My Next Leap Into Fatherhood

Today starts a whole new journey in my quest for being a good father. Brad is going back into his show at the Kennedy Center for about 10 weeks. Combining the 8 shows a week he will do with his full-time day job makes for a very busy (and tired) Dada, but he is very excited to be back in theater where his true passion is fulfilled. I couldn't be more proud of him.

What this means for Pop (me) is that I have solo duty every night (except Monday) while Dad is in the show. I need to become Super Pop. Although it will be an adjustment, I'm really looking forward to it and the challenges I will face. Here is what I'm looking forward to:

• forcing myself to leave work "early" every day at 5pm (most ppl call this normal departure time) to pick Kyler up
• enjoying one-on-one dinners with my son and the conversations we will have
• being creative with my ability to entertain a very energetic 2 yr old for several hours
• seeing if I can still maintain sanity and balance
• supporting my fiance with his passion and welcoming him home each night

Brad has had to be "solo dad" every time I have had a work trip, and I know how difficult it can be. Am I up for the challenge?  Hec ya!  Will I have some epic failures?  Ummm, hi, yes...do you know me?  If Murphy Brown can do it....so can I!!!!  (actually, I can't believe I just referenced Murphy Brown)  Brad will still be home each night after Kyler is asleep and then again most of the day on the weekend. So no biggie, right? 

I know I can do this. I know so many positive things will come from this. I know I will grow from this experience. I know I will love my son even more. I know I can do this. I can take this leap.....this leap of faith. 

Watch me!