Food Fight!

Okay, there was no fighting involved.  Actually, there wasn't even much fussing involved.

But last night Jonathan got his very first taste of real food! 

First food: avocado.  Yep, avocado.  Not rice cereal.  Not oatmeal.
I mashed the avocado and mixed with a LOT of formula so it was soupy.  Over the next week I'll make it a bit thicker each day.  But I wanted to start with it pretty liquidy.

How did he like it?  Not too bad. 

Getting ready for that first bite.  A bit unsure.

"Um, what on earth is THIS?"

"Okay, seriously, what IS this?"

"Let me just play with this in my mouth a bit."

"Let's do that AGAIN!"

Pretty much every bite went like this: Interest, yucky face, followed by smacking it a bit and swallowing happily.

Classic

Why avocado, you might ask?  Well, I know the standard is to use cereal of some kind.  But I have this theory that by making carbohydrates the first food for our children we set them up for a life of carb loving.  I have no basis of this belief but I figure it can't hurt to start with a fruit/veg.  I chose avocado because it's full of healthy fats, fairly mild in flavor, and can be mashed into baby food without any cooking or added water.  Each of the other kids started with avocado as well.  In fact, last night I was thinking that between the other two kids I probably didn't finish an entire box of rice cereal total.  I only ever gave Allison a few servings of just cereal.  Mostly I just used to to beef up the Stage 1 purees and make them heartier after they had them act of eating them down. And since we've waiting until 5 1/2+ months to start solids with our kids, I felt more comfortable going with something more "real."



it just gets funnier!

I swear that Allison gets more and more funny each day!

Last night at bedtime she asked daddy why his hair is always "like that."  Here's how it went:

Allison: "Daddy, why is your hair always like that?" (said as she touches his hair)
Mr Brown: "Like what?"
Allison: "Like this!" (as you pushes all of her hair over the top of her head to the other side)
Me: "I'm pretty sure she's saying you have a comb-over!"
Allison: "Yeah, comb-over"
Me: laughing hysterically.

Seriously, I can't remember the last time I heard something funnier than a 3 year old saying the phrase "comb over"

The funniest part of it is that Mr. Brown doesn't have anything close to a comb over.  I'm pretty sure she was trying to make her hair stand up on top like his does.  But it really looked like she was simulating a comb-over!

Overheard

The conversations at our house get more and more funny as the kids get older.

This morning the conversation went like this:
Allison - I want to see the big guy
Mr Brown - Is Jonathan the big guy?
Allison - yep!
Mr. Brown - Are you the big guy?
Allison - NO!  I'm Allison Brown!
Me - Is Peter the big guy?
Allison - No.  He's Baby Peter (a game we've been playing where we rock the kids like babies)
Me - Is daddy the big guy?
Allison - Noooo.
Me - Yep.  Daddy's a man.
Allison (to daddy) - You're not a MAN!
Me - What is he? 
Allison - He's a Daddy!

Apparently man & daddy are mutually exclusive.

Where have I been?

I've been neglecting you friends & family.  I'm sorry about that.  But I promise I have a good reason!

With each passing day I am more convinced that my current career path is not the right one for me.  And so I've begun an adventure to create a life for myself based on something I actually love doing - organizing.  It's all still in its infancy but I'm working hard to grow it.  I've been keeping up my other blog. And I added a Facebook fan page for it. And I'm tweeting about it.

So I'm still out there in cyberspace but my personal blog (aka this one) has taken a back burner as I try to build my site and my reputation.  I'm working with my awesome friend Deanna on creating a new look and feel for my other blog (which will soon be an actual website).  I'm raising funds to pay my way through the classes I want to take through NAPO.  And I'm just generally obsessed with it right now.

So keep checking back here.  I'll try to not completely drop off the map.  But I can't promise daily posts or anything.

In the meantime... if you want to be my organizing guinea pig... I'm taking volunteers.  I'd like to work with a few people locally and I can do a few long-distance consults.  Email me or comment here with your email if you want to be a pilot project for me!

And don't forget to follow me at any or all of the places above!

Well, that's a stumper

Allison's inquisitiveness is growing by the day.  Lately I am asked to spell at least a dozen words for her every day.  And dinner time has become a time for her to ask how things are made.

Pretzels?  no problem
Bananas?  easy

But tonight was a bit more tough.  First she asked how you make water.  Hmmm... do I go with the scientifically correct 2 Hydrogens + 1 Oxygen?  Or the simpler, it comes from rain?  I went with rain, collected in a reservoir and piped to our faucet.

And then the really tough one.

Mommy, how to you make people?

{{insert long pause}}

Well, people grow in the tummys of their mommies and then the doctors help them come out.  That seemed to appease her enough for now.  Oh boy do we have a long road ahead.

Cinderella & the prince

Freedom

I've been thinking a lot lately about freedom. 

My go-to website for definitions (I probably look something up twice a week just to make sure I'm using words correctly for the context), Merriam-Webster defines freedom thusly:
1. The quality of state of being free
  a: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
  b: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another
  c: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous
  d: ease, facility 
  e: the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken
  f: improper familiarity
  g: boldness of concept or execution
  h: unrestricted use 

Now with the exception of f: improper familiarity I think all of those things are something I aspire to in my life.  Especially the first:

Freedom = The absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action

Who doesn't want their life to feel like that? 

As the new year approaches I am working through some personal issues of freedom - chiefly in the areas of finances and food.  Part of me becoming free in these areas is removing some of the hiddenness about them (see definition e above). 

Our goal as a family for 2011 is to rid ourselves of our remaining credit card debt - thus becoming more financially free (I still have some student loans to pay off and a mortgage after that).  My personal goal is to become dietarily free.  "Um, what?" you are asking yourself.  Well, that's the only way I can think of to describe it.  I have a problem with food - namely overindulgence in it.  And I hate feeling restricted in any way.  My goal for 2011 is to develop a healthy relationship with food so that I can enjoy it without feeling controlled by it.  If you've ever struggled with food, you'll know what I mean.  And if you haven't, you'll never be able to understand, so just go with me on this.  Look for more in the coming weeks