Food Fights

Little O has entered a new phase...actually, not so new, it has been going on for a couple of months now. The baby that was once the "best eater" has become an impossible toddler to feed. Dinner time is the official battle field where she and I argue back and forth...whatever she is given to eat, she pushes the plate away with a "no tanks".

What follows depends on my patience...sometimes trying to talk her into eating, sometimes giving her the "eat two bites" option as if she controls her own fate, sometimes using bribery (ice cream bar for dessert), and sometimes I just get mad and basically tell her that if she doesn't eat what she has been given she isn't getting anything else. Nothing seems to work.

The other frustrating component here (that you may have noticed) is the lack of involvement exhibited by Little O's Dad...he chooses to ignore the whole battle most of the time, making his own dinner, eating and hanging out in front of the tv while I fight it out in the dining room. Over the weekend I finally confronted him on the situation and was later lectured on how the problem is that I don't just ask her what she wants and then let her eat her choice as often as she would like to. The lecture on how he knows better and why is only making me more irritated with the entire situation. Are we running a restaurant? She gets to order her dinner now??? I was also told I am way too hard on her and that she will learn to eat what is put in front of her "when she is a little older". When do you suppose that might be? Like we get to just change the rules a few years from now after she has gotten used to having her way all the time...yeah, right.

So...now what? Once again we disagree on how to handle the situation and I am not sure what to do next. I don't want her to develop bad habits or learn that she can get her way if she just whines and goes to her Dad to "order" her dinner. I am at a total loss on how to maintain any control over the situation. Everyone tells me toddlers are difficult to feed, that it is feast or famine, and that you just have to let them eat when they want to. So, am I just over thinking this whole thing? Should I be letting her get her way for now, assuming it is all just a stage that will pass? Is Little O's Dad right? Am I just expecting too much? I have no idea, but I have a feeling that we might be eating a lot of Cheerios around here for a while...

The Last Lecture...

Today I heard the news that Randy Pausch had passed away... For those of you who don't know who he is...I became familiar with him when he appeared on Oprah and gave his speech "The Last Lecture"... He had given this speech at Carnegie Mellon University...essentially sharing his diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer and focusing on "achieving your childhood dreams". This was a man with an amazing attitude, who understood that he only had a very short window in which to live, but he chose to make the most of his life during this period rather than just giving in to his fate. How do you find the strength to have an attitude like this, when you know that so much is out of your control, and that you are being dealt the most impossible hand by fate? He even said "we cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." What an amazing man...

So many days, I wish I could change my own attitude and approach life like Randy did... So many times it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders, and yet, compared to so many others, my burdens are few. I want to be so thankful for all of the blessings in my life...a perfect healthy daughter, my own health, a good job, a wonderful supportive network of family and friends...what more can a person ask for? Why is it so hard to put my own struggles into perspective, realizing that they are so small in comparison to the trials that others go through?

My advice today...be thankful for all of the wonderful things in your life. Yes, we all have troubles to deal with, but at least we have the opportunity to deal with them... Rest in peace, Randy...you will be missed by millions who have learned a valuable lesson from you.

Making a Statement

Little O's newest favorite things are her green, rubber, frog rain boots...this could be the best $10 bucks I've ever spent. All she wants to wear are these boots...doesn't matter if it is raining or sunny, cool or hotter than blazes. It's all about the boots. It has gotten to the point that when she insists that she HAS to wear them to school (despite the fact there is no rain in the forecast), I let her. The temper tantrums that ensue if I don't let her have her way on this one are just not worth it...especially at 6:15am when I need to be at work by 7am.

She proudly waltzes into school showing anyone who walks by her boots. I think the reason I love this whole production (well, besides the fact that she looks so stinkin' cute) is that I long for the days when I didn't care at all how I looked or what anyone else would think about how I looked. While I feel pretty confident in my style these days and I have always loved fashion...I don't exactly push the envelope when it comes to my clothing choices. So, I fully support Little O making her own fashion statement. The beauty of being two-years old is that you love what you love, and you don't care how you look...how much fun is that?!