Wednesday, October 20, 2010

how we eat

I do not like ripe bananas. If there isn't discernible green on the peel I won't eat it and would prefer to not smell it or touch it. It just gets too sweet and mushy and banana-y. Unfortunately the bananas that I bought on Saturday are past what I consider edible.
Betsy however had no such reservations and ate 2/3 of a banana! That's the most she's ever done, because usually we share and I'm faster than she. She was kind enough to share the remaining 1/3 with her big sister, who is the fastest banana eater in the whole wide world! (side note: my dear son loves exaggerate and say, "Whole Wide World!" about everything. I love it.) Betsy never really seemed that interested in eating (drinking?) until she started solid food and she has taken to that like a champ. She's never turned down anything!
Sophie is a little bit pickier, but not much. Dustin had some jalapeno pretzel crackers and the kids were begging for some. He doubted they would like them but shared anyway. Emanuel popped his in his mouth and then popped it right back out, whining that it was hot. Sophie kept asking for, and eating, more and more, until she was cut off.
Emanuel is very picky and opinionated. He puts on his apron and declares himself chef. If I switch up the recipe on any of our regulars, he gets very upset and informs me that, "These are not the right ingredients."
It seems like my children are constantly hungry so we eat five times a day usually. Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. If for whatever reason they do not finish their breakfast or lunch, that food is saved and must be eaten before they are allowed any snack food.
Snack foods are more fun foods, fresh or dried fruit, crackers, rice cakes, cheese cubes, etc. Lately we've been enjoying our snacks while sitting on the kitchen floor. This was Sophie's idea, and somehow it's really fun and cozy.
Dinner is the only meal we share with Dustin and usually we all sit at the table together. We do not always eat the same foods. Dustin and I love spicy and exotic foods, and our kids, well, don't. It's not at all unusual for them to have a sandwich while Dustin and I indulge in something a bit more grown up. Occasionally, if I'm late getting dinner started, we'll just feed the kids and put them down and really enjoy a nice dinner together.
If there is any dessert to be had we dish it up and eat it on the sofa after the kids are in bed. It's one of our favorite times of the day. Sweet food, Sweet company, Sweet life.