De-lurk, you lurkers! Let me feel the love!

It's De-Lurking week, internet. I didn't realize it until today when I started reading other blogs discussing this little tidbit. So I expect a lot of internet validation on this post, people. Say something to me!

Today's topic: trying to convince my son that food is...well, food.

We started solids quite awhile ago. There was the great cereal boycott of November '06. And who can forget the terrible butt-stoppage of the holiday season? Then miraculously, cereal became palatable to the little man. This was of course, after I made up some pretty silly songs and dances about how yummy cereal is and ate approximately my son's body weight in single grain rice cereal to prove that it is indeed food. Well, baby food. Because let me tell you, that shit ain't meant for consumption by people who know any better.

Then, feeling bold and audacious, Husband & I decided to add fruit and veggies to the repertoire. Really, how tough can it be? I mean at least the pears taste like something remotely identifiable as pears, unlike the cereal, which really should be labeled "mushy cardboard--your child's first food". Well, one the first day, pears were a success. Again, there was much song singing about the scrumptuous pear and perhaps a dance or two while noshing on a plastic multicolored spoon full of that pear-y goodness. Ethan ate the pears with delight; his mouth open and waiting for each bite---very exciting!

But then, the next day--pears were spit out at me like they were a day old tuna casserole that had been left out in the sun. Yeah, that good. What the hell, little man?!! If you like it one day, you have to like it the next day, too. Those are the rules. Can you imagine if one day sushi was your favorite food of all time and the next day it was vile to you?! How does that happen?

And so it goes. With pears. And applesauce. And peas. And greenbeans. And plums. and prunes. And carrots. And sweet potatoes. There is no way to know from one day to the next if yesterday's tasty treat will be today's tantrum.

There are two exceptions to this Ethan rule. Puffs and yogurt.

Puffs are those little melt-in-your-mouth finger foods with the faintest hint of flavor. Again, they are only deemed worthy if Mama eats two or three first. Then, I will break them up into a million pieces because even if they dissolve on contact (or within seconds), my son would be the only one in the history of the world to choke on a puff. The only problem with puffs is that their dissolvability makes them a sticky little mess and more of them end up stuck to Ethan's hand than his tongue. But, if this doesn't sound too mean, it's pretty funny watching him try to get the sticky puff piece off of his fist and into his mouth. It's rarely successful, but it makes me giggle. And don't worry, I help him get a few in his mouth before we move on to the yogurt.

Yogurt is the mother of all foods to this little man. If my breasts could somehow churn out blueberry yobaby, this child would be in heeeeeeeeaven. Alas, I am a one trick pony and so we go to the dairy section of the grocery store for the food of the baby gods. The anticipation of yogurt gets feet kicking and fists flailing. There are protestations if Mama isn't fast enough with the next spoonful.

I am tempted to give this child nothing but yogurt because it is easiest and he luuuuuurves it so much. And because I don't have to dance around like a fool, making up songs about yummy nummy yogurt...