Summer Food

Summer food is so fun. I saw this cute idea in my Taste of Home Fun Food magazine and thought it would be a fun project for Drew and me knowing how much he is into cars right now.
So this morning we gathered all of our stuff and made a fruit car. I did all of the cutting (of course) and Drew did the assembly (outside of the toothpick parts). He kept making "vroom vroom" noises as he worked. It was too cute. Then he started to disassemble the front of the car to put those parts inside with the fruit. I guess he's not ready to go work for F1 just yet.
We had a great time and a great product.
I let him sit down and eat out of it as soon as we were done. I figure we're all family here, so that's ok. We'll just keep restocking the car for as long as it stays "good."

After washing our hands, Drew stood on a chair and helped assemble his fruit car

Notice that it did not take long for the marshmallow eyes to disappear

and now we have leftover fruit salad to keep restocking the car with.

We'll enjoy it again for dessert tonight and snacks tomorrow. I know Drew will get excited every time we get it out of the fridge. I can't wait to hear his "vroom vrooms"

One Of My Favorite Pictures Ever

Picture this:
decades from now, a friendship that is a lifetime old has passed. Sadie's grandchildren find a picture of her as a small child with Drew (whom they will also know, because I am sure he will always be in her life.)
They will think it is one of the best treasures (as we feel when we come across old, meaningful pictures of our family).

I love the thought! History in the making!

But by then the picture will look more like this:

Silver Spoons And BBQ

What can I say... my babies deserve nothing less than the best. That's why although we were just grillin' burgers, Emma had her first solid food from a silver spoon. Drew had the same royal treatment when he was a baby. I could never have allowed anything less for either of their first "meals." This is us we're talking about here, the family that has always marched to the beat of our own drum. You wouldn't expect any less from us.
So grillin' with silver spoons is right up our alley..... makes total sense to us.

Yummy!  Daddy cooked us up some good eats!!!
Emma had some good eats too... but hers were carrots!
From nothing less than this beautiful, so special silver spoon from my Aunt Betty.

Ice Cream!!!!!!

Let's play a game of association.... Ok.. I'll go first!
Ice cream truck..... go!

1. music tinkering through a neighborhood
2. gaggles of children lined up in the streets in their bathing suits trying to buy ice cream
3.Overpriced ice cream
4. This day now goes down in our family's history as Drew's first visit with the ice cream truck!!!

We heard the truck from miles away (ok, maybe just a block or two) and scrounged our change (ok... maybe now it takes bills) and trekked outside with the kids to experience this right-of-passage with our son.  He ended up with an orange creamcicle. 
It was too cute, I must admit. Then we sat ourselves down and experienced ice cream on the curb.... the way it's suppose to be done when you buy it out of a truck. Drew was a complete and utter mess by the time we were done and he loved every minute of it!
I love this mosaic... It just screams "SUMMER!!!"



Even though Emma wasn't able to get ice cream, she still enjoyed the weather and watching big brother with his ice cream.

Drew wouldn't even stop eating his ice cream to watch the plane fly over (did I mention how much he loves to point out when there are planes in the sky

Goldfish and Bananas

So, it seems that there is nothing as reliable as good ole' Goldfish and Bananas.... or at least not at our house.  These two food groups have remained our tried and true blue through a whirlwind of what I like to call the "food  moods."

 One of the "Drewisms" of our household is The Rule of 6.  At any given moment, Drew has about 6 items that he will eat.  When one is added to the repertoire, then another gets the axe.  For instance, months ago, he loved mashed potatoes. Now, however, he's moved on to broccoli and cheese rice instead.... he won't even look in the general direction of the potatoes anymore.  

We've had to redefine the word "Flexitarian" to describe our meals.  We do not use it in this house the way it is described on Wikipedia... no, no vegetarians here... not even close. But we love the word so.  So we decided to redefine it.  It's perfect.  Flexitarians are people like us who have to fix one staple meal and then design side items to accommodate different people.  It's very flexible I think, and quite agreeable.  Drew gets some form of all of the nutrients that he needs (which is very important to me... and it's important to do it in a healthy way that promotes a lifetime healthiness), and we still get to eat "adult" food rather than slip into the weight trap of "child friendly foods."

Ah.... what will our little man eat today?  Will it be spaghetti or has that been snubbed yet?  Will he have his morning eggs and cheese, or does he want pancakes?  What's the  Food Mood today?  We'll never know until we sit him down at the table.  

We have all of the traditional rituals.  Either Colin or I cook and the other one sets the table and fixes the drinks.  Then we get Drew seated and served and sit down and say the blessing.  Then, it's time..... will he or won't he eat what he's been served?  This morning it is bananas and pancakes....  he looks, I hold my breath.  He pokes, I gasp.  AND HE EATS!!!  Ah yes, I love you oh fruit of miracles.... he always eats the banana!  So we are all a bit more relaxed knowing that at least that constant remains.  Then it comes time for the pancakes.  Oh, look, he pokes.  "What does that mean?" Colin asks.  I'm not really sure how to reply.  AWWWWW.  And they are snubbed.  The new food moving in is apparently Colin's homemade French Toast.  I can't say that I blame him though.  After watching Daddy flip them in the pan the theatrical way that he likes to do this, I would want the "fun food" too.

So for now we are up to French Toast, spaghetti, mac-n-cheese, carrots, and of course my beloved, Goldfish and Bananas.