Juicy Summer Fruit

Both Emilia and Olivia are great eaters who thoroughly enjoy their meals and snacks.  The reports from daycare usually describe the girls eating as great or stellar.  We are SO thankful that they love to eat and that what they eat is well balanced because this makes for healthy, happy kids.  The food battle is one we rarely have to fight as parents.  Don't get me wrong...every so often, Emilia needs some gentle encouragement to take a few more bites of this or that, but for the most part, she happily gobbles up whatever we have prepared for the family meal. 

Over Christmas, Emilia saw part of the movie, The Santa Clause.  In it, an elf comments that the reason his ears are pointy is because he doesn't eat his vegetables.  Well, this little scene has been imprinted in Emilia's little memory.  All we need to do is ask to see her ears when she has veggies on her plate left to eat and before you know it, she has spooned each bite into her mouth and is asking us to check to see if her ears still look "sharp".  Whatever it takes!  Ha ha!

When the girls get home from daycare, they are pretty much ready to eat the minute they walk in the door.  Unfortunately, we don't have a personal chef at home preparing our meals for our arrival.  So on most nights, we let the girls have a healthy snack while we work to get dinner ready.  One of their favorites is a full piece of fruit ALL TO THEMSELVES.  Given the sticky, staining mess potential of the nectarines I had in the fruit bowl last week, I decided it was best to strip the girls down and let them enjoy their fruit outside.  And enjoy it they did!!