On Food and Dinner Conversations

Tate has an appetite. This, I think, is a good thing. And the food piracy has begun. For the past two mornings, he has crawled after me and Jason and essentially insisted we share our breakfast food with him. Yesterday it was yogurt. Today it was Life cereal. And spoons full of milk. He bounced up and down and let us know how pleased he was with his pirating successfully. Mind you, he gets plenty. In addition to the 7 ounces he eats right after he wakes up, he gets a fruit, a vegetable and oatmeal a couple hours later. Then another bottle about a half hour after that. But I'm happy he's eating.

Marcie's been having some food issues of her own. Two mornings ago it was gum-in-the-hair and quick wash in the sink before school to get the oil out. This morning it was yogurt. All over her long hair. Once again, she found herself standing on a chair next to the kitchen sink mere minutes before the morning ride arrived. I guess I should insist she pull back her hair before she eats. But it's never been a problem before.

One neat thing about being home with the kids and picking them up after school is that they talk to me. Seriously. I get to hear who they had a spat with, what they did in school. I get to know what they like and don't like. I get more of their good hours. And when I asked them, yesterday when they announced boredom because there was no video gaming and no TV, if they missed playing with other kids at ESS (after school care), their unequivocal answer was NO. This tells me we have made the right decision. I know it'll be a stretch, but it'll be good for them in the long run.

And that brings me to dinner. We had an early dinner last night and so Jason wasn't home yet. As I scooped food into Tate's mouth, Casey told me they'd learned about how mammals nurse at school. And I said people were humans and lots of babies nurse. But then I realized most of our family bottle-fed their kids and so I couldn't really give an example-- except for one family friend. Casey thought it was pretty gross.

Then Marcie asked if Tate was cut out of his birthmom's tummy or if he came from down there (she pointed with emphasis at her private parts with both hands). I told her the truth-- I didn't know. And she asked about her cousin Kai (cut out) and then Casey (from "down there"-- though I used the correct terminology). Marcie wanted to know if it hurt a lot. Yes, I told her. It did. But Angie was very brave.

And just as quickly as I found myself in the middle of the conversation it was over. Marcie announced she was going to have six kids and they would all have bunk beds. Casey told me he was going to have three kids-- but not one at a time like our family. He is going to "put three babies in his wife's tummy at the same time," like his friend Robbie. "It's going to be triplets!"

From all of this I take that the kids like having siblings, are happy to have Tate home with us, and are generally adjusting to outnumbering me and Jason quite well. I really couldn't ask for more.