Forks & Noodles

I have this failing as a mother. Well, I have many. But this is one I don't mind failing at most days. I would so much rather feed my children than to turn them loose with forks and spoons so they can develop these important skills. The developing of these particular skills is so messy. And as I am growing baby #3, I feel more tired. Therefore more lazy.

So, in direct contrast to the I-am-too-lazy-to-clean-their-mess-so-I-will-just-feed-them-myself theory, I recently ran into a new one. I-don't-wanna-feed-them-I-would-rather-clean-up-the-mess-later. Got it? On this night, I had created a masterpiece straight from a Banquet Box, calling itself Chicken Fettucini Alfredo. It is really good, for all you moms out there who need a meal in a box every now and then. So, on top of the fact that Thomas is learning to drink from a cup (no more sippie for him!), I gave my kids cream covered noodles and forks. Let the messiness begin.

Thomas did fairly well, forking, then getting part of the food in his mouth and cramming in the rest with a hand. Gracie soon learned that the fork was just for decoration. She waved it around in one had while the other hand reached down for a handful of noodles to stuff in her mouth, nose, eyes, ears, you know, just wherever her hand landed. Plus, she was tired, so occasionally, the hand rubbed her eyes, then brushed back over her hair. It was a lovely disaster.
We stripped them down at the table (forgive me if this offends someone's sense of dinner table decorum), held them at arm's length, plopped their Alfredo sauce covered bodies in the tub and started the cleaning process. Pretty easy, really. So was the kitchen. I think I like the new theory for most foods. Soup is still in spoons held by Mommy, though!