The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The very hungry toddler ate a bowl of oatmeal and a piece of toast for breakfast after eating an entire orange, and drinking several cups of milk.

For lunch he ate a bowl of black beans mixed with hamburger,

a pear - all the way to the core,

a slice of cantaloupe,

six slices of cucumber,

two carrot sticks,

a large handful of grapes,

and a spoonful of diced tomatoes.

Jalen Andrew cracks me up! He refuses to eat a peanut butter sandwich, or any kind of sandwich, but just let him see some fruits or vegetables, and dog-gone-it, the boy is begging for food like crazy. I was slicing up fruits and veggies to stock the refrigerator today, and he had to sample everything. The cantaloupe he snuck away from me while I was scooping out the seeds of the other section. The word "pear" he learned today. He asked me for another pear this afternoon; pointing to it, he said "Apple?" then shook his head as if to clear his mind, and tried again, "Pear?" I thought one orange was enough in a day, but he didn't. He kept beckoning to me, by saying "C'mere," and holding out his hand, then he would lead me to the refrigerator, and after it was open, he would point to the oranges in the crisping drawer.

Jalen Andrew has started having a hissy fit whenever we try to put his bib on him. Generally, I don't worry about it too much, but sometimes, like when he's eating oatmeal, he definitely needs it. Tonight when he started his fussing, I went over and put on my apron, then Joseph and James both requested aprons. I sat next to Jalen Andrew and explained that I was wearing my bib too, just like Joseph & James. He then requested to wear his bib, and for the remainder of dinner, he kept reaching over and patting my chest, saying, "Bib, bib." As the Staples Button would attest - "That was Easy."