That's my boy!

He is four years and three months old and today I heard words that just warmed my heart! If you have not dealt with a fussy eater, and I do mean fussy eater, then you will just not get it and be thankful you do not. (Just like I am glad that I cannot share in the swapping of H1N1 stories and long may that continue!)

Anyway our two arrived at the dinner table tonight with four imaginary alligators in tow. These were the baby alligators and the mums, the dads having just been taken to the zoo as a punishment for some kind of jealousy. OK, I have no idea! Every meal with our littler boy is a battle to not have a battle and it starts with the food arriving at the table. Tonight there was not a complaint.

"Yum, I like this kind of pasta, don't I Mum?"
Yes, you do, buddy!", say I omitting the fact that every time it is a struggle to get him to eat the first few mouthfuls. I leave him to do a task in the kitchen. During the week we do normally eat together but tonight we had friends coming later.
"Everything OK?" I ask checking in and interrupting a gator discussion.
"Yes, Mummy. I love it! Thank you very much"
"You are very welcome. I am glad you are enjoying it" say I, thinking I am 100% thrilled that you are showing this amount of enthusiasm and you are eating blended down steamed carrot, yellow pepper, broccoli and tomato sauce in pasta but we will not tell you that quite yet!!!
"Mum, do I need to finish this?" asked his sister.
"I'm finishing mine." said the littler boy to her surprise and my continuing delight!

Having filled up on pasta, fruit, (four small pieces, and I mean small pieces of grape but small steps are important steps, for the wee boy), and frozen yogurt, I was suddenly aware that I was in the kitchen and no-one was at the dining room table. They had had some kind of alligator emergency that had required their attention. I only wish I had taken a picture of the little girl's bedr alligators cage.

This is what happens when a friend introduces your kids to Dill Pickle, the alligator at Memorial Park in Athens, and your kids have great imaginations. You need the patience of a saint to happily help tidy the mess tho, particularly when they had started the session with a secret craft project and had then thrown everything off the bed, including the mattress so they had somewhere to keep the alligators safe!