How I sleep at night

Tristan is a very picky eater. If it's the wrong texture, color, or name he will not eat it. Being too tired to deal with melt downs and crying every night, I have found a way to make a happy and still nutritious home. I would like to introduce this mama's three best friends:

Juice Plus Fruits
Juice Plus Veggies
Odwalla Protein Chocolate shake

Tristan does great with regular breakfast of a banana, slice of whole wheat bread, and cheese stick... everyday without fail. If that's not what is on the plate then he is not eating.
Lunch is a little more flexible with some lunch meat (as long as it's not on a sandwich), apple, a few other items, but always lots of yogurt!!!
Dinner is where the struggle arises! I could not find a healthy solution for dinner. Now with his treats of "gummies and chocolate milk" he is happy to eat the oranges and mac and cheese, burger, or chicken nuggets for dinner. Most importantly... I don't feel guilty about the main dish "kid food" that is on his plate every evening. Here's to modern ways of hiding my kids full servings of fruits, veggies, protein, and a whole host of other vitamins!!!!

Perfectly Gross

There are times in parenting where as I love my children I get a small look at how God loves us. Last night was one of those nights. Ian had been up and sick for a few hours and just was back asleep in his crib finally. I laid my head down for the first time at about twelve thirty and it was not ten minutes later that I heard Finn sit up and start to gag. I jumped out of bed grabbed him out of his crib and ran to the bathroom sink where I sat him on the side with his feet dangling in the bowl and his arm on my shoulder bracing himself as his stomach began to work against him.

After he had stopped vomiting, he looked up at me with these scared and tired eyes. With vomit still on his little mouth, he leaned over for comfort from his mom. Being covered in my kids vomit is nothing new to me, but what happened next was. Finn looked up at me with his dirty little face and leaned in with his lips puckered up for a kiss. What was I to do? In my head I was thinking this was the grossest thing ever, but I was not about to deny him the comfort he craved at that moment. So yes, I did kiss that nasty little mouth, and after he burrowed in for a cuddle.

We must look so gross to God so often, but when we come to him in prayer for comfort He never denies us. Tonight Finn was beautifully gross and I didn't love him any less.