I love beets. They are very earthy, and yes, I do think they taste like dirt. So I was a little confused when Gabe, who eats dirt by the handful, didn't devour the pretty purple vegetable! Julia spit them out too. It was time for some deception. I made the "Pink Pancakes" from Jessica Seinfeld's book. I could really taste the beets in them, but the kids didn't seem to mind and gobbled them up. Sweet.
Looking at all the beet puree I in the freezer, I had another idea. Why not mix it up and add beets to smoothies with or instead of the usual spinach? The kids slurped it up. Then next day (I make them smoothies nearly every day) I put in sweet potatoes. They loved it as usual.
It's strange I hadn't thought of branching out beyond spinach in the smoothies before. But I am all about it now. I do want the kids to grow up eating veggies undisguised, so I will always put a few on their plates. But it doesn't hurt to sneak the good stuff in them as well. So beet smoothies it it. They taste earthy, and we all seem to be okay with that.
P.S. Julia actually does eat quite a few vegetables. Lately her favorite lunch is a ham, sprouts, and tomato sandwich. I am thrilled that she now loves tomatoes - they are my favorite after all.
If you are interested in reading about Julia's participation in the Alpine Days Toddler Trot, check out my post on our running blog. There are more than enough pictures and videos there to document the big event that Julia hasn't stopped talking about all day.
This video is a few months old. When Aunt Cortnie tended the kids one day while I was at girls camp, Julia came home with ballet slippers. Thank you, Cortnie! She loves her dancing shoes, as you can see.
Yesterday Grandma Julie, Jonny, and I ran the Provo River Half Marathon. It was difficult, but also really, really fun.
There's just something about races that I love. It's not winning - obviously. Maybe it's that certain excitement in the air. There's something about running with hundreds (thousands at this race) of other people who do it just because they enjoy it. It's physically and emotionally challenging, but so rewarding at the same time. I'm not quite sure why. And sometimes during races I wonder why exactly I do it. But I love running. I love feeling sweaty and salty after working hard. That smell takes me back to my childhood when my mom would come home after her daily 5-mile run. I guess my kids know that smell now too. Will Julia and Gabe remember being pushed in the double stroller during races and morning runs? Maybe. I hope so. Because those times are pretty special to me.
Anyway, if you are actually interested in knowing specifics about the race, check out our running blog. And referring to the post title, I don't think I will be running a full marathon any time in the near future. Not only would the actual race be extremely difficult, but finding the time to train would be just as hard right now. I'm good with a half or two a year. Hey, maybe then two halves would make a whole, right? Ha.
Julia and Jonny just returned home from the driving range. After they watched a little golf on TV, Julia said, "Daddy, maybe, maybe when I am older I go golfing with you. And be yours friend." Apparently she picked up that all golfers have a friend, or caddy, with them when they golf.
Well, Daddy couldn't wait until his little golf friend grew older, so they immediately headed to the range by our house. She had a blast. And I'm sure Jonny didn't mind whacking at a bucket of balls either.
Julia has been in a big bed since her birthday in June. For weeks she stayed in the bed as if it were her crib. She wouldn't even get out in the morning - she'd call for us that she was awake just as she did before. Then some kind of revelation came to her and she saw how easy it was to get in and out of bed on her own. Finally, she could see what Mom and Dad were up to after her lullaby and bedtime prayer.
It was time for incentives, some positive reinforcement. So we tried a sticker chart. It is simply a picture of a bed with a sectioned path that leads to a picture of the reward. The first time it was an ice cream cone. Next it was some fairy dress-ups I bought from the Target $1 Spot. And the latest was a donut with sprinkles. (The sections on the path have increased in number with each chart. At first it was only 5.)
The charts weren't an immediate hit. Sometimes she would say, "Me just don't care, Mom." But as she is understanding that we don't mess around with bedtime, and she has reaped the chart rewards a few times, lately any bedtime defiance has definitely become the exception. It's heavenly.
So most every morning I happily remind her that she stayed in bed and gets to choose a sticker for the chart. It's a good system for now. I get just about excited as she does when she reaches the reward at the end of the path. (Because I am proud of her, of course. But it doesn't hurt that I get to share a donut with Gabe too.)
Anyway, below are some pictures of the celebratory outings. Check out the frozen yogurt she put together. The video is an interview after the donut outing. Anybody have any more ideas for small but substantial rewards? This girl will get to that coloring book on the new chart before we know it.
When Gabe was born one of my first thoughts was, "Hello, Mr. Julia." As a newborn he looked a lot like his big sister. And he acted like her too: He had two strong little legs that kicked like crazy inside and out of my tummy. He was no snuggler. He was alert and active. He required some serious "sleep training." He was almost always happy and smiley. (Here we are comparing newborn Gabe to a picture of newborn Julia.) As Gabe has grown, the differences between Julia and him have greatly increased. He looks like me, while she is still a mini Jonny. He trips, falls, crashes, and gets a new bruise every day. I could probably count the number of ouchies Julia had as a toddler. He is even louder and more rambunctious than Julia was. And I thought she was pretty wild.
There are many more differences between them, but the one that stands out the most right now involves the vacuum. It was one-year-old Julia's greatest fear. Only in the last year has she come to terms with the monster. But Gabe? He is in love. Now that he is too big and not content to stay in his exersaucer while I vacuum, I am realizing just how fascinated he is. It is pretty counterproductive to try to vacuum while he is around. He chases the big loud machine like it is the ice cream truck. Once he reaches it, there is no use trying to clean the carpets anymore. He sits on it, hugs it, he was even trying to eat it the other day. Wish I had a video of his adoration.
What is it that he loves and Julia was terrified of - the noise, the vibration, the forward and backward motion? Whatever it is, Gabe is all about it. Makes me laugh and wonder every time.
