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Monday, August 22, 2011

Monday Mishaps with Mom - Food Painting

This week is for those kids who discover playing with their food is far more fun than eating it.

Sure, my daughter has played with her food since she first started eating solids. But, initially, it was exploratory and for the most part, innocent. Sadly, neither I nor she can say that anymore. What's worse is she knows it, and she looks right at me, then does it anyway...sporting a rather large and mischievous smile on her face.

The little imp.

And it's not just the rather harmless items like macaroni and cheese, or squishing green beans. Oh no. For her, it's applesauce, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, pudding, etc. Anything she can squeeze between her little fingers, or use as paint for her arms and legs, she'll do it.

Unfortunately, because I also have to feed an infant, we don't always have our meals together. There are times when I need to be on the couch with my son while my daughter is at the table. Or, I have to be on the phone with a client, or even at my computer working on a deadline. Those times are the worst. I can still see my daughter from my desk, but she knows she doesn't have my undivided attention.

That's when she strikes!

So far, the food has made it everywhere EXCEPT her face or her mouth...at least when she's playing. When she's eating, she does great. And she hasn't yet discovered the "fun" in painting her brother yet. I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Making mental note to keep those two at opposite ends of the table.

Now, if only I could focus her attention long enough to eat then get down, we'd be in good shape. All I can say is...praise God for plastic drop cloths!

Sadly, I don't have a picture this week, as I was too busy cleaning up and bathing above-mentioned toddler to grab my camera and snap a pic. We'll see what next week brings.

How about you? What foods did your child(ren) explore or love to use as paint? And what's your favorite "playing with food" experience. Please share. I'd love to hear about it.

Tune in next week for the next "Monday Mishap with Mom." See you then!

And you can always look at the labels at the bottom of the right column to find "monday mishaps with mom" and read up on any week you've missed. My goal is to encourage mothers who feel a bit frazzled, and to help brighten your day as you start off your week. You're not alone.

6 comments:

Southern-fried Fiction said...

My son was a gourmet from day 1. Not a crumb escaped his mouth. But it paid off, he's now the general manager of two 5-star restaurants. :) Mayby Victoria is a budding artist!

Tiffany Amber Stockton said...

Oh, you lucky one. Then again, that also meant he treasured every morsel of food and could have been a critic. :) As for Victoria being an artist, it's entirely possible. It certainly runs in the family!

Dani Pettrey said...

I can completely sympathize. When my daughter was two, my grandmother was attempting to make cookies with her. She got the flour out and a bowl and left the room for a second. BIG MISTAKE. When she came back she found my daughter and the entire room lathered in a layer of white flour, plumes of it still lingering in the air. When she asked what my daughter had done, she simply replied, 'It's okay, Great Grammie, it says to do it in the recipe right here.' And she pointed to the page. We knew then we were in big trouble :)

So glad you are blessed to be able to stay home with your little ones. I know you are an amazing mom and it's great you're able to have such a good sense of humor. It's a requirement for motherhood.

Tiffany Amber Stockton said...

Oh, gracious! NEVER leave a toddler and flour alone in a room together. I'd almost say your Grammie was asking for it. :) I bet she was cleaning up flour from every crevice for months afterward.

We haven't attempted cookie-making yet. Just casseroles and dishes with spices/seasonings Tori can dump into the mix or pan. She also stirs noodles for me.

And yes, I LOVE being able to stay home with my kids. God has provided enough income for us to pay our bills, and sometimes a little extra. Wouldn't trade this for the world....despite the hair-pulling moments.

Edgy Inspirational Author said...

Hehehee...when my kids did that my husband would wet a washcloth and wipe them down with fairly cool water and really hard by telling them messy behavior needs hard scrubbing (usually they filled their hair with the food, and not just their faces) and since they laughed when he did it but didn't much like the cool rag shocking them, it cut down on them doing this a lot. They rarely risked it, in fact.

Tiffany Amber Stockton said...

Oooh, nice comeback points for your hubby. Tori doesn't like getting "cleaned" with a cloth either. So far, she has only done tiny amounts in her hair. With hair as wild as hers, that's a real blessing!