The Bennett Clan: The Lone Carrot

I give you, family and friends, for your viewing pleasure:

Ethan & The Lone Carrot*

Now, before you all think I've gone and lost my ever-loving mind, lest you think my husband's deployment has finally gotten the best of me, let me explain. I've not gone mad and I've not decided to photograph cooked produce in my spare time (Uh, yeah, spare time? I believe I heard about this "spare time" once, but it turned out to be a nasty rumor). But without further ado - Ethan ate a carrot tonight. Yeah, I whispered. I don't want to say it too loud. He might not do it again.

For those of you who may not know - Ethan is, um, a teeny little bit picky about what he puts into his little body. Encouraging him to eat has been a 3-ring circus, just without all the cotton candy and smelly elephant poo. Michael and I finally realized that "if we serve it, eventually, he will eat it." So far, Ethan has lived on adrenaline and air, with an occasional side of PB&J sandwich. Really.

Sure, there's that time he asked for "A ham and cheese omelet, with no ham." I made it, of course - one ham and cheese omelet, hold the ham! - and he ate some of it. I figured it was a fluke, since my son doesn't ask for a cheeseburger, let alone ham and cheese omelets. But at this point, he could ask for Foie Gras and crusty bread with Brie de Meaux- and I'd happily go to France for the best I could find!

"Hello, Julie? The carrot? The point?" Oh, right. So, Ethan and Sophia had check-ups with Dr. P today - Sophia outweighs (and for all intents and purposes is taller than) Ethan - and the conversation went a little something like this:

Dr. P: "Hey Ethan! Are you eating your vegetables?"

Ethan: "Eeeewww, I don't like.....um.....no thank you."

Dr. P: "You know, vegetables are great for your body; carrots help you see better at night. Really, I'm not just saying that."

Ethan: (looking at Dr. P like she had completely lost her mind) "Really? At night?"

Dr. P: "Oh, yes!"

Ethan: "Hmmm, I'll have to try that sometime. I do think I need to see better at night."

I was standing in the office thinking "all those times WE told him stuff like that! The Good Doctor makes one tiny suggestion and Ethan's ready to chow down! Gah!" Oh well, we'll see. We finished up with the doctor and I loaded the children into the ShropMobile for the 2 minute ride home. Soon, as expected, it was time for dinner. It's Friday and Mom has ten tons of school work! Let's do something quick! Ethan says "hmmm, let me see....macaroni and cheese, no....chicken sandwich, no.....oh, here we go - peanut butter and sandwich (Ethanspeak for PB&J sandwich, of course) and don't forget my carrot, Mom." Of course, buddy, I wouldn't think of forgetting your carrot. I had no fresh carrots, so we went with canned - I warmed them up and made the sandwich and presented the plate to Ethan. He poked at the carrot - "THAT'S a carrot?!" - and then stabbed it with his fork at nibbled the end.

"MMM! It's GOOD! I LIKE it! Wow! I can feel my seeing getting better already!" He put the rest of the carrot in his mouth and washed it down with a huge bite of peanut butter and sandwich - but he ate the carrot. And I was grinning like an idiot at the table.

"ETHAN! Woo-Hoo! You tried something new! High-five, buddy!" He slapped me five and finished his sandwich and hopped off his chair, off to do the things 6-year-olds do on a Friday night.

And me? I took a picture of a mushy cooked carrot as evidence - if you serve it, eventually, they will eat it! Or, if someone other than mom or dad suggests it, it's a SuperFabulous idea!

*blogger ate my carrot picture. gah.

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Friday, September 22, 2006

The Lone Carrot -- JuJu (7:48:00 PM)

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