Winter is a comin'

Last night we booked a hotel and plane tickets to Hokkaido for a few days before Christmas.  Hokkaido is the northern-most island in Japan and is the ski destination of choice for most of the eastern hemisphere.  Some of the greatest powder on earth, say the Hokkaido enthusiasts.

Today, Mike got the kid's skis and boots out for them to try on and make sure they still fit.  Someone is excited to go skiing!  I'll give you a hint.  It's not necessarily the kiddos.

Ikea sells little live Christmas trees here.  We happened to be there last week, so we picked one up and decorated it last Sunday.  Monday morning, Beaver woke up early because he thought it was Christmas.  So sad!

Never mind.

Beaver is asleep upstairs this morning, ill with a fever and nasty cough.  Last night around 6:30, he asked me to come snuggle with him on the couch.  I willingly obliged, and soon realized that his little body was unnaturally hot.  Mike got home soon after, and Beaver was so happy to see him and remarkably cheerful as he lay on the couch under a blanket, in spite of his temperature of 102F.  I hate it when my kids are ill, and it got me thinking - who cares if he won't eat half the food I cook?  Is that really so important?  I'm sure it's just a bug that will pass, but whenever they are sick, I am reminded of how fiercely I love my boys, and the little things don't matter.

Although I must share a funny anecdote from last night.  Beaver loves applesauce, but you can't buy it in Japan.  I had a whole lot of not-very-good, mealy apples in the fridge, so last night I peeled them and cut them up to make them into applesauce, thinking it would make Beaver happy.  But, of course, he doesn't like things that look different than he expects.  I guess he has never seen me make applesauce before.

"I don't think I like that applesauce." he said warily.
"Sure you do!  You love applesauce!"  I responded.
"But I don't like applesauce that is made of apples!"

So, I'll continue to cook what I want, because I think it's a good example for him, and if he doesn't like it he can have bread and fruit.  But not breadfruit, because I'm sure that would make him cry.

Could someone please explain to me how two people like me (I can hardly even think of a food that I don't like) and Mike (who is willing to eat anything, even if he doesn't love it) ended up with a child like Beaver?

Tonight I made sloppy joes.  Beaver has never had them before and tears immediately began streaming down his cheeks when he saw his dinner plate.  I didn't feel up to battling him tonight, so I told him he didn't have to eat it.  Guess what he ate instead?  Leftover meatballs with ketchup.  Duh.

That child is going to drive me insane.  I know I talk about it all the time, but it makes me crazy.  Should I just give up?  It isn't so much that he won't eat healthy food.  He likes most fruits, a few veggies, bread, rice, and most dairy.  He certainly isn't malnourished.  I just like to try new things, and I get so frustrated when he freaks out about it.  I refuse to fix two meals every night.  Should I just give up my culinary interests until he is older?  What would you do if he was your kid?

So, Beaver ate meatballs with ketchup and a mandarin orange for dinner.  One of his orange sections dropped into his ketchup.  He got quite upset because he didn't want to eat it with ketchup.  I'm glad he draws the line somewhere.

I don't like natto.  There's one.

Halloween

We had our Halloween last Saturday.  A little late, but that's the nice thing about living in a neighborhood that celebrates Halloween in a country that doesn't.  You can have Halloween on a Saturday when it's more convenient for everyone involved.  We carved our pumpkin Friday night.

Bear has been reading the Heroes of Olympus book series, so we came up with a Jupiter/Zeus costume for him.

Beaver had a knight costume that we bought at ToysRUs.  He seemed perfectly excited to wear it.  His preschool had a Halloween party earlier in the week where all the kids dressed up, but I missed the memo and had no idea.  So, when I showed up at school to pick him up, he was the only one not dressed up and he asked my why I didn't come to the party and bring his costume.  I felt so bad, but I thought that at least he could still wear it on Saturday.  Saturday came and the kids were anxiously waiting all day for 4:00, when the trick-or-treating would start.  At about 3:45, something happened in Beaver's mind and he refused to put on his costume or leave the house.  I don't know what  his problem was.  He just kind of freaked out.  I felt pretty frustrated because he is so stubborn and you just can't change his mind when he gets something in his head, but I suppose I shouldn't have minded that he didn't want to go load up on more candy.   

Here is Beaver's Halloween night - in tears on the sofa because he doesn't want to go trick-or-treating.

Bear and his army buddy stopping by our house for candy.

After the trick-or-treating we had a neighborhood street party.  An enjoyable evening for all.

A few little tidbits that have nothing to do with anything:

Lately Beaver loves to eat canned mandarin oranges.  He call them the "juicy, drippy oranges."  A few months ago his favorite breakfast was toast and ketchup, but lately he has been into french toast.  It's french toast with maple syrup for breakfast every morning.  I ask Bear what he wants for breakfast every morning, and he hems and haws and then says "toast and hot chocolate."  Every single morning. Even all through the hot summer.  My kids aren't into variety.