Flying Pigs

Pigs must be flying today. I know this because the most unimaginable thing happened in our house tonight. Are you sitting down? Really, sit down.
Jillian ate spinach. Let me say that again: Jillian, my child who NEVER eats any vegetables at all, and would NEVER even think to put something green in her mouth, ATE SPINACH. Five leaves of raw baby spinach to be exact, when it was all said and done. I am over the moon. I was so excited when it happened that I scared Adrienne to tears with my literal jumping for joy (sorry, A!). Jillian was clearly reinforced by my hoopla, and asked me for more. She also ate three (3!) entire (small, peeled) apples at this meal, which is also unprecedented. Though she likes apples, I usually have to prompt her to eat a few slices. The whole scene was such a blur, that truly, I am not sure how it started. It is no secret that Jillian is incredibly picky. That said, I do not cater to her at dinner. She gets what she asks for (within reason) at breakfast and lunch, but I put everything we eat on her plate at dinner. I also put at least one additional thing I know she likes on her plate, so that I am assured she eats something. It is true that many nights she may only eat cheese, or yogurt, or bread at dinner time (because that is the one thing on her plate she likes), but I believe it is important to teach kids to explore new foods, and they need to learn that mom is not a short order cook. Often I get tired of putting food on her plate I know she won't eat, and tonight was one of those nights. I almost didn't put that spinach on her plate. But as I carried her plate over to the table, I grabbed a single leaf of spinach off of my salad plate and pushed it onto hers. I figured it would be a conversation piece if nothing else. She has started talking about things that are "healthy", so I just told her how healthy spinach is and she asked if it would make her strong. I quickly confirmed that inquiry, and she suddenly put it in her mouth. My joy was so genuine that she lit up, and at my suggestion, chewed it up and swallowed it. As I watched her, I could see how much effort she was expending to please me. She clearly didn't love it (but who does love spinach upon first taste?), and made some facial expressions reminiscent of her first tastes of peas and green beans as a baby (you remember--it was dramatic, to say the least). It may seem odd that I am recording this experience and gushing about my 3 year old eating a few measly leaves of spinach, but I learned something about Jillian tonight that I should remember---she needs my praise to be at an intensity that matches hers. I'd like to think I praise her all the time, but rarely (if ever), do I praise her with such reckless abandon as I did tonight. The kid was beside herself with glee, all smiles, hugs, high fives, you name it. So here I sit with a big light bulb on in my head....of course my little ball of fire would prefer to be celebrated for her small efforts in a BIG, loud, emotional way. That's just the way she rolls. She may not notice my often quiet and generic efforts to praise her. I realize Jillian may never eat spinach again, and that is a-ok.  I just need to look for more moments to dish out that excited "you ate spinach for the first time" praise.

No, the weather is not balmy here in Minnesota. Jillian is trying out lots of possible dresses to wear on our upcoming trip to "we-white"!