Toddlers and Pregnant cravings....

   I've decided that trying to feed a toddler is like catering to a pregnant woman's cravings. I swear to you, this is driving me crazy. I remember being pregnant with Emma and I sent Dave to the store at 10pm to get blueberry muffins and I always wanted chocolate frosty's from Wendys. With Ben it was chicken nuggets and waffles.. Kate was basically an aversion to everything that had buffet in the name, and the smell of fish or ketchup would totally gross me out.
  I feel like I am right back there, but only now I'm dealing with an almost two year old! Some days she eats what I put in front of her, well, half goes on the floor but at least some of it makes her mouth. One week she will scarf down pancakes and the next she gags at the first bite. Some days she refuses all forms of food and walks around saying, "berry milk, please" all day long. Her favorite fruit used to be peaches and now if I DARE set them down in front of her she throws them at her brother.
  Yesterday I tried to feed her cereal, yogurt, crackers, and string cheese..she wasn't having any of it. Then she saw the new bowl of pears on the counter and got all excited. Two whole pears later I had to cut her off in fear of what her diaper would look like later. What gives, man?? Is this a conspiracy?
  And then today I thought it would be fun to get her a cheeseburger. I thought she loved them...she didn't even want to look at it, in fact I thought she might just toss it out the window. When we got home she ran to the refrigerator and yelled, "fishy please, fishy please" and promptly gobbled up about a pound of smoked salmon.. The only way she will eat cheese right now is if its shredded, and God forbid it should be white. And vegetables?? Don't get me started.
   Peas are about the only vegetable she will tolerate right now, unless you include carrots smothered in ranch. But she HAS to eat the peas with a fork, and has to do it HERSELF, so this process takes forever.
I'm pulling my hair out over here. I forgot what it was like to feed a toddler. Our brains do that just like forgetting the pain of childbirth or the sleepless nights, or the big purple dinasour. This temporary amnesia ensures that procreating will continue.
  One night I made spagetti (is that how you spell it??) and she ate about 10 meatballs. So, I went and bought a costco sized bag and made some a few days later. She was horrified at the sight of them. Same with cheerios. 2 months of pure bliss she couldn't get enough. The day after Thanksgiving she threw up on me mid-bowl because it grossed her out. Well, folks, I have vented and I feel better. So, for now, I'm going to keep plugging away, because in reality the kid does need to be fed. Onward I charge, and would love to hear how all you other moms and dads of toddlers are managing to fill their picky bellies day in and day out. Later!