What Child Is This?

It was a long holiday weekend for Little Monster, but there was a lot of rain, so we didn't get to go to the pool like we had planned. Instead, we went to a cookout at Vincent's house, where Sweet Girl played with a fire truck and ate a little bit of a hot dog. Baby Girl stayed up very late that night, and didn't make it to bed until nine o'clock.

Wee Goblin has been reading a great deal lately. Among birthday books, old favorites, and library loans, this is one Little Monster who has inherited her parents' love for books. Even though she can't truly read, she loves to page through books, point at the pictures, and tell her own stories about what she thinks is happening. We've heard ripping yarns about everything from Maisy and her panda to Curious George's antics at the zoo to princesses at a glamorous ball. Sometimes Miss Fuss has her books upside down as she's reading them, but that's okay. There's no need to discourage what we hope becomes a lifelong habit.

Another habit that Tickle Bug took from her parents is her adventurous palate. There's nothing this little critter won't eat. She loves kid favorites like grilled cheese, hot dogs, and burgers, but she also challenges herself with almost everything put on her tray. The other day, Daddy made a barbecue meatloaf that had spinach, pimentos, onions, and poblano peppers in it, and Baby Girl ate about 13 pounds of it! Today, Daddy made a faux caponata out of eggplant, asparagus, onions, and tomatoes, and Sweet Girl polished that off, too. French toast for breakfast, split pea soup for lunch, squash casserole as a snack — Little Monster certainly likes to celebrate the gustatory wonders of the world around her! If only one thing is certain, it's that this Little Monster isn't a finicky eater.