Feeding My Picky Toddlers

Snacks packed for tomorrow. . H has a yogurt and this fun Mario @bumkinsbaby bag with Doritos 🧡 . M has her @yumboxlunch snack box with strawberries and goldfish plus a few of her new favorite mini pepperonis 😋 https://www.instagram.com/p/CePw4WzO2Oz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Last week of school lunches for the year! Mac n cheese for M and buttered noodles for H in their @yumboxlunch zuppas. Plus some sides in their snack boxes. It was too much food…but the cantaloupe and cucumber were on their last day anyways so I don’t feel quite so bad 😉 . Also, they love these tiny animal forks. They think they’re so fun! (So do I 🥰) . #yumboxlunch #yumboxlunchideas #schoollunch https://www.instagram.com/p/CePjKR2FXKz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Baby G loves her @nestedbean swaddles. She can be really upset and the weight and comfort of these immediately calms her (usually, knock on wood!)…we are definitely seeing a predictable schedule to her days lately. She’s been taking solid naps each day and is so much happier during her awake times 💗 https://www.instagram.com/p/CePILZXll6s/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

H is our resident artist. He is super proud of this Pokémon drawing and asked me to share it with everyone 💕 https://www.instagram.com/p/CePHihGlsZX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

The girls were busy in the kitchen today! They wanted to make their own snack plate today. I was so excited 🤗 . They made Henry go outside to eat and the three of them polished off everything except the bites of watermelon that had seeds (how dare me not get rid of every single seed)… . I also love that H&M had to sit in the same chair, even when I offered to make room for three 😍 . They also helped plate their lunches and dinners. And they helped Travis make breakfast donuts today — M was especially proud of her icing work on these 😋. They’re just the King Arthur GF muffin mix in donut molds with some sprinkles — super easy and fun treat! . #snacktime https://www.instagram.com/p/CeNJECmO5nI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

K turned 2.5 the other week — and she definitely keeps me on my toes. Her latest favorite is playing with soap when no one is looking. Like bottles of it. Everywhere. . She is so well behaved when it’s just her — to the point that you forget she’s only 2. But then her emotions definitely come out when she’s competing with the big kids. She is in for a surprise when her siblings are home every.day. this summer 😜 . She is so fun. SO fun. But also has a lot of opinions. And likes to paint anything except paper. . I’ve loved our alone time this past year but I know it’ll be good for us to have the others around and watch a little less tv in the mornings 😍. https://www.instagram.com/p/CeNHjf-uuHT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Cheese wraps and fruit for lunch today (cherries are a new fruit for us … they didn’t eat many 🙃), plus M got some hummus and mini pepperonis (that she swears taste better than the big ones). . We’ve been using our packit snack bags for morning snack each day. They perfectly hold a yogurt (pouch for M but now H has figured out opening the cups so that’s nice!) and one of these zip top snack cups with fruit. I think they’ll be great at the beach and pool this summer too! ☀️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CeCT2D_F8hG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Lunches from yesterday… the last Monday of the school year! . I wanted kids to try these navitas power snacks so I mixed in with a brownie. No such luck. Realizing that was actually a bad strategy bc they could so closely compare…but I love these little bites! I think they will too if they try them 🙃 . When I told K that I packed a box for her, you would’ve thought I bought her a new toy she was so excited. She ate every bite (except the snack bite!) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd8YLjJOFLo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Baby Grace is still so comforted by a good swaddle and loves this rocker. She can be really upset and then I set her in there and it’s like she sees those bunnies and is smiling ☺️. We need to transition to the crib soon but for now, I’m going to enjoy these sweet moments 🥰 . #threemonthsold https://www.instagram.com/p/CdzT_RBLXpN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A bit of a variety for us the other day with lunches. M gave mixed reviews…wouldn’t try her cheese wrap but is suddenly back to loving pepperonis and ate all her hummus (apparently with a spoon, not with the pretzels?). H ate everything except the kiwi. He had one sour kiwi and doesn’t trust me that I’m taste testing before I send to ensure they’re sweet. (I really am though. I give K any that seem more sour bc she doesn’t mind!) . Biggest win was H eating the carrot sticks. Like that’s huge around here! . #yumboxlunch #kidslunch #kidslunchbox #pickyeaters #learningnewfoods https://www.instagram.com/p/CdzRyd9rmbv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

We have a new favorite family board game. Outfoxed! reminds you of clue but is simpler and has fun pieces that the kids have loved using. They have loved pulling the final thief card out to discover they chose the right fox. They get SO excited. . Best part is that you work together to solve the mystery! We are loving having a non-competitive game option. I definitely recommend! . #boardgames #bestboardgames #outfoxed #boardgamesforkids https://www.instagram.com/p/CdzQt2mr3q4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

When we were home with Covid, we did try to do a little bit of “sit at the table and use our brains” each day. I printed a kindergarten math pack from @teachingmama a while back and it was a super helpful resource for some easy worksheet activities that the kids liked. I’ve been so impressed by how much they’ve learned this year…! https://www.instagram.com/p/CdzPbMZr_Vp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Back to school lunches today! . After quarantining for over a week, the big kids were eager to get back into school — can’t believe there’s only THREE weeks left!? And I think K was eager to have her quiet mornings back 😜 . Leftover homemade pizza + sausage balls, fruit, cucumber for H, and some goldfish. . #yumboxlunch https://www.instagram.com/p/CdokqU3ubRz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

M has been asking to paint rocks for a while and for some reason we just never did it. Until quarantining this week 🙃. Lots of rock art going on! We had said we’d put outside and start a rock garden and that the rain could wash the rocks and we’d paint them again…but Hs volcano is pretty cool, I’m gonna have a hard time putting that out there 🤦🏼‍♀️ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdevd_gN4lH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Another shout out to this kind boy. I know it may not be “cool,” but H loves sharing a room with K. And I love that lately he’s been reading her a book at night. She gets really riled up at bedtime and this helps her calm down. (Plus he gets some extra practice reading 😉) It is the sweetest. . #siblinglove https://www.instagram.com/p/CdYXilpuE1R/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

For Mother’s Day, we got Covid. It was flying around school at such a fast rate that it seemed inevitable. M felt crummy for a day but that’s it. I’m on day 2 of not feeling great, but already an improvement from yesterday. Will take all the prayers that no one else feels the symptoms! . So instead of visiting family etc, we tackled some little projects that I wanted done around here…this closet floor (still not perfect but much improved from the before photo), adding shelves to the “baking” pantry (I want to eventually get a few matching bins that fit the space), and some toy storage shuffling. . We moved into our house last summer and I feel like we are finally figuring out how to use some of the spaces. Still lots to go, but I’ll take these small steps! https://www.instagram.com/p/CdVhXx-OCmR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

We had a friend over on Friday and H was soooo excited to show her this activity from @chanafavors — one of our favorite coloring games where you roll the dice to design a hair style. They get a little wild with their drawings but have a blast! https://www.instagram.com/p/CdVgeAhOK5N/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=