More Please

I've never encountered a child, until now, who takes such pleasure in eating food.  Nor do I understand where it all goes unless there is a bottomless hole in that 13 month old tummy! Toddler S sure knows what she likes.  Just about everything. 

We average about 45 minutes at a minimum when it comes to feeding time.  I can't cut up fruits, vegetables or anything else for that matter quickly enough to present to her Majesty.  I'll get a few noises, "yes" nods or sign language for "more" before I can deliver the second, third or even fourth serving.  For example, this evening she had a cut-up tomato, two slices of ham, about 1/4 of bread, a yogurt and apple sauce.  She was still eating her last food offering enthusiastically as if she had just started to eat.

The funny thing is that our “eating machine” demands to be fed early in the morning.  A serving of milk just doesn’t do it as I attempt to get a few more minutes of sleep.  She is content only when sitting in her chair with a full size banana and a warm waffle at her disposal.  I’d love to hear if anyone has experienced something similar as we can’t be the only anomaly.

Watching Toddler S makes me think of the many children going hungry not only in the U.S., but also in countries like Africa and North Korea.  According to UNICEF, every 3.6 seconds a person dies of starvation.  The death is usually of a child aged 5 years or less.  I realize how lucky and abundant our life is compared to the majority of the population in the world.  This begs the question of what can we do as individuals to help our neighbor in need.  Here's a start.  ---->  Unicef