I was a horribly picky eater as a child.  I spent lots of my free time sitting at the table after dinner because I never actually ate my dinner.  I remember arguing about food with my parents, and not that I blame them. I feel for them, because I was this bony, nardy kid who never ate anything.  Then, in my early adulthood, I was sick, which either meant I didn't eat, or I ate and drank bland, miserable things.  As a result, I have made it my secret resolution not to be hard on my kids about food. 

I know this bothers people around me, but here's the thing - my kids are amazing eaters.  Even as babies, they always ate meat, and vegetables, and almost anything I put in front of them.  They are the anti-picky eaters, most of the time.  So when they go through phases, because heaven knows, all kids do, I don't bug them about it.  Now, I know I am too lax on snacking, and I don't make them eat all their dinner, and I know I should work on that, but as far as WHAT they eat, I try to let them be.

Andra has recently been on a jag where she now doesn't like things she has always liked.  And I've pretty much left her be.  I figured, hopefully, that one day, she would come around.

So tonight, (trumpets sound duh duh duh duuuuuuh), as always, I loaded us all up with broccoli, except Andra, since she hasn't been eating broccoli for awhile.  Halfway through dinner she says "Mom, could I please have some broccoli?" And I said, "Why of COURSE, Frances, you may have some broccoli."

You see, I love the book Bread and Jam for Frances.  In the book, Frances stops eating anything but bread and jam, and her mother humors her.  Until finally Frances cracks and asks for real food again. 

Phil, not a picture book reader, says "Why Frances?" And that girl had it all right.  I wasn't sure she would catch the reference, and she so did.  She explained the whole story to Phil, and why I was calling her Frances, and when the sounding trumpets stopped, Andra and I had a nice little secret smile moment.  I have been grumpy today, but I will say, having the picture book philosophy actually work was a high point of my day.