Yay Kristin! I loved the pictures of the new house. Enjoy.

Mmmmm peanut butter. I lived on the stuff as a kid. Both of mine like it too. #1 breakfast on the run choice is peanut butter on a toasted muffin.

I read somewhere that cream cheese and natural jelly/preserves is a good snack. Or those Keebler cheese with cheese cracker sandwich thingies. Em ate those when she was in her non-eating phase.

We lucked out with Em on the peanut/nuts allergy. Her school gave her one of the peanut butter toast things before we even had a chance to do the peanut test thingie. I was furious, but I found out she's not allergic.

Hmmm, I have a friend who was "fed up" as a baby/toddler and wound up with overweight/obesity issues (so far) for the rest of her life. Is the worry that thin toddlers just aren't growing? Couldn't they just be people who grow at a different rate?

I can't answer medically, but I will say that as a mom who frequently takes her daughter out, part of the reason I want her to gain weight is so that people will STOP TELLING ME TO FEED HER. I feed her. I feed her as often as she wants to eat, She is never denied a snack. She's sometimes denied chips and given a cheese stick, instead. Or grapes. Or carrots. Let me introduce my husband, a.k.a. The Beanpole. Over six feet and barely 170 lbs.

Public opinion is not usually something I listen to or raise my child accordingly, but the weight thing bugs me. It's such a...frustrating thing. Kids are either too skinny or too fat. No wonder there are such issues with body issues in this country.

I didn't mean a criticism! I was just surprised that it's something that is still done. I mean, it could be that what happened when she was a baby/toddler had nothing to do with the way she eats/ate now.

(Heck, I was a skinny kid and teenager and now I'm obese -- in a family of lean people. One thing may have nothing to do with the other.)

Plus, given the amount of press we get about obesity in young children . . . well, actually -- probably the REASON we have so much obesity in young children is this idea that all kids should look a certain way. I guess it does all tie in together.

I've always thought that Em looked like a perfect combination of her parents.

Raq, those pictures are aww-inspiring. My particular favorites are United, pursuit, , wrassle, and love.

ND is eagerly awaiting the moment he has the money to buy a Roomba.

R surprised me with it as a prezzie, although he's mainly been the one playing with it. It's very cute. I can see why people name them; very easy to anthropomorphosize.

Yay for waking up in your new house!

I dread the day Mal starts getting picky about food. So far the only thing he's refused (other than pre-made Gerber baby food) is a raspberry that I picked for him. He even ate dried fish, which grosses me out.

Of course, it's possible that rather than getting picky, the future will be more like "Mom! My fridge is empty again!"

Oh sumi, I didn't think you were criticising at all!! I promise, it's all those Jackholes OUT THERE. That are Not Us.

I've always thought that Em looked like a perfect combination of her parents.

Exactly. It would be different if a child were not healthy. But both Lillian and Emma are active happy children. As little attention as I'd pay to the charts I would pay even less to people's comments.

The children are given ample opportunities to eat healthy foods. We are told as adults to not eat when not hungry. It doesn't make sense to me to force kids to do this.

I think that a lot of childhood obesity has to do with stressed out parents, the use of high frustose corn syrup in EVERYTHING, and other junk food. In no particular order. We try very very hard to make sure Em doesn't get a lot of high fructose corn syrup. I was relieved to find out that Cheez-It's don't as they are one of her favorite snacks.