Sunny 9 for 2005 August 19

How can I be an engaged parent without driving myself or Lily crazy. This new independent streak is sending me for a loop. I mean I want my daughter eating her good healthy food, but what do I do when she tricks me by letting me put it in her mouth and then directly pushes it out with her tongue and then throws it on the floor, over and over. I don't want her starving, and I just wish she would eat like a regular person. What is up with all this playing with the food business?! And how come she has to get into the exact same picture every time and rip off the metal pansy? Huh? Why? Every time I leave the room, she does this. She says "Oh goodie, now I can resume ripping off the pansy on mommy's picture." Somebody help me. Someone kidnapped my baby and replaced her with a terror.

Update: Oh yeah, and she loves throwing her toys out of her stroller on our walks b/c it is funny to watch me have to pick them up, and when I take them away from her she gets mad b/c she is bored and wants to play the "I throw, you fetch" game.

However, she does know when I need a hug.

I like to buy chocolate chips as an afternoon pick-me-up snack. I like the semi-sweet ones b/c they are a little better for you than the milk chocolate ones, plus I like semi-sweet better. This time at the store I bought the off-brand semi-sweet chips when I always buy the Ghirardelli chocolate bag for like 25 cents more. But I grabbed the cheap kind b/c it was the first thing I saw and I was in a hurry. BIG MISTAKE. These "Sam’s Choice" chocolate chips are hardly worth the calories. The chocolate is so grainy compared to the smooth, creamy Ghirardelli chocolate. I didn't think I would be able to tell a difference, but there you go. Ghirardelli makes some of the best chocolate around.