Dinnertime with the Felker Family

Here’s a pair of short videos for you. Just in case anyone has managed to get the erroneous impression that Holt is a darling angel, check this out. I took it as a joke, but Aaron said I should post it. For those of you who don’t know, Holt’s diet of choice consists mostly of the following: Rice, bread (only some kinds, though), some kinds of chocolate, graham crackers (when we have them), hot dogs, dry hamburgers, French fries, milk, noodles, and cheese pizza. Looking back on this list, I find myself even more mortified at the serious lack of nutrition. He persistently refuses to eat fruit, vegetables, and most meat. So, Aaron and I decided to embark upon a campaign to widen Holt’s culinary horizons, whether he likes it or not. At dinnertime, now, and only at dinnertime, Holt must eat something other than the above-mentioned foods before he can have a preferred food. The first night, it took him an hour to eat one bite of meatloaf. Last night, he utterly refused the chicken. We just leave it on the table and let him know what the expectation is. It’s tempting to “bribe” him with something sweet, but I worry that might create unhealthy eating attitudes, so we try to avoid that route. Fortunately he eats amply during the day, so I don’t think he’ll starve. Dinner, now, however, has turned into a minor circus. Since we won’t give him a bowl of rice right away, Holt spends most of his dinner wandering the kitchen threatening to get his own food, or he hops between my lap and Aaron’s lap. It’s a good thing he’s so darn cute. Aaron has a theory that little kids are adorable because it increases their chances of survival when, as 3-year olds, they constantly drive their parents insane.

Holt

After taking a short “movie” of Holt, I, of course, had to do the same for Ridge. I hope you enjoy experiencing his train of thought as it careens through our dinner conversation.

Ridge