Hamburger Helper!

Ok, Jackson wins the pickiest eater contest. I hate it too, because I am a horribly picky person and I hoped that was the one thing he would not inherit from me. Trust me, Jon and I have tried so hard to teach him healthy eating habits. We have always made sure he had a variety of foods to try and we have been encouraging. Still, he only has a few things he will really eat. Here's the list: pepperoni pizza, tacos, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, fish sticks, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese sandwiches, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, french fries, applesauce, cereal, bananas, string cheese... that's pretty much it. He won't eat burgers or hot dogs, much less anything resembling a vegetable.

So, a couple of weeks ago I was grocery shopping and happened upon Hamburger Helper. I remembered how much I loved it when I was little. I even thought surely Jackson would try it, since it is made up of things he does like. Tonight I worked a little late and Jon whipped up the HH. When I got home it was simmering on the stove and I heard Jackson say, "mmm, something smells good". We sat down to eat and it was just as yummy as I remembered! Jackson put one macaroni noodle in his mouth and spit it back out on the plate. I told him no snacks or sweets unless he ate his dinner, but he chose not to. I felt bad, but he kept telling me he wasn't hungry. Then, while getting him ready for bed, Jon said, "arent' you hungry?" and the five-year-old happily replied, "No, I could go for days without food". Where did that come from? No idea, but it cracked us both up. Also made me feel a lot better about sticking to my guns!

Most Heart

Baseball season is over and it was a big hit! Jackson's coach gave him the "Most Heart" award. Keep in mind this was Jackson's first year, and to put it nicely- he didn't show any natural talent for baseball. He went several games without a hit. He enjoyed dancing in the outfield. He never complained or gave up. He lived for sno-cones! He was a good sport.

Jackson had lots of fans at the games. Nonnie, Uncle Drew, Neane, Big Daddy, Aunt T and Uncle D, Ashley, Jeff, Lil' Ian, John, Chase, Richard, Susan, Steve, Jill, and even baby Trent came to see him play.

I hope he wants to play again next year. It was an awesome experience. He is so proud of his trophy. He carried it everywhere for two days.