My Little Sweet Potato

As many of you know, Julia's been hyper-verbal from day one. She said "Mama"--and meant it--at eight months, uttered her first three-word sentence at 17 months when scamming for some more banana ("nana--mo--bite!"), and by 18 months, in the course of one day, I counted over 130 distinct words she had used. (Her baby book says most babies aged 18 months have about 12-20 words.) So her verbal output really shouldn't surprise me anymore. But yesterday at dinner she really cracked me up. Keep in mind also that in her 22 months, Julia has rarely refused a meal, or even any particular food, and that she adores vegetables and other healthy foods to such a degree that she has been known to ask to eat lima beans, chickpeas, and zucchini. Last night, I had made a vegetarian burrito concoction involving sweet potatoes, black beans, onions, garlic, and other cooked vegetables and spices--all of which she normally loves. I decided to give Julia a separate bowl of the burrito filling, with a tortilla on the side, thinking it would be easier for her to eat that way. She was happily scarfing down tortilla and fresh fruit when I set her bowl of sweet potatoes and black beans in front of her. To our complete surprise, Julia took one careful look into the bowl, and then said, clearly and sternly but also with an air of annoyed dismissiveness, "Vegetables. PUT IT AWAY."

Of course, in a prime example of bad-parent-behavior, we were overcome by hilarity. Yeah, that's right: TEACH your child to rudely refuse to eat her dinner by rewarding her with laughter.