Baby Meets Turkey

Happy First Thanksgiving, Liam! (Who is now a big fan of turkey and pumpkin pie.)

Can babies have Thanksgiving, too?

Seems they can, according to this article in BabiesToday.com. How about Turkey and Cranberry puree? Or Baked Acorn Squash? I don't know about you, but that's sounding pretty good to me, and I'm no baby.

Or try Wholesome Baby Food's One Pot Thanksgiving Dinner, that includes turkey, winter squash, white potato, sweet potato, and cranberries. Mmm-mmm, good. You can also find recipes for baby-fied apple pie, pumpkin pie, and squishy squashy sweet potatoes.

Go to the Parenting website to see which Thanksgiving foods are fine for baby, as well as a list of those to avoid.

So pull those high chairs up to the table, and let those sweet little Pilgrims share in the feast!

It's 9 (months) in November

We love you more and more each day, sweet GrandBoy, and can't imagine our lives without you.

Baby-socialization

There comes a time when first-borns and children without sisters and brothers have to be thrown into the ring with other kids. GrandBoy is starting his baby-socialization stage, thanks to birthday parties, family and church events, play dates, Gymboree and the Y, and so forth.

It's just the beginning of all those life lessons to be learned as he figures out how to negotiate the big wide world: sharing, playing nice, NO biting or hitting, and, of course the ultimate: Hey, I may not be the entire center of the universe!

I wish him well on his socialization process. His GrandMary knows that he'll put his easy-going temperament, big flirty blue eyes, and light-up-a-room smile to good use along the way.

Good Books for Bad Children

Mmmm. Subversive children's books. Right up my alley! At the risk of causing a kiddie-book burnin' amongst some of my more unsubversive friends (and I know you're out there, so we're hiding your matches), I just had to amplify this little NBC story, 9 Most Subversive Children's Books Ever Written. Curious? Here's what made the list:

1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
2. The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse
3. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
4. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
5. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
6. Yurtle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss
7. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
8. Curious George by H.A. Rey
9. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

Except for The Lorax (1971) and Click, Clack (2000), these are the books of my childhood. Explains a lot. I could add a string of equally subversive books to the list, like Eloise (or how a precocious 6-year-old rules the Plaza),  Make Way for Ducklings (or how an uppity mama-duck controls traffic in Boston), and The Giving Tree (or how a self-sacrificing tree can spawn generational environmental activism). And all Dr. Seuss books and fairy tales are subversive, right? Nancy Drew? Laura Ingalls? Whoa, yeah.

Obedient, always-follow-the-rules children (or turtles or bulls or inanimate toys) just aren't that interesting, face it. We like our literary and movie  heroes feisty, a little (or a lot) naughty, and to have the ability to think for themselves, whatever the consequences. Their thoughts and actions add spice to ordinary day-to-day living. Adults learn from - and often envy - these characters. Very dangerous stuff.

Must remember to pick up that Click, Clack book for GrandBoy.

Feel free to add to the subversive children's book list (and I'd love to hear from my friends in the UK regarding your favorites).