Scenes From a Manhattan Restaurant

A bottle of milk, a bottle of juice
It all depends on how you let loose
We’ll go out to eat
Once a week to our favorite place
It gives our family a change of pace.

A bottle of juice, a bottle of milk
How about a milkshake that’s smooth as silk?
I’ll meet you anytime you want
At a Manhattan Restaurant.

Restaurants have so many great things to try
Enjoying different cuisines and ambiance is why
My family's over the moon
They just give a fork and a new spoon
And they can take me out to eat
It is such a wonderful treat.
I started slow but now I eat like I am a pro.

I sit in my high chair, not climbing out
Chatting with waiters and not giving a pout
I love trying star chef food in this city
The food tastes great and even looks pretty.

A bottle of juice, a bottle of milk
How about a milkshake that’s smooth as silk?
I’ll meet you anytime you want
At a Manhattan Restaurant.

Elle Belle Hits The New York Restaurant Scene

As Seen in New York Family Magazine: http://www.newyorkfamily.com/elle-belle-hits-the-new-york-restaurant-scene/

A bottle of juice, a bottle of milk
How about a milkshake that’s smooth as silk?
I’ll meet you anytime you want
At a Manhattan Restaurant. 


Dream: It’s dinnertime and I am oh so hungry. Who’s ready to hit the town? I quietly push open the front door, crawl into the elevator, push the button for lobby, and stand up to walk outside. The doorman nods as I head to my favorite restaurant just around the corner. Once there, I check in with the hostess and call Mommy and Daddy on my cell to join me. In the meantime, the wait staff secures a highchair for me and puts on my favorite tunes while I order a filet mignon medium rare with a side of creamed spinach and mashed potatoes…

Reality: It’s dinnertime and I’m a hungry baby who’s ready to eat. Mommy starts packing her diaper bag with all sorts of food paraphernalia, so I know we’re going out to eat. But she doesn’t ask where I want to go. Doesn’t she know I watch Food Network daily and read Zagat’s at bedtime?

We arrive at the restaurant and Mommy asks for a table for two and a half…well, two plus a baby. Hey! Last time I checked I’m an able-bodied citizen and we’re a party of three. Mommy requests a highchair, but the restaurant doesn’t have one. Why didn’t she just call ahead? Luckily, Mommy brought our portable one just in case. She’s forgiven!

After hooking the chair onto to the table and letting me take my throne, I barely notice as Mommy puts on my special eating necklace. I have them in all different colors and sizes and some even have a special pocket that catches the food that I drop when I’m too busy to care.

The waitress brings us three big glasses of water from the bar. I wave at the bartender to thank him. Since we have to wash our hands before we eat, I immediately sink my fingers in and splash around. I start pulling out the ice and throwing it when Mommy tries to take the glass away. What is she doing? I screech to protest and she holds the glass up to my mouth. Naturally, I open wide and the water goes down my throat like a waterfall. This is much more efficient than my sippy cup. Once my shirt and bib are saturated, Mommy gives me my sippy cup instead. Ha! I try to hand it to the guy next to me but he is busy talking to his date. Rats. His attention is proving difficult to get. I’m much cuter than his date anyhow.

When the waitress comes to take our order, Mommy and Daddy ask for a kiddie burger for me. Don’t they know how hungry I am? I’m growing in two directions and they’re only growing in one. Luckily, the waitress gets it and says their burgers are one-size-fits-all. I smile at her and she winks.

Something smells really good. I turn around to check out the grub being eaten behind me. Using the moves I learned at Yogi Beans, I stretch my toes to my nose and manage to get one leg out of the highchair, turn around 180 degrees, and smile at the nice people with food in front of them. As they smile back I reach out to grab for their plates. Mommy notices and shyly says something about me making friends everywhere I go before turning me back around. Doesn’t she know I need an appetizer?

By the time I’m halfway into my own burger, I get tired of it and move on to enjoy the tomato and pickle. There are so many interesting tastes and textures to all this food stuff. I love variety. It’s the spice of life. Well, at least once you’re allowed to eat solid food.

Now that I’m finished, I kindly tear off my bib and hand it to Mommy with a smile. (Parents should note that these Velcro bibs aren’t baby-proof!) I start clapping to applaud my fine eating performance. And guess what? The waitress claps with me. I clap louder with a bigger smile and another waiter starts clapping. Soon after, the whole wait staff is clapping along and chatting me up. I could be a well-liked regular here. I can already tell.

I wave bye-bye to the bartender who hooked me up with my big glass of water, give a high-five to the waitress who secured my big burger, and clap again for all the others. I think that covers everyone. I hear Mommy tell Daddy to make sure he tipped well for his tiny diner. This tiny diner gives the restaurant three stars and cannot wait to try something new again soon.

Mommy-Baby Food Wars

As Seen in New York Family Magazine: http://www.newyorkfamily.com/mommy-baby-food-wars/


Twas the night of our first feeding and all through the apartment
The kitchen was stirring and baby had not one hint
The high chair was placed at the table with care
With a vinyl plastic cloth placed under there…

Dream: I open my mouth for my first bites of food and gobble them down enthusiastically. I open wide for more. “This rice cereal is fantastic!” I exclaim with a high-pitched squeal and sparkling smile. I grab the spoon from Mommy’s hand and begin to self-feed effortlessly and efficiently. I continue on this flawless feeding path with new food that’s introduced every few days. As each food stage progresses, so does my ability to feed myself with a fork and spoon. My table manners are given the seal of approval by Miss Manners, too. Yup, this baby loves everything she eats and makes parenting a breeze at mealtime.

Reality: What’s this mushy, gushy poor excuse for food? You want me to eat that? I don’t think so.

As I close my mouth super tightly while refusing to take another bite, I vigorously shake my head from side to side saying “no!” the only way I know how to. Although a couple of bites have landed in my mouth and may have made the trip down to my tummy, most of the food is: 1) on the floor, 2) finger painted on the highchair, 3) in puppy’s tummy (puppy is always asking for food so must be hungry!), 4) on yours truly, or 5) all over Mommy. It looks as if we redecorated with splatter paint Jackson Pollock style. (I learned about him from my Touch the Art books, thank you very much.) I must say, the rice cereal adds a design element that this apartment sorely needed.

Mommy keeps smiling while trying to feed me the same disgusting bite of food. Does she really think that if the spoon choo choos like a train, flies like a plane, or if my teddy bear feeds me, it changes how nasty the food tastes? I open wide once or twice to egg her on just to see what else she can come up with. She’s not the only one who can play these games.
This is absurd. I can feed myself. So I take the spoon from Mommy and wave it in the air triumphantly. Oops. As I swing the piece of stolen cutlery I toss most of the stuff that was on it. Darn. Well there’s still some stuck in the curve of the spoon. I can totally pick it out with my nails that I don’t let Mommy clip. Touching it with my fingers is way better than eating it anyway. I can feel the textures without having to taste it. I can also swirl it all around on my high chair tray, rub it through my hair, and massage it all over my face. It’s just like getting a facial. Or so I hear.

While enjoying my facial, Mommy tries to recover the spoon and but I distract her by tossing the bowl in her direction instead. The rogue bowl hits her in the face. She grimaces and says “ouch.” It’s hilarious! I burst out laughing. It makes Mommy laugh, too. Mission accomplished.

Mommy somehow manages to get the spoon back and refills it. I try one big bite. Yum. This is great. I chew and swallow, chew and swallow. What did she do? Lace it with my Mum-Mums? Banana, Mommy says. Banana makes the cereal better. Mommy gives me a piece of banana without cereal, too. It tastes even better without the cereal! This eating thing isn’t so bad after all.

I wonder if everything else that Mommy and Daddy eat tastes as good as bananas. I cannot wait to find out. And between us, I hear that NYC has some fine dining so I plan to try every star chef’s bananas. Watch out NYC restaurant scene…here I come!

Food Fight

Eating is like an adventure in fun

I play and throw my food on everyone

First it was cereal then potato

Next it was green beans and then tomato

I liked it all but made a big fat mess

From my hands to feet; from my head to chest.

I tried avocado-- it was a bust

Oatmeal’s a yummy in tummy must

Not so sure about these green kiwi yet

But yellow bananas are a sure bet.

Vegetable, fruit, or grain is a fun game

But to me some things just all taste the same.

I submerge my ten fingers in it all

I squeal as I spread it and have a ball.

My bib is covered in food residue;

My body is covered all in it too.

To the tub I go when the meal is complete

A bath is also for my high chair seat

I wonder how much is in my tummy

And how much more food will be yummy?

This is all so new this learning to eat

I haven’t a clue; but it’s a good treat.

I look like a natural disaster

And in the end I fill Mom with laughter

We love each meal time and its aftermath

When baby and kitchen all get a bath!

Twas the night of our first feeding

Twas the night of our first feeding and all through the apartment
The kitchen was stirring and baby had not one hint
The high chair was placed at the table with care
With a vinyl plastic cloth placed under there

The rice cereal was ground to a powder as told
Then added some water and breast milk of old
So the milk would give baby a familiar taste
As we begin introducing foods with haste

When from the high chair there arose such a clatter
We had a food fight; all over went the batter
Mommy tried very hard to get me to eat
My not so delicious rice cereal treat

Doctor said start with cereal so Mom did
But it is very bland and boring so she hid
Her thoughts that I would enjoy sweet potatoes better
Before writing the rice cereal rejection letter.

I at least enjoyed the spoon for just a minute
Before the rice cereal was placed in it
I took one big bite and then a little more
Then pushed the spoon away and threw it to the floor

"Now Baby! now, Baby! now, just give it a try!
Try it, you’ll like it- the best rice Mommy can buy.
Take the spoon to the mouth-we are having a ball!
Now just eat one bite; you don’t have to eat it all!

I tried it again and took one more cereal bite
Rice dripped right out of my mouth and I saw the fright
In Mom's eyes at the whole eating solid foods thing
So Mom tried to make it fun and started to sing

And then, in a second, Mom sang three blind mice
Which distracted me just enough to eat some rice.
As Mom drew in her hand, and was turning around,
Down went the rice cereal to the floor with a bound.

I was covered in rice, from my head to my toe,
And I laughed and giggled and Mom wallowed in woe.
A spoon of cereal was flung at her rack,
And I looked like an angel, just smiling right back.

My eyes-how they twinkled! my dimples how merry!
My hands were all sticky and sweeter than sherry!
My little mouth frowned with each attempt to eat
I just wanted my milk from my Mommy’s teat

We’ll try cereal again for four more days
Then introduce a brand new food for me to graze
Soon my palate will appreciate finer food
For now we’ll try to get Mom in a better mood

We will take a warm bath with our rubber ducky,
And we smile in the bath, I am so lucky!
A splash in the tub and shampoo of my head,
No more rice cereal; nothing more to dread.

Mom spoke not a word, but just gave a smile,
And filled all the room with joy for a while.
And pulling my ten toes right up to my nose,
And giving a nod, out of the bath I rose!

Mom thought how she wished I liked my solid food meal,
But was just pleased to be done with this landmark ordeal.
Mom gave me a big kiss and hugged me oh so tight,
"Happy first feeding my baby; have a good night!"