Owen and the Bean Stalk

This is a mashup of monsters and green beans. You've been warned.

Coming home from school two weeks ago, Owen announced that he wanted to break his green bean eating record. He wanted to confirm the number, and I told him it was 38.

"So I have to eat 39?"
"At least"
"Just 39. I'll do 40 next time."

Got to admire his awareness of not overextending himself.

With our vegetable set, we went with pasta as the side dish. I suggested to him that it might be best to start with green beans, and to use the pasta as a break.  But if pasta is on the plate, he eats it first. While I'd prefer he engage in circle eating, he has learned to eat all of one thing before moving on to the next at school, as that is their control mechanism to keep them on track. Fortunately, I only gave him a small amount of rotini before he got started on a record setting performance*. Here's the conclusion. If you're not a grandparent, I am fairly certain it is a waste of four minutes, so don't feel obligated to watch:

*although he set a record with 39, topping his record of 38,  the 36 he ate just before the 38 is still the most impressive performance, based on size of the green beans in that sitting.  And really this green bean thing may not be all that impressive from a quantity amount. I really should weigh it. It's not uncommon for him to eat gobs of fruit for dessert, such as a recent small bowl of grapes, tangelo, banana effort, or a big bowl of tropical fruit (strawberry, papaya, mango, pineapple).

All this makes other people think he's a good eater. But really he's just OK there. What he has is a good diet. I do worry about being too restrictive in that he's not getting the opportunity to figure out for himself a proper balance, but maybe four year olds weren't meant to do that. I've tried to lighten up a little when he gets things that he doesn't get in the house. (Really Mom, I am trying!). Last Sunday, we went to a Derby party in which we were served the traditional Derby Pie, following the hosts' 7 year old and 4 year old chanting "we want pie, we want pie..."  On Monday, Owen asked if I liked their "pie song." So it goes...

And in completely unrelated news but relevant due to post title, Owen really does not like my favorite kids book to read--The Monster at the End of this Book. I vaguely remembered it from when I was a kid, figured out what book it was and purchased maybe 2 years ago. The initial readings went OK, but Owen didn't really comprehend everything, and I wasn't quite pushing the boundaries of its performance. But on last year's trip to San Diego, I perhaps embellished too much in Grover's pleading the reader  not to turn the page, and Owen thought I was mad at him and started crying. Ever since then, he's been afraid of it.   I try every few months, but to no avail.

On recent attempts, his reasons for not wanting to read have become more... rational, if you will: we NEED to listen to Grover. Despite Owen knowing the monster at the end of the book is in fact Grover, he absolutely does not want me to turn any pages. Last week, Joanne recorded part of this attempt (please excuse the very questionable parenting going on as well as my hair):

Last Monday (May 7), Owen brought the book to me and asked if it was my favorite book (I do think it's great and I'm hoping that if I like it that much, he'll let me read it again) and I said yes, it is my favorite book to read to him. We then negotiated terms of a prospective reading, and that was to not read it, but to just turn the pages. Alas, that lasted two turns and then I had to keep the book away from him as I turned the pages.  We got the end and he completely relaxed and let me read the last page. He then said "Daddy, you should really listen to Grover."