Joyful Vegan Family

Vegan Goodness:
Today we ate:

• Breakfast: Green Smoothies for Mom and LP while dad slept in a little, followed by chocolate chip scones baked from The Vegan Table (just in case you thought we were “too” healthy with all these green smoothies!)
• After a fun morning trip to the pond LP had some cheerios on the way home.
• Lunch: Leftover tofu fried rice for LP, Cesar salad for dad and a black bean and jalapeno “quesodilla” for mom (I’m chowing down on jalapenos in an attempt to get this baby out into the world!)
• Snacks included lemon soy yogurt and crackers.  LP chose to dip his crackers in his yogurt – I think he likes the “salty/sweet” combo.  Mom and dad also snacked on some more chocolate chip scones while LP napped.
• Dinner: Falafel in pita bread with cucumber/dill yogurt and tomato.  The G-man has adapted the falafel recipe from The Vegan Table to what I consider perfection – this is one of my favorite dinners!  LP also loves it, especially the tomato and cucumber yogurt.

Money Matters:
We made a run to Whole Foods to get some grocery basics including soymilk, tamari (soy sauce) and plain soy yogurt for our falafel tonight.  Everything we bought was either on sale or had a coupon, which was exciting!

• $16.89 at Whole Foods (groceries)

Tuesday Toddler Update:

This week LP has been into reading books.  He went through a phase recently where he wanted us to read The Little Engine that Could over and over again.  Then, yesterday, he and I sat on the couch and read Harry the Dirty Dog five times in a row.  He has also been into the little Mr. and Miss books (which he calls “little books”) and his favorite by far is Mr. Funny.  What I find most exciting about his interest in books now is that he has the attention span to really sit and listen to them, and to interact.  He makes “funny” faces with Mr. Funny, he points out all the “mike trucks” in Harry the Dirty Dog, etc.  He has always liked routine, and having things read or done over and over again.  But as he interacts with us more, I’m enjoying the repetition more.  It’s fun to try and make a different “funny” face every day, even if it feels like the millionth time I’ve read the book (and, let’s be honest – the plot leaves a little something to be desired).  LP and I haven’t yet discussed the gender issues in The Little Engine that Could (the engine that breaks down and the one that helps are women, the one’s that don’t help are men – very interesting!) but I have hopes that we might get there later.  In the mean time, we’ll make sure to point out all the different trucks that Harry encounters on his adventure!

The last couple nights LP has also started doing something new, and hilarious, during nap/bed time.  He pretends to make a smoothie (our morning routine) but opening a “freezer,” getting everything out, setting up the blender, etc.  But then he realizes that we are out of fruit!  So, he goes an gets his car keys (by running to the hallway, and then jumping back in bed) and then proceeds to “drive to store”  He drives a pretend steering wheel while scooting along in bed, and he honks the horn, right before he gets to the “store” at the other side of the bed.  Then, he gets the “fruit” and checks out, complete with swiping a credit card.  Finally, he comes back “home” (to the other end of his bed) and finishes making his pretend smoothie, which he then shares with mom and dad.  It is super cute, super hilarious, and the most I’ve seen him totally make stuff up with his imagination – no toys or actual objects involved.  He definitely has used toys and random objects in imaginative play (such as a cardboard box becoming a car, a toolbox, a house, etc.) but this is the first time it has all been through his own pretend actions.  I’m not sure what that means developmentally, but I do find it really interesting, and I can’t wait to see where he takes it next!