Peter Pan would be proud

So as we sat at dinner tonight, the four of us, Ava spent more time pushing her ziti & meatballs from one side of her plate to the other than actually eating any of it.  (sidenote, she typically LOVES pasta & meatballs smothered in way-too-much-parmesan cheese....) She's always been a great eater, and this whole finicky business is a pretty recent development. And so tonight, it prompted discussion.

"Aves," I said. "Is there a reason you haven't been eating much lately? You barely touched your waffles this morning, and only had 2 bites of your peabut butter and jelly at lunch. Are you feeling okay?"

She looked up at me, with sad, honest eyes...put down her fork, and told us: "Momma, Daddy. We need to talk."

Clearly, this drew our attention pretty quickly and we both stopped eating mid-bite to listen to what she had to say.

"Go ahead baby," Jeff encouraged her. "Tell us, what's the matter?"

"Well, it's just that...you and Momma always told me that eating healthy food would make me grow bigger and stronger, right?"


"Uh-huh..."  we stated, in unison.


"Well,"  (TEARS BEGIN TO ROLL DOWN HER CHEEKS and she begins SOBBING) "...the truth is, I've been thinking about it and I don't ever want to grow any bigger or any taller. I wanna stay a kiddo forever. So I need to stop eating things so I will stop growing. I just NEVER want to be a grown-up, okay Momma??"

"Oh, Aves!" I tell her and immediately hug her as tight as I can. "Eating pasta won't make you be a grown-up!"


"Yes it will," she retorts, tears still rolling down her wet cheeks... "That's why all grown-ups tell you to eat your food, so that you will be a grown up just like them. And I don't want to!!! I just wanna be a kiddo!!!"



"Well it's a good thing we just put that order in for the No-Grow powder...right Daddy?"




"What is No-Grow powder Momma?" she inquires, wiping her boogy-leaking nose and the tears from her cheeks simultaneously.


"Well, it is a special kind of powder that you sprinkle on your food before you eat it...so that you can still eat yumy foods, but it definitely WON'T turn you into a grown-up."

"REALLY!?!?" she is finally beaming and her eyes are overwhelmed with excitement.


"Yes, really!! I just ordered it online yesterday...it should be coming in the mail soon!!!"

"So I can still eat my yummy green beans? And peanut butter? And pasta?! And I'll NEVER turn into a grown-up?"




"That's right baby. You'll be able to stay a kiddo forever!"

And with that, she gave me a tight squeeze, kissed my cheek...
and proceeded to finish TWO plates of ziti & meatballs. And a big glass of milk.



Now if I could only get my paws on some of that magical powder....   
Stay tuned.  ;-)