Smaller pasta (ziti, rigatoni, shells, fusilli) isn't quite as messy as spaghetti...but it's probably not as much fun, either. And good for Trixie for eating her broccoli!

When I first saw the cropped image I panicked because I thought Trixie had a bad boo boo on her face. I should have known!

Does Trixie have a diaper around her neck?

Looks to me like she is doing a pretty good job for her age. I share her taste for broccoli. She seems to be able to eat table food easier than most 19mth.olds Good job you and Jenn have done!!

Kate, that is one of the greatest inventions from Pampers: Disposable Bibs! We love them, but it is hard to find them in our area. But when you have a big mess, it is really nice to just detach the bib and throw it away.

wow! look at chopper, excelsior and defiant go!!

She's eating spaghetti with broccoli with a healthy appetite - that's great. Ben, I presume you rarely have to play the airplane game, or other tricks to get her to eat? Are there foods that she will not eat?

Ahhh, now THIS is the picture I've been waiting to see...ever since Beefaroni Wonderland! That was just a teaser.

There's a picture of me when I was a toddler, only I was completely covered - spinach ALL OVER my face, arms & bib (not sure how much actually got in the mouth). It's one of my favorites...and I still *love* spinach.

Good to see Trixie enjoys her veggies. And I agree w/ Jo, she seems quite adept using the fork. Does she have a tastebud yet for Mac & Cheese?

This is great!! What fun. Do you know that tomato sauce commercial which starts all "classy" with a spoon stirring the sauce slowly, accompanied by nice music and with good lighting etc. to suggest a high-quality product - then cut to a little guy in the high chair with the bowl covering his face and all you hear are sucking sounds, then the off voice calling for "Charlie," but of course he is so engrossed with the food he doesn't listen until the end when you see his grinning and completely smeared face. It's one of my favorites -I know, children and pets sell, but they did a great job. This picture reminded me of it - very cute!!

And now please tell me your secret how you got her to eat the broccoli?! My son is into Mac and Cheese which I try to "spice up" with peas or other veggies. Lately, he's been spitting them out with some hard-core contempt. Now what?

I pity that poor broccoli.

tj:

My baby is still at the age where she'll eat anything if she's hungry, but a friend of mine had a good trick for her picky toddler: she added purred veggies to unsweetened pancake batter. He was used to pancakes with no syrup anyway and loved them SO much that they went down, veggies and all! Good luck.

That's puréed, not purred veggies. (I'm chuckling as I imagine a cat purring over the broccoli...)

I can't help with suggestions for getting toddlers to eat veggies. My son is 26 and the only "veggies" he eats are fries. Sigh.

love the tomato face!!

and as for the veggies? make sure they arent over cooked or canned....aiden REFUSES to eat canned or overcooked veggeis at my mother in laws. here he eats frozen peas and corn as a snack...no warming up required. also, for those who have tried everything and still cant get the kiddos to eat heir veggies...both our health food co-op and accupuncturists offices carry all natural, dye/perservative/flavoring free veggie based gummie bear supplements. i have a girl friend who found its the only way to get tveggies into her 4 year old...and they are yummy lol!

See what happens when I use a fork!

Does Trixie have a diaper around her neck?

LOL! I'm still laughing. Oh, thanks for the laugh, Kate! Hilarious!

PUH-LEEEEESE tell me how you got her to use a fork so well!

jordansmom: I know this probably doesn't help you now (since your comment is 8 months old), but maybe it will help someone else. Sorry!

I think the trick is that we gave her a very pointy fork instead of the safety child fork. Her being able to stab the food and having it stay on the fork made all the difference.