Siege on the Kitchen

Little M has hit the stage where food is spending a lot more time out of her mouth than in it. Her meals are being spit out or thrown around the kitchen. I frantically prepare a battery of bite sized soft food to offer in hopes of her acceptance. As substance after substance is refused and often in an exhaustingly messy manner, I usually retreat in defeat. Not only does this experience leave me with an increase in wasted food and dirty dishes...the child herself requires a full scrub down as well as the entire eating area. The highchair, table, wall and floor are not safe from her attack...nor am I. From having two others, I knew this stage would come, but had obviously blocked out the horrors of it! I doubt that this will test my joy, but am pretty sure it will be a great test of patience.