Smooth Morning

"Mama, I want snack!" As usual, they're the first words from my son Heath's mouth as I take him out of his crib in the morning. "Good morning, baby!" I say, as I give him a big squeeze and a morning smooch. "I wanna snnaack!" he repeats.

"OK, we'll get some breakfast after we get you a dry diaper," I respond as I move him to the changing table. "How did you sleep?"

"Good!" he says as he grins up at me. Then, "Mama, I wanna snnaaaaaack!"

He's more insistent this time and squinches his face up as he says it, like he thinks I didn't hear him the first time or has forgotten that we've fed him breakfast every morning for the last two years. He repeats his morning refrain a couple more times as I hustle through the changing routine and hurry to the kitchen to find him something to munch on before he has a meltdown. If he doesn't get food soon, it will get ugly fast!

But it's not his fault. He gets this from me. When I say, "I need a snack," it means five minutes ago. My husband says my eyes actually glaze over and he fears I'll turn into the Hulk if I don't eat immediately.

The problem is, my daughter Adelaide is just the opposite in the morning. She lingers in bed, then puts on her "good morning clothes" before moseying to the family room where she requests some snuggling and reading. She needs an adventure with Dora, then Pooh, and maybe a visit to Seussland before even thinking about a sip of OJ. Then she runs off to dress all of her babies in their "good morning clothes." Still no mention of breakfast and no response if I offer it. She's too busy.

But it's not her fault. She gets this from me too! My inner snack monster isn't an early riser. I need a cup of coffee and some time to wake up before I can even think about food -- eating or preparing it.

So much for a morning routine. Not only do I have to worry about finding a nutritionally balanced meal that both of my toddlers will eat, but I have to deal with the fact that my kids' internal food clocks are not synchronized!

The solution? Smoothies for breakfast! They're quick and easy -- perfect for my breakfast monster. And they keep well in the fridge for a few hours -- perfect for she who'd rather play than eat.

They can also be tailored to meet everyone's nutritional needs and preferences. Whole milk for Heath, soy for Adelaide. Blueberries for him, bananas for her -- or the family favorite, PB&J! They're great paired with a granola bar, muffin, or even some dry cereal and are convenient when you need breakfast on the go.

Best of all, I don't have to play short order cook to keep everyone happy and healthy -- at least not at 7:00 a.m.! Now the revolving door to the kitchen isn't in full swing until at least 8:00. That's what I call a smooooth morning routine.