Every Family Has a Kid Who Won't Eat . . .

Michael is ours. If we let him, he'd survive on fruit snacks, apples, and pizza. His discriminating palette disdains about three-quarters of our regular menus, even such fare as meatballs, plain rice, tacos, soup, chicken casserole, and more. He'd rather go to bed early than lower his standards and try such vittles. But I digress. Now that you know so much about Lillian and Joseph, you of course are dying to hear about Michael. He's an interesting child, imaginative and creative and cut from a different cloth than my other kids. He's entertaining and fun. Age: Almost 7 Hobbies & Interests: Pirates, Pirates, Pirates, Books about Pirates, Pirates, Riding his Bike, Legos, Pirates Most Likely to: * Engage his friends in elaborate pretend games, usually about pirates * Dress up daily for play * Wear a belt so he can have a place to put his sword * Visit the neighbors dressed in his pirate get-up * Play with Allison and Sarah and lead them in fun make-believe games * Enjoy recess at school * Whine * Get offended when he is teased by his family * Insist that we stop talking about imagination * Do his chores with minimal reminders * Play with friends often * Entertain himself wherever we are * Draw pirates * Lead his sisters in silliness Least likely to: * Wander far from home * Think in his head instead of saying all his thoughts aloud * Try different foods Sometimes gets in trouble for: * Whining * Arguing with Joey * Being easily offended by his siblings * Yelling Likely Future Career: * Pirate -- but the good, honest kind * Illustrator * Actor * Home builder * Explorer * Photographer My favorite things about Michael: * Michael greets everyone as a friend. He's not concerned with fighting authority, just with making friends with it. A recess monitor once told me she loved Michael because he was always talking to her about everything * Michael makes us all laugh. He's a natural ham who can really lighten the mood around here. * Michael, though fun-loving, is thoughtful about risks and hazards and unlikely to put himself in harm's way. When he started crawling up the stairs in our split-level house, I never had to put a gate at the top because he simply wouldn't get close enough to the stairs to fall down. His little mind considered the danger and stayed away, as simple as that. * Michael has a sensitive side. He listens intently during the lesson in Family Home Evening. He has a believing heart.