'Cause she's a big kid now...

Josie is moving up in the ranks of daycare. In the seven short months since she started, she's crawled her way (Ha! Did you see what I did there?) from arm baby to crumb-snatcher. Literally.

When I picked her up this evening, the head lady in her classroom reiterated Josie's love of feeding herself and general disdain for being spoon fed. All stuff I had heard before. But to really get me to listen, head lady said the following:

"We caught her stealing food of their trays."

WHA?! By "their trays," she meant the trays used by just a few of the older babies in her class, the ones about to turn a year old who eat the daycare-cooked lunches of mashed table food rather than Gerber or homemade blends.

Head lady gave up trying to get Josie to eat the lentil stew lunch I so lovingly prepared after she repeatedly knocked away the spoon like LeBron dunk blocking Kobe. Head lady turned her back for a split second to reach into the cabinet for the old standby, applesauce and cereal. When head lady whipped around, Josie (who is also now pulling up on anything sturdy) had her paws in another kid's peas.

I was simultaneously embarrassed and proud.

"Oh, Josie," I said as my daughter clung on like a koala, looking earnestly in my eyes and listening to head lady recount the whole sordid tale. "You're not going to make any friends by stealing food, my dear."

She laughed, grabbed my earring and replied, "Dahd dahd darrrrhhhhh."

As sincere an apology as I've ever heard.

So, tomorrow Josie will join the big(ger) babies for daycare lunch.

And I will enter uncharted waters of worry: How much salt are they putting in that food? Will she like it as much as the food I made her? Will she like it MORE?

Head lady assured me that it won't cost more, that Josie will only get foods that are appropriate for her age and soft enough to be gummed, that the finger foods will be mashed or cut up, that she will get vegetables and fruits. Stay tuned....