Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

Mushrooms aside, I consider myself an open-minded and well-rounded eater. And though I sometimes fail (occasionally even spectacularly), I really try to provide my family with a nutritious diet. But there are times when only comfort food will do. With an alarming amount of medical mayhem, at least for us (and I know we're very spoiled in this regard), this was definitely one of those weeks.

To each his or her own when it comes to comfort food. For me, it is and always has been Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. (No doubt my parents are simultaneously nodding and rolling their eyes.) Whether soothing the soul or illness, this particular dish makes me better. Jennifer even provided it for me at my bachelorette party, a testament to just how much I love it. Once I had Clare, I figured I had free license to prepare, and therefore eat, Kraft mac 'n' cheese more frequently than an adult perhaps normally would. As a baby and young toddler, she obliged. But then she got all picky on me and has turned up her nose at it ever since.

Fortunately, the second time, or kid, is the charm. It's taken a while, but Danny is now a fan. So today, while he has been under the weather with some sort of chesty ailment (he greeted me this morning by despairing, "I can't use my regular voice!"), and his appetite has been poor, I offered to make him some macaroni for lunch. Ahhh, sweet bliss. Not only did he get something in his belly, but I swear there was more of a spring in his step after lunch. The ensuing three-hour nap also might have helped.

To recap what I alluded to earlier in the post, it's been quite a week that has included two visits to the pediatrician plus a stop at the orthopedist. Clare kicked off the week by obtaining a mysterious but vicious bug bite on her ankle. It swelled, reddened and blistered, such that she found herself on a 10-day course of antibiotics. (Be glad that I spared you photos.) We were also forbidden from the pool for a few days, and she had to miss the first three days of gymnastics camp.


Finally, on Thursday, her bite was much improved and she returned to camp...where she attempted a new trick and hurt her arm. By the next morning it was still painful and she wasn't using it, so we trotted back to the doctor, who referred us to the orthopedist. The X-ray didn't show anything definitive, so she's currently sporting a splint and we are hoping and praying that she does not have to get a cast when we go back on Wednesday. That would really cramp our Kansas- and California-bound style - and she wouldn't even want any macaroni to boost her spirits.