Wiggle, Poke, Giggle, Zoom: Baby Rice Party

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Baby Rice Party

Rice Party is a big family tradition at our house, almost bigger than first birthday. At the rice party we celebrate our baby's first solid food meal which is rice. This is also pretty much our staple food and therefore worth celebrating. At the rice party we serve rice in at least three different ways for the family to sample. Then the senior member of the family in attendance feeds the baby their first meal (unless they want mom to do it). The highlight of the party is the future career path game. Baby is presented with 3-4 items symbolic of possible career paths. Then we let the baby pick one. Our first child didn't get a rice party and wonders what she would have chosen. She carried drumsticks around in both hands as a baby for months though, she would cry if there wasn't something in BOTH hands. She wanted balance and symmetry. It was also definitely a sign of things to come. Our next two boys chose technology and our second daughter chose a baby doll. Today our baby chose a wallet (business/finance) and after that got old he chose medicine (health occupations), he ignored science & technology(tinker toys) and government/military (a flag).

Our baby had his rice party very early. He isn't even five months old, but he is a big little guy. My last baby was seven months at his party. Baby C has never even eyed food or grabbed for it. However, he is so hungry all the time that I can't keep up with nursing. The last few days were especially hard on him, so we made an emergency trip to the store late last night and decided to do Rice Party today on the spur of the moment. Usually at Rice Party, baby eats last, but at this rice party baby was crying and crying for food and that was after I'd already nursed him twice in an hour. He could hardly wait for the prayer and after eating a giant bowl of rice took a nice long happy nap.

Our rice dishes included Chex Mix, Pad Thai, and Peanut Butter Bars (ours are made with brown rice and sweet rice flour, yum!) Oh, and to be honest the main course was really pork chops and bratwurst (I was happy with Pad Thai)!