Being autistic, Toby's life is governed by a requirement for routine, especially when it comes to food. In his mind certain foods go together and can never be eaten alone, for instance crisps must always come in a bowl with a chaser bowl of marshmallows and petit filous yogurts must be eaten in pairs, first a raspberry one and then a strawberry one. He likes the same tea every day after school (or for lunch at weekends and school hols); first a crispy baked potato with the potato flesh scooped out and mashed with tuna and mayo to a consistency that is crumbly and not too wet. The mash is always eaten first and then before he eats the skins his plate must be cleared from the table. Next comes a slice of chocolate fudge cake on a pink plate and after a drink comes pudding eaten with a well worn blue spoon.
Now when I say pudding you've probably guessed that it has to be a particular kind and you'd be absolutely right. Pudding to Toby has always been Hipp Organic apple and blueberry baby food and he has eaten a jar of it every single day since he was around 5 months old. Now to my reckoning that means he will have consumed around 5,475 jars of this baby food over the last 15 years and that will be a conservative estimate as some days he has one after his evening meal too! Though not any longer it seems. In fact Hipp organic are about to wonder why sales of their apple and blueberry puds have fallen off a cliff because unfortunately for Toby they have changed not just the packaging (which has always caused him temporary consternation in the past) but also the fundamental taste with a brand new recipe. Poor Toby is bewildered to say the least and mealtimes look like being difficult for him until I can find a replacement pudding that fits the bill. Still it is an opportunity to introduce something a little more age-appropriate and I won't miss the funny looks I get in the supermarket when I have a basket full of baby food!
Anyway, apart from pudding catastrophes (and a distinct lack of summery weather) we've been having a good summer so far, busy with the usual summer activities of plum jam making, garden time, wood walks and visits to the local garden centre for rides on the miniature steam train and then an ice-cream. All in all Toby is coping with the change in routine, hopefully that will continue for the other half of the school hols and hopefully there is a perfect pud for him out there somewhere, please keep your fingers crossed :)