Food drama

This is copied directly from the email I just sent to the twins' mom, upon realizing it was way too long to leave her a note about.

We started lunch at five till one: they each had taco meat with cheese on top, some taco shell, mickey cheese, plus Lilly had peas and Patrick had carrots.  Both started eating well, and that lasted for about ten minutes.  Patrick asked to take his boot off, and I asked him to please not because then he wouldn't be able to get down after lunch [he can't walk on his cast on the wood floor].  We went back and forth a few times, then he started throwing a fit, then he picked up a piece of meat and dropped it on the floor.  I put him in timeout.  I also cleared his tray, because both of them have a penchant for rubbing their hands all over it and knocking stuff to the floor, whether by accident or on purpose.  He started whining - just a low hum-type noise - and he kept that up from just after one o'clock until about 135, interspersed with occasional conversation/observation.  Any time I asked him if he would like a bite, or if he was ready for lunch, he'd just whine like that at me.

Meanwhile, Lilly ate her taco meat VERY slowly.  Today was the first day she didn't scream at all, which made me (and my ears) happy.  By about 125 she'd practically stopped chewing, so I brought up the TV as an incentive.  She chewed another bite or two, but then began saying she wanted TV, and that turned into a tantrum.  She did actually calm down, and I asked if she wanted any more taco meat.  She politely said no, and again when I asked if she wanted any peas, cheese, or squeezie.  She said yes to her milk and drained it.  I asked her if she wanted a baby veggie, she said no.  I gave her her medicine and then she decided yes to the baby veggie - she ate about 1/3 of the container, said she was done, and about a minute later, threw up - first time in a LONG time.  Threw up all the veggie and some of the meat, as far as I could tell.

I cleaned her up, took her shirt off, and asked if she wanted to come downstairs with me to put her chair cover, bib, and shirt in the wash.  As soon as Patrick realized she was going downstairs, he asked for his taco meat and started shoveling it in his mouth.  By this point it's about 1:40.  She and I go down, then go all the way up to get her a new shirt.  When we come back down, Patrick is still eating, but it's 1:50 and I tell him lunch is over.  I get him down, we go upstairs, and they are in bed just before 2.

Ridiculous, no?  The rest of the email is me asking for advice.  I'm at my wits' end - not a place I'm used to being, when it comes to children.