When the school year starts I am good with lunches. I have fresh and creative ideas and I enjoy packing them for the girls for school. They also get into it in September and ask to get up a few minutes early to help organize their food for that day. Then October comes and they don't ask to help anymore. That's ok...I'm down with that. By December I am looking forward to a break from lunches - from smelly lunch bags! Now it's May and I am done. Finished. Sick of it. Why so cranky about lunches?
My kids are good eaters. They eat a lot of things - a lot of different things. Just ask my family and friends - my kids get fed some wierd stuff...but they are used to it. Just like the kids in the middle of the jungle don't know any different from eating crickets and bark, my kids don't know anything different than eating my food! For lunches I try and get all the food groups - some veggies, some fruit, bread, dairy and of course, a sweet. But as the year progresses and my ideas and creativity begin to wane, my kids get dumb about their packed lunch. Now they are coming home with lots of food left in their bags. Now THAT pisses me off. They usually have an excuse for it. Kamrin is getting good at slipping under the lunch radar...she's learned to keep quiet about her day / food and it's not until later when I unpack her bag and discover what is left over that she's gone to soccer or something and not around to yell at. Mikka announces her remaining lunch food the second she gets in the van! The other day I sent them with a good lunch to warm up - their favourite - rice with peas and corn....They both came home with their food. Why, praytell, didn't you eat your lunch!!? Well, that days' excuse was that they were eating in other classrooms and didn't feel comfortable warming it up! Whatever. Other excuses include 1) didn't have time, and my favorite 2) I don't like that stuff.
Eggs have been a source of much angst in my home. The kids love hard boiled eggs, they love egg salad sandwiches - they eat them at home all the time. But there is one kid who has an allergy to eggs in Kam's class. He cannot eat eggs himself - in baked goods, etc. Well, Kamrin takes this to the extreme - she has for 3 years now - and says she is terrified of hurting him if she has eggs to eat. Veins pop out of my forehead when she does that one. I have not surrendered - she still gets eggs sent to school with a stern warning that he will not get sick and die!!! They also complain about the smell. Am I so calloused that I simply don't care?? The other is tuna. They love tuna. But apparently, the rest of the world is not used to the smell and therefore, my kids are uncomfortable opening a tuna wrap and creating havoc with the odor. geesh.
When the girls get in the van after school, our first subject is 'did you eat your lunch? I ask them what didn't you eat, and why and, well, you better eat it before we get home or you're in your room for a time out for 10 minutes. So they usually cram whatever is left in their bags into their mouths to avoid punishment. Some days I forget to ask - those are the days where I find myself cursing a couple of hours later in the kitchen, throwing food away.
When I was a kid, I don't think my mom made me a lot of lunches. I seem to recall I was in charge of it a lot. I remember making lettuce and mayo sandwiches. I also remember getting apples and never eating them. I used to feed them to the farm animals on the way home or use them for target practice for street signs. Mom also gave us trail mix too much and it only took me 20 years to get over my aversion to coconut and peanuts....I am still trying to get over my raisin fear. My best friend, Alison, always had cool lunches that often included oreos. She got smart and always had extra food for me at school as my lunches generally sucked.
So as the year draws to a close, I am excited. My creativity is gone with lunches. I have very little cool stuff left in my repertoire of fun food. I am tired of having food sent home. I can only use the "do you know that children all over the world are hungry and you're so spoiled" speech for so long. I crave for the days of peanut butter. Life was much simpler then.
My kids are good eaters. They eat a lot of things - a lot of different things. Just ask my family and friends - my kids get fed some wierd stuff...but they are used to it. Just like the kids in the middle of the jungle don't know any different from eating crickets and bark, my kids don't know anything different than eating my food! For lunches I try and get all the food groups - some veggies, some fruit, bread, dairy and of course, a sweet. But as the year progresses and my ideas and creativity begin to wane, my kids get dumb about their packed lunch. Now they are coming home with lots of food left in their bags. Now THAT pisses me off. They usually have an excuse for it. Kamrin is getting good at slipping under the lunch radar...she's learned to keep quiet about her day / food and it's not until later when I unpack her bag and discover what is left over that she's gone to soccer or something and not around to yell at. Mikka announces her remaining lunch food the second she gets in the van! The other day I sent them with a good lunch to warm up - their favourite - rice with peas and corn....They both came home with their food. Why, praytell, didn't you eat your lunch!!? Well, that days' excuse was that they were eating in other classrooms and didn't feel comfortable warming it up! Whatever. Other excuses include 1) didn't have time, and my favorite 2) I don't like that stuff.
Eggs have been a source of much angst in my home. The kids love hard boiled eggs, they love egg salad sandwiches - they eat them at home all the time. But there is one kid who has an allergy to eggs in Kam's class. He cannot eat eggs himself - in baked goods, etc. Well, Kamrin takes this to the extreme - she has for 3 years now - and says she is terrified of hurting him if she has eggs to eat. Veins pop out of my forehead when she does that one. I have not surrendered - she still gets eggs sent to school with a stern warning that he will not get sick and die!!! They also complain about the smell. Am I so calloused that I simply don't care?? The other is tuna. They love tuna. But apparently, the rest of the world is not used to the smell and therefore, my kids are uncomfortable opening a tuna wrap and creating havoc with the odor. geesh.
When the girls get in the van after school, our first subject is 'did you eat your lunch? I ask them what didn't you eat, and why and, well, you better eat it before we get home or you're in your room for a time out for 10 minutes. So they usually cram whatever is left in their bags into their mouths to avoid punishment. Some days I forget to ask - those are the days where I find myself cursing a couple of hours later in the kitchen, throwing food away.
When I was a kid, I don't think my mom made me a lot of lunches. I seem to recall I was in charge of it a lot. I remember making lettuce and mayo sandwiches. I also remember getting apples and never eating them. I used to feed them to the farm animals on the way home or use them for target practice for street signs. Mom also gave us trail mix too much and it only took me 20 years to get over my aversion to coconut and peanuts....I am still trying to get over my raisin fear. My best friend, Alison, always had cool lunches that often included oreos. She got smart and always had extra food for me at school as my lunches generally sucked.
So as the year draws to a close, I am excited. My creativity is gone with lunches. I have very little cool stuff left in my repertoire of fun food. I am tired of having food sent home. I can only use the "do you know that children all over the world are hungry and you're so spoiled" speech for so long. I crave for the days of peanut butter. Life was much simpler then.
Oh Marlea...you've provided a sombering glimpse into my near future as Chazz ventures off to JK with his guarantee'd "not so cool" lunch. I'm already stressed about it!!
ReplyDeleteHang in there Marlea. Not including today, because you have already made and sent the lunches, there are only 25 school lunches to be made.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the lunches you send and they are great. You are very lucky to have kids that will eat anything.
My two don't like sandwiches (well the occasional sub like sandwich for Curtis) so it is usually KD in a thermos for Bethany, bagels, hard boiled eggs (again for Bethany) garlic grilled cheese, pizza...home made or Gino's for Curtis.....ummmm let me think....???? yep that is about it. I also send either home made banana bread or homemade muffins every single day. I know there is extra oatmeal, chia seed, flax seed and even a hidden veggie in there. And of course milk.....how my kids LOVE milk. As boring and repetitive these lunches are, I too am tired. 25 school days to go, but who's counting?
Elaine :)
at least they're bringing the food home and not throwing it away. i threw away my sandwich everyday in grade 4, carefully tucking it under some other garbage so that the teacher wouldn't notice. for some reason, i was always pretty paranoid about smells, looks, etc when it came to the food in my lunch. here's a cool blog that i read where the mom posts photos of her kid's lunches every week - lots of fun things to copy. http://wendolonia.com/blog/
ReplyDelete