Lunch for my Bunch

We are into our third week of school, and I have to admit, my heart still aches a bit each morning at the bus stop. This is the very first morning Muffy woke up saying he did not want to go to school. His reason? - "Because I can't eat when I want to!" I knew this was coming! Both my boys are very big eaters, and the school schedule doesn't seem to allow enough time to finish their lunches at a reasonable pace. I put a lot of thought and effort into their lunchboxes, hoping they have enough food to carry them through the day.

My own mother always packed great lunches! At the time, I did not appreciate all her efforts, but looking back, she invested a great deal of time and care to ensure my sister and I ate healthy meals. Thanks Mom!! This week I finally got around to stitching up a few more cloth snack bags for recess. The boys can easily nibble on these portable snacks on the playground. I have been stuffing them with a bit of nut-free "trail mix" that includes cereal, yogurt covered raisins, pumpkin seeds and Annie's organic bunnies. There is also enough room to tuck in a cheese stick, which ensures they get a bit of protein mid morning. I'm still working on eliminating plastic from the lunches. I use the odd plastic container, and I usually wrap the contents in wax paper. I've found it difficult to find small stainless options that the children can open, and glass would not go over well at school. The boys love their little bags, and it is my way of sending a bit of "Mommy's love" along with them. I think it provides more comfort to me than them.....but it makes me feel good anyway!

I spent yesterday making a batch of homemade "pizza pockets" for today's lunch. It is pizza day at the school. The cafeteria brings in fast food pizza on Tuesdays (I will refrain from ranting about this). This causes a tricky situation. I want the boys to feel like they fit in, but I don't want them eating the fast food option. Last year Chi-Chi REALLY wanted it, so I caved and allowed it as a treat twice a month. In the end, I found it coming home untouched. He soon learned it didn't taste that great and reverted back to my homemade version. The pizza pockets fit inside a little thermos and are a bit less messy than pizza slices. I really enjoyed this article in Sparrow Magazine. There are some great tips in there about achieving a balance between "healthy" and "normal" on the school lunchbox front!



I snuck in one more quick, crafty project lastnight. Chi-Chi came home with his first wiggly tooth yesterday. He is absolutely giddy about it. I made this simple tooth fairy pillow from some wool scraps. I contemplated embroidering the details, but decided it would be best not to put bad karma into the gift. There would have been some serious cursing and swearing if I had gone that route. I chose to needle felt the details instead, and I'm pretty happy with the results. I only had room for his initial, instead of his full name, but I think it still adds a personal touch. What's the Tooth Fairy's current going rate for a tooth these days???