fun lunch fridays

that's what we call what we pack in our children's lunch boxes on fridays. see, i only work a friday or two a month and so i occasionally i get to enjoy the day as other mommies who drop their kids off at preschool a couple of days a week. and, with less lunches to make and a refrigerator empty of all but mustard and chocolate sauce, we have gotten a little creative with packing the lunch box. teachers have commented for four years on how healthy our kids eat and how much miller eats. when we started this a few weeks ago, the "fun" consisted of whole wheat goldfish or sugar free jello. seriously, they have no idea. as a teacher, i am well aware of the atrocious offerings found in the adorable princess or transformer lunch box each day. just a little help from a teacher and parent of a preschooler, the following items are not typical nor are they appropriate for your child's lunch:

grab bag size cool ranch doritos

a large chocolate milk from the gas station

oreos & chips ahoy chocolate chip cookies

i could go on and on. and i am sure some of my teacher friends will comment with some other great selections. but, back to my kids, as you can see, they have been sheltered from many lunch box offerings for quite some time. so, fast forward to thursday night at 9:00 pm after a long day for this preggo mama entering her third trimester. josh and i were discussing who would trek out to pick up the much needed essentials. miller was sleeping in the last diaper in our possession-seriously, i had gone through every bag, drawer, and the car that morning when i packed his bag for preschool. we were in dire straights. so, i said i would run to target and pick up diapers and lunch essentials. as josh rattled off his long list (bread, tortillas, mayo, cheese, turkey, fruit, etc.), we realized i would not be able to find most of these items at our favorite original target. hmmm, what to do?? hey, what about a lunchable? they have those at target. we agreed to allow our children to open their mind to the world of sodium packed, preservative drenched, compartmentalized quickies. still being a somewhat health and money conscious mommy, i only purchased the ones with crackers, meat & cheese because we did have juice boxes and something instead of cookies or peanut laced chocolate at home-something, i am sure. 

so, friday morning as we are getting ready miller asks his typical morning question, "wheya we goin' today?" 

"to preschool." i reply.

"yeah!!!!!!! to peschool to pay wif my fiends. (pause) cheese quesadilla in my lunch??"

"no, mommy bought you each a lunchable."

in unison, "a lunchable? what's a lunchable?"

oh my gosh. seriously. they are so deprived. so i told them they could help me pack lunches if they finished getting dressed. seconds later, we are standing in the refrigerator. i give them each the plastic package of pre-made goodness.

"turkey, cheese and crackers!! yeah!" they shout. 

we should be ashamed. but, they are so cute i just smile. we then add a random super ripe banana for miller and the last lone sugar free jello and a spoon for carter. drink boxes, napkins and ice packs and we are out the door. 

when i picked them up, i asked if they ate their lunch. "of course!!" was the reply for miller. and, for carter, "all of it. but she did say, 'i don't know how to do this?' so i opened it for her." bless their hearts! we may have to make this a semi-regular occurrence. we don't want them to go off to college and go all wild and crazy at the cafeteria now, do we??