What's For Lunch...

Right before school started, my friend, Cami, mentioned on Facebook that she needed new ideas for her kids' home lunches.  I joked with her that I couldn't add one more thing to my plate and that making a lunch every day for my kids was NOT my thing.

My kids have been asking to take home lunch for quite some time, but I simply didn't want the hassle.  It was worth it to me to pay the buck and change than have to have one more thing to do in the morning. 

Lex has told me that the school's food is pretty gross.  I've even gone to the school and it is pretty much a PB&J smuckerable (is that what they're called) sandwich, or a chicken patty.  Sure, they mix it up with yogurt (as a main dish - seriously???), or orange chicken and pizza, but still.... those are not at the top of my list as healthy lunch options.

One of the commenters on that Facebook post mentioned this website:  http://www.easylunchboxes.com/

I remember that I'd seen it once before on Kelly Annie's blog:  



I thought these containers looked like a great idea.  They are also friendly for the environment because it cuts down on all the plastic baggies. 

So.... I went to this website and outfitted us for the year. 
http://www.easylunchboxes.com/

I bought two sets of the containers so I didn't have to worry if I didn't have my dishes done for packing lunches.  I also bought 3 lunch boxes (Izzy isn't full day yet.)  The containers are a bit longer than your standard bag.  They wouldn't fit inside the bags I already had on hand.  But... if you weren't crunched for time, I'm sure you could find another bag that would fit the container just fine.

What I liked - saves on plastic bags, easy to wash (dishwasher), the compartments (helps me think of additional things to pack for lunch rather than sandwich and chips - I know... not healthy.), and the containers come back in one piece.  With the disposable Ziploc type containers, one would always inadvertently get thrown away.  I like that the bag has plenty of room for the box, drink, thermos, cold pack, etc.

What I dislike - the lid is not tight fitting.  It was made like that on purpose.  The creator wanted the littlest of kiddos to be able to get their lids open.  So... when you pack something wet, like yogurt, fruit in juice, etc, the liquid leaks out.  There is an easy fix though... you get press and seal wrap and put a small piece over that section.  It works great.  Also, once you have the box in the bag, add a drink and a cold pack, the lid stays put. 

Another dislike... Lexie doesn't like the bag.  The pink bag was not cute enough for her.  The Jr. High crowd is much more sophisticated than a pink vinyl bag.  I offered to graffiti her bag for her, but she declined.  The website even sells bag bling, but... she was interested.   Even though she still uses the container every day, she doesn't take the bag.  She sticks the box in her school bag and she is off. 

This brings up another pet peeve of mine.  She won't take a cooler pack with her lunch even though she is taking turkey sandwiches, etc.  I know.... I know.... I've tried to tell her.  Unfortunately, she hasn't learned her lesson yet by getting food poisoning.  (teasing)  What can ya do?  It didn't even help when she found this post by some of her fashion / makeup idols!

http://www.elleandblair.com/post/healthy-habits-pack-a-healthy-lunch

If you have a tween / teenage girl, I'm sure you've heard of Elle and Blair.  I mean if they have bought into this system, it should be good enough for Lex, right?

Bottom line... I like the concept, but..... I'm not sure if it was worth the money.  I'm sure you could find an alternate combination type container out there that would fit in a standard bag that was "cute" enough for Jr. High and all the rest of the kids.  On the bright side, it has helped us pack more nutritious lunches and perhaps even saved us a bit of money.  The kids seem to like it.... unless it is orange chicken day or yogurt parfait day.  Then, all I hear about is.... "Mom... can I have school lunch?"

ps - if you are a brown bagger too, you may want to check out the lunch box sight.  They have a gallery page that gives some great ideas for lunch.  PB&J or turkey sandwiches tend to get old.

This and That.... Feb 2011

Here's another LONG post that is all over the place.  A snap shot if you will.

Ry - buried, I tell ya.  However, he likes his new department at work.  He is enjoying being back in technologies amid the techy side of life.  When he first started his new job, he and I were speaking the same language, literally.  Once upon a time ago, long before Lexie Lou arrived in our arms, I actually knew a thing or two about writing code, mainframes, running jobs, JCL, COBOL etc.  It was fun (for a minute - I like where I work now) to hear about his woes and actually be able to relate. 

We are hoping these long days and all they entail will not last for the life cycle of the job.  Ry has a talent for being able to turn a situation around.  We are hoping his track record will continue with this new endeavor.


Lex - is gearing up to finish Science Olympiad.  The state competition is next month.  We are looking forward to her life being less busy once all of the after school practices conclude.  She is loving art and uses a lot of her "free" time to paint.  I told her the downstairs hallway can be her gallery.  I'm sure by the end of the semester, it will be filled to the brim.

Jackson - Ryan usually helps Jackson with his math homework.  I know it is only 4th grade, but Ryan doesn't have to exude as much brain power as I do to help him. 

Ryan is in Phoenix this week.  I'm actually quiet jealous.  Even though he is crazy, busy, with work, the thought of being somewhere warm and enjoying the beginnings of spring sound like heaven.  So, with him away, I was left to try and help Jackson with math. 

The task was converting kilograms to grams.  Easy enough right? :)  Good thing there was a cheat box for me to refresh my memory.  Jackson actually did quiet well.  I asked him if his teacher went over the paper with him.  He said, "No.  Dad taught me this.  I just need to get rid of zeros."  Way to go Ry.  Our night was so much less stressful with math out of the way.

When Jackson was getting his homework out of his backpack, he handed me a note about the school choir.  I asked him if he was interested in joining the choir.  He said, "Um... no."  I tried to find out more about why he didn't want to join.  I knew the answer, but I wanted to see if he could identify what the issue was. 

Jackson said: That is too scary. 
Me: Why is it scary?
J: I don't want to sing in front of people.
Me: Well, you sometimes sing songs at church.
J: I don't want to.
Me: Well, you could join the choir and then not be part of the choir when they sing in front of people.
J:  Um, no.  It's too scary.

The other interesting thing concerned his upcoming field trip to the Storey Telling Festival.  The kids are supposed to dress up.

J: I need to wear my blue pants to school Thursday.
Me: You mean jeans?
J: My teacher said we need to wear nice pants and a button up shirt.
Me: Well, it sounds like you need to wear your church clothes.
J: No, I asked my teacher if I could just wear blue pants and he said yes.
Me:  Well, does your teacher know your blue pants are your jeans?  Maybe he thinks you have blue dress pants.
J: Oh.  Well, I'll ask him tomorrow.  I still have one day.  I just want to wear my blue pants.  I'm afraid I'm going to spill.

AND THERE IT IS.

Jackson is planning what he wants to wear in case he spills at lunch.  I should look at this as a plus because he is planning.  But, it is kind of a bummer, because he is planning to try and avoid anxiety.  Not a bummer that he is planning, just that his life is so full of anxiety at almost every turn.  Eating, groups of people, talking, interacting, etc.  Even the simplest of tasks requires thought to avoid anxiety.

Jackson has always been a messy eater - very tactile - very in the moment - very inhale your food rather than chew, etc.  We have continued to work on this for 10 years.  I'm not sure if it has always been a development thing or if there is a low muscle tone issue with his lips.  It may actually be difficult for Jackson to hold the food tightly in his mouth.  We know there is a low muscle tone issue with speech, but maybe this is partly to blame for the eating as well.


Collin - this boy is going to give me a run for my money.  Lately we've had quiet a few behavior issues.  Collin is usually my quiet and easy going guy.  I'm not sure if it is the age (about to turn 8), or what, but he is sure testing his boundaries.  Collin thrives on praise.  He almost glows when he knows he has pleased you.  He also doesn't do well with people getting angry at him.  In fact, he shuts down.  This may sound like fairly common or logical responses to praise and anger, but with Collin, it is an extreme.  

We've tried to use praise to get him to comply, but lately that isn't working very well.  Lately Collin likes to blame.  He'll say, "Well, Izzy is just making me so mad.  It is her fault I'm screaming."  We are continuing to work through it, but I'm hoping we can help him learn to better process his frustrations and emotions in the near future. 

Another 7q Dupe Mom, Cynda, just sent me an e-mail about a parenting book I should read.  "Regret Free Parenting" by Catherine Hickem, LCSW.  I told her she was inspired.  Maybe this will be a tender mercy to help me in my love spats with Collin. :)  Amazon is sending it ASAP.

On the bright side, Collin continues to enjoy reading and is tackling above grade level books.  I love to see him succeed.  He really is a great kid.  We just need to get over this little bump.

Izzy - I think this girl has immune system issues.  This winter she has caught almost every one's cold.  She'll be well for a week or two and then start with a cold again.  This is another reason I'm so ready for spring.  I'm hoping we'll be well for more than a week at a time.

Izzy continues to charm us with her smile, silly ways, energy, and all around personality.  I told Alexis the other day that I didn't think it was possible for Izzy to have even more personality than Lex, but that Izzy was giving her a run for her money.  Alexis agreed.  Izzy is one of a kind.  Those two are cut from the same cloth and we love it.

The Mom - The other day I was driving up the hill towards our house.  The road up to the mountain is a bit of a stretch and there are fields on either side.  I was alone in the car (peace); just me and my thoughts.  I reflected on where we were as a family a few months ago and how I was feeling as a mom.  There were days (more than I care to admit) where I was NOT loving it.

The negative behavior and energy in the house was almost palpable.  In the past, we would go through peeks and valleys, but the tension was always there.  Now I feel like we can cut through it.  If there is a negative outburst, we can address it without WW3.  This little breather is so refreshing and I'm loving every minute.  I've been able to give more hugs (that are received) to Jackson in the last few months than probably the previous two years.  Deep breath.... I hope this lasts.

To be continued.....

A Recap....

What we've been up to:

Friday:

• Girls have book club, card nights, bunko, etc... Well, the boys thought it was their turn for "a night".  Cousin Freestone and Ryan's brother, Scott, organized a Video Game Late Night.  Girls were not invited.  In fact, Circe said Jackson kept locking the door to their house just to make sure the girls STAYED OUT.  When one of Freestone's sisters was spotted, Jackson yelled, "Security!  Call Security!"  Jackson is great with rules and wants to be sure they are always followed. 

• Ryan was out of town all last week.  It was a LONG week for all of us.  In addition to dad being gone and the kids out of school EARLY ALL week for SEP's, by Friday I was DONE.  I was completely irrational and flying off the handle for the smallest infraction.  Just ask Lex.  We were SO done with each other.  It was quite sad.  No worries though.  We've kissed and made up.  We're hoping this new week will be better.  I even let the girl at the dentist's office have a tiny piece of my mind.  I thought it was CRAZY that I couldn't find one date for check-up appointments in August that would work with our schedule (and my schedule was empty).  Who knew you needed to schedule cleanings almost a year in advance!  Grrrrr!  This caused another discussion between me and Lex.  She thought it wasn't necessary for me to share my opinions (I was nice to the girl, but firm) about their scheduling dilemmas.  I informed Lex that if you don't speak up, how will flawed processes every change.  I'm loving that Lex is growing up and learning about real life scenarios, but I'm not sure if I like the mother / daughter critiques.  We'll just chalk last week up to PMS and move forward.

• Ryan finally made it to Video Game night on Friday.  He left Phoenix around two in the afternoon and made it half way to SLC before the plane turned around because of a lack of cabin pressure.  Not a good thing when you are flying at 25,000+ feet.  Luckily when he returned to PHX, he made it on a US Air flight.  By 9pm he arrived at the video game sanctuary and enjoyed a few games of DJ something or other before the boys headed home for bed.  The night was a hit and the boys can't wait to do it again!

Saturday:

• Don't you hate car repairs!!!  My big thing was due for an expensive maintenance tune-up.  Dropping a grand on a car that is running just fine is such a drag.  We would have rather spent the money on something else, but in our life, a running car seems to be a necessity.

• Ryan killed it at his church b-ball game, only to be robbed of a win at the buzzer by on over aggressive ref.  Church ball can be so intense but also a great way to relieve stress!

• Ryan and I spent the afternoon in the temple.  It was nice to be there together.  I told Ryan I put his name on the prayer roll.  He has had some intense pressure with work and needed the extra support from on high.  One of the prayers talked about receiving answers to our questions and solutions to our problems.  I thought it was a tender mercy.  As Ryan and I sat in the Celestial Room of the temple, we discussed this topic.  It was interesting that we both caught on to that line in the prayer.  I have such a testimony of the power of prayer.  Even though the things we go through in this life are for our good and for our growth and development, they are still hard.  But, I also know we can receive help and that the burdens upon our backs may be made light.  I want this for Ryan.  I want his burden to be made light.  I know it will be present for the weeks to come but I also know he will endure and be better because of it.  He can do it!

• We followed up the temple with YOGO-TOGO.  What else?  Apparently we weren't the only ones to have this same idea.  We saw another couple from our ward there.  I love being able to get to know others on a more personal level.  Tender mercies are not just about prayers but also about chance meetings with great friends over delectable treats. 

Sunday:

• In the shower this morning, I thought of a neighbor down the street who wanted to come to church with Alexis.  After getting out of the shower I reminded Lex to call her.  It was a good thing Alexis made the call.  The girl's mom said she was planning on it and was already getting ready.  Another tender mercy.  What if Lex hadn't called?  An opportunity would have been missed and a girl with a desire would have been disappointed.

• Today Relief Society was all about the importance of Visiting Teaching.  Four sisters from our ward shared various experiences from their lives about how Visiting Teaching has impacted them for the better.  It was a spiritual meeting.  I think every sister in the room was touched by the words and messages shared.  Julie B. Beck has said that she wonders "if (women) understand that they have no other responsibility outside of their families that has the potential to do as much good as visiting teaching."  For me, I've always had a testimony of Visiting Teaching, but it is still something that can be challenging for various reasons.  I think today's lesson helped the sisters, or at least me, to refocus, to be better, and to search for ways to truly serve and administer rather than just teach.

• The Super Bowl of course!  While the boys watched the game, the rest of us descended upon Circe's living room for ample food and lots of great discussion.  Scott and Circe are always such gracious hosts.  I'm glad they were able to get away this past weekend to Park City.  We loved having Golda, Rubes, and Free at our home. 

Monday:

• Not sure if we are quite ready for a new week.  I think we are all psyching ourselves up to get back in the trenches. I'm teaching Jr. Achievement in Jackson's class and Jackson will be starting a brand new social skills class in therapy.  We've been in therapy for 10 years now and this is the first time this particular class has been offered.  We hope it proves beneficial and that Jackson responds to the other kids, structure, and environment.

Highlights:

• We had a great time celebrating Alexis' birthday.  We had Chinese food, went swimming, shopping, and she found the perfect pairs of jeans.  She also received a little tripod for her video camera.  She can't wait to put it to good use.
• Alexis has been working hard in Science Olympiad.  On Saturday morning, her school's team had their first competition.  Her school took first place and she placed second in one of her individual competitions.  I'm so glad she is enjoying the experience.  What a little smartie!
• Collin has saved his money and now has enough for a Bey-Blade launcher!  If you don't know what that is, he'd be GLAD to show you!  Talk about hours of entertainment.  If you have a boy between the ages of 5 and 10, you must check it out.
• Izzy continues to declare that she is "In Love With Her Whole Family!"  She melts my heart every time she says it. What a sweetie!
• I'm finally starting to warm up.  I've been freezing for weeks.  Am I alone in my desire for spring to arrive quickly?!
• I learned how to make and use wheat berries last week.  Look at me being Holly Homemaker.  I'll share some great recipes later this week.  Stay tuned.

Have a wonderful week!  For more on some of the things I talked about, click HERE and HERE.

We'll be shooting up this year....

Thanks for all of the great advice and information. Our family will be getting the vaccination this year.

Oddly enough, right after my post went up, Ryan called and said he just had his flu shot at work. We must have been on the same page that day.

Great minds think alike.

Shots or no shots...

My friend, Amanda, sent me this picture. Perhaps you've already received it as it makes its way through the websphere. I thought it was hilarious. Poor piglet. I always liked him best.

Seriously though, I have been thinking about flu shots and the H1N1 vaccine. Do you get them or not?

I have heard many people say, "I haven't ever had a flu shot and I've been fine." Others are so adamant that they get one Every. Single. Year. Our experience has been random. Some years we get the shot and other we don't. I'm not that hard core.

Any advice or opinions out there about his much publicized flu season? Is a flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine really necessary or will my expertise in hand washing suffice?