Are You Singing? Are You Dancing?

I'm singing and dancing.
And why? You might ask.
Well, because Spring Break is over. School is back, baby!
Cue arena rock music and shameful, unrhythmic dance moves.

I'm exaggerating; we actually had a very nice Spring Break.
No travel or excitement or anything to be envious of, but it went smoothly. Emergency dental visit, aside.

We went to Washington DC, Craig took Caroline and two friends to see a 3-D movie, there was lots of outdoor playing (except on the rainy days) and we can't forget the Easter egg hunt, complete with pony rides, a petting zoo and more candy than one child should reasonably hold in her possession.
Simple, but fun.

Caroline enjoys school, but prefers playing, so she's not as happy about the ending of Spring Break.

She'll get over it.

You ought to see the lunch I have packed for her; it looks like a two year old's lunch!
A two year old with a hearty appetite.





Everything is cut in bite sized pieces. Caroline is technically off the soft food diet, but she finds that small bites are still much easier to handle.

In case you were wondering, that's a cream cheese and jelly sandwich. Unlike Craig and I, who could/would eat pb & j every day, Caroline is not a fan. She takes after her Aunt Laura. Caroline WILL eat it, she just doesn't ask for it. Aunt Laura, on the other hand, refuses. She had an unfortunate post-pb &j eating tire swing incident when she was three that turned her off to the stuff. Nearly 23 years ago. And she still won't eat them.
Maybe Aunt Laura possesses some of the neurotic, too?
Guess we should blame Grandma!

That's alright. I can't judge.
It took me years to eat ranch dressing again after the infamous events of New Year's Eve 1989.

Wow, that was a huge tangent.
Back to lunch.
In case you thought I only packed healthy foods (snort!) those aren't bits of (day glow orange)carrots. They're mini Cheetos balls. Every girl, functioning front teeth or not, needs Cheetos.
And for dessert, a cut up jello egg.
You can't beat colorful, preservative laden snacks.

Hey, I use whole wheat bread. And we can't forget about the grapes.

It could be worse.

After joining the kids for lunch so often, I'm appalled at what they end up eating. Especially the ones that buy. Not that the lunches they bring from home or buy from the school are bad, it's just that the kids only eat bits and pieces of their meals.

Wednesday is ice cream day. Guess what they eat first? By the time they eat the ice cream and talked to their neighbors, it's time to clean up.
Thursday is cookie day. I'm willing to bet that at least one kid will only eat their cookie and some chocolate milk. Even if there is a hamburger or some chicken nuggets on their tray.
Priorities.

I wonder if their parents know?

Caroline eats a variation of the same lunch every day. After two years of preschool, followed by kindergarten and now first grade, I'm quite tired of packing it. But, the lunch is generally healthy and she likes it. Nothing goes to waste. I guess I'll just deal with it.

It's just about time to read Henry and the Clubhouse and tuck the kid in bed.

And then I think I'll grab my book and brew myself another cup of tea. I accidentally made lemon tea instead of quietly chamomile. I don't like hot lemon tea.

I wish I weren't such a dunderhead sometimes.