The part of each weekday morning that I dislike the most is, without question, assembling Michael’s lunch. I’ve mentioned this before.
Yesterday’s episode went like this:
Daddy: “Michael, what do you want for lunch?”
Michael: (no response whatsoever)
Daddy: “Sometime today, please.”
Mommy: “How about fish fingers?”
Michael: “Yeah, fish fingers. That sounds good.”
Daddy: “How many?”
Michael: “Five. Five is good.”
Daddy: “Five fish fingers it is.”
So I cooked them a bit to crisp them up, then sealed them in a travel container and packed them up next to another container filled with ketchup, and some cheez-its and grapes.
I figured he’d have a nice little lunch there, and I had successfully survived another morning of getting him ready for school.
Imagine my delight this morning when I went to find his lunchbox (I never know where it’s going to be left from one day to the next) and discovered all five fish fingers intact. Daddy was not pleased.
Daddy: “Michael! I’m not very happy with you! You didn’t eat those fish fingers at all!”
Michael: (no response whatsoever)
I did note that the cheez-its and grapes were gone. Well, he enjoyed that part. And most of the ketchup was gone too. So… he dipped the grapes and cheez-its in ketchup?
Hmmm.
Today he got slices of ham, grapes, pretzels and carrots. I put protein in his lunchbox, but I cannot force him to eat it. I can’t pack peanut butter, even though he loves that, because of the nut allergy there at his school. I can’t pack cheese, because he loathes it. Even when it’s being eaten by someone else, clear across the room. And I can’t just pack a baggie full of Cocoa Puffs because I’m sure someone would eventually report me to DCFS or something.
I can’t wait until next year, and the thought of public school hot lunch saving me from this task. Packing cash for lunch is easy.
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February 12th, 2010 - 2:09 pm
YOU CHANGED IT! I just read the post and was going to comment that you have talked about lunch issues and you have already changed the title! (Lunchbox Lamentation November 9th, 2009.)
Anyway, I agree I hate figuring out what to pack Michael for lunch. I will say that he is easier than sister S. She wouldn’t eat anything. She wouldn’t buy her lunch and she wouldn’t eat what I packed her (I would ask her what she wanted too).
(Hubby) Yes, I did change. Once I scrolled back and found that other entry, with the same title, it became a matter of desperate panic to fix my faux pas. Can’t use the same title twice! Especially since I forgot I had. Sheesh. Forgetful and predictable. I really am not looking forward to the next 40 years; I’m going to be the posterior of a lot of jokes.
February 12th, 2010 - 2:44 pm
maybe you could give him a cottagecheese and walnut or pecan sandwich. Who knows he might like it, my mother gave it to me and look at me now!!!!!!!
(Insert picture here) especially since I washed my hair and look like something from outer space, need a haircut badly which is what I got at the beauty school.
I will have to have a session with the little man about being more helpful to his poor old daddy who is MY baby after all.
(MD) I could feed him cottage cheese, but I would not wish to get called by his school on account of his projectile vomiting on the other students. So, yeah.
February 12th, 2010 - 3:12 pm
Don’t give him the choice of taking his lunch or buying it. When he figures out some kids bring their lunch from home and wants to do likewise he can make it himself. In public school he should be able to take peanut butter, right???
(MD) I don’t intend to give him the choice that freely. We’ll go over the weekly menu and he can decide which days he’s bringing his own lunch, which he will pack himself, under our inspection. And yes, he’ll be able to take peanut butter. That’ll be a huge load off our minds.
February 13th, 2010 - 2:17 am
I feel your pain. Packing lunches for everyone is one of my most unfavorite tasks. Making soup (that was requested) and having the thermos come home untouched is aggravating.
(MD) So true! It’s such a waste! I used to feel incredibly guilty about wasting my lunch, so I’d always eat everything, even if I didn’t like it all that much. Or sometimes I’d trade things… (shhh!)
February 13th, 2010 - 6:22 am
Hope the hot lunch next years offers somethings he likes! My kids won’t eat it more often than they will. So, still we pack.
February 13th, 2010 - 11:30 am
You know what my favorite part of The Oldest being at college is? You guessed it. I don’t have to worry about packing a lunch. We often pack The Youngest a lunch, but when she gets sick of what we have and I get sick of hearing it, I hand her money and tell her to buy it at school. I love those days. I feel your pain about packing lunches and your pleasure at only having to pack money. But boy, those school lunches can get expensive!
February 16th, 2010 - 9:41 am
I in no way look forward to making important decisions before I go to work be it lunch or clothes or anything else.
(MD) It’s inevitable. You just grit your teeth, duck down and plunge forward. Fortunately you get a chance to sort of ease into it, and by reading my blog, you’re forewarned.
May 22nd, 2010 - 9:27 am
[...] may also recall a couple of instances in which I discussed the difficulty we have in putting together Michael’s lunch. Up [...]