Lunch Box Ideas for My Picky Eater

  

 

Packing lunches for my 7 year old Picky Petunia can be quite a challenge. I’ll admit she isn’t the healthiest of eaters and is definitely not adventurous when it comes to food. I spent the other day searching for ideas on how to inject a little more nutrition into her lunchbox while still giving her things I know will get eaten and hopefully even enjoyed.

 

Generally she takes either a turkey or ham and cheese sandwich on a wrap or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We look at the school lunch menu every month and she circles the days she would like to buy school lunch. Our school lunch program is $2.25 a day and looks to have a very well rounded selection – of course most of them she isn’t interested in so she only buys lunch perhaps 4 times a month.

 

I visited quite a few web sites as well as did a brain search to put together a list of things I think she will eat. I thought I would share this with my readers. Hopefully at least some of you are able to get your kids to eat more exciting and even healthier foods but here’s my Picky Petunia Lunch Box Idea List:

• Use “Green” aka Spinach Wraps instead of Flour Tortillas (she actually asks for these)
• PB&J or Cream Cheese and Jelly on Cinnamon Raisin Bread or Cornbread Muffins
• Sandwich Shapes – I have some cute mini cutters in seasonal shapes
• Cheese and Crackers with Grapes and Veggie Sticks
• Ants on a Log – Celery, Peanut Butter and Raisins
• Ants on a Raft – Graham Crackers, Peanut Butter and Raisins – maybe throw on banana slices too?
• Pretzel Kabobs – Meat and Cheese rolled up and skewered with a pretzel
• Trail Mix – Chex Cereal, Peanuts, Raisins, Pretzels, Mini Chocolate Chips (in today’s lunchbox)
• Mini Muffins – blueberry, banana mini choc chip
• Yogurt
• Carrots, Celery and Peanut Butter
• Popcorn
• Fruit – Bananas, Strawberries, Grapes

On Saturday I have these Corn Dog Muffins planned for dinner. If the kids like them then I might include them on the lunch list.

 

I got some of my ideas from these links:

 

Save $400 a Year on School Lunches
Living on a Dime’s frugal tips to providing school lunches – has some great comments and additional ideas from their readers as well.

 

School Days: Fun Brown Bag Lunches for Kids at eSSORTMENT
35 complete lunches including snacks and drinks. I found some very different kid friendly ideas here including apple and banana chips; Ants on a Raft; Peanut Butter, honey and raisin sandwich; and fruit kabobs.

School Lunch Ideas
I didn’t get to spend much time on this site as it is huge! It also includes lunch ideas for peanut free classrooms as well as food safety in packing lunches.

  

I’d love to hear any of your kid’s lunch favorites – especially those with picky eaters like mine.

 

 

 

Steady Days Book Review and Giveaway at Keeper of the Home

Stephanie at Keeper of the Home has a great book review and giveaway on her blog. Check out this link for a review of Steady Days: A Journey Toward Intentional, Professional Motherhood and to enter the giveaway.  The giveaway ends Friday, January 29th.

Also check out the blog Steady Mom for more great insight and support on your journey through motherhood.

Here Comes The Tooth Fairy

Yes here she is - my oldest child, only daughter has lost her first tooth...sniffle...sniffle....  When the bus pulled up to the driveway this afternoon she had a big cheshire cat grin going - I couldn't figure out why until she leaped off the bus and showed me the tooth.

Of course now we have to figure out what the going rate is for the toothfairy - Any ideas???

I have to go Pee Pee - Toilet Training Fun

I hear this statement yelled to me multiple times a day. DS is doing a very good job a toilet training but wow does it take a lot more focus, time and patience than I realized. I waited until DD was in her third week of 1st grade and our schedule slowed down to give it a try. DS had just turned three and got big boy underwear for his birthday so he was psyched up to wear them. The first day we went through 3 pairs of underwear by 10:30am and we went back to the pull-ups. Each day got increasingly better and after 3 weeks he has very few accidents and even manages to have a dry pull-up most mornings.

That said the things that drive me crazy about this whole toilet training business are:
• Constant little boy nudity – he has to have shoes, socks, pants off to go and then decides that he prefers not putting any of them back on
• Sitting on a wet toilet seat – yes I have boycotted using the same bathroom but DD gets caught sometimes
• Having to check out every public bathroom wherever we are
• Needing the diaper bag for every outing just in case

It’s interesting though that the methods used for my two children were vastly different. DD was in daycare and started toilet training at the age of 2. It was a big deal to get all the little kids to ‘try’ even if they were still wearing diapers. And frankly I wasn’t the one doing the training so I wasn’t sure if it was the best method.

With DS I never once got him to perform on the toilet. He would sit there, read books, sing, fill the toilet with paper and flush but nothing else. It basically took the cold turkey method to get him trained and it delivered much quicker results than the method used with DD. Also DS is staying dry at night – something which took DD another year to accomplish after being day trained.

Check out the book below Mommy I have to go Potty by for more information on tips and tools to toilet train your child.

Update on Summer Learning Adventures

I’m laughing at myself about my overly ambitious goals for providing the kids, mostly DD, with learning adventures this summer. We did accomplish some of the goals but most of the summer was spent trying to keep them amused, keeping them from pummeling each other, and trying to find a few moments of peace and quiet for myself in between the mayhem. Where on earth did I get the idea that I was SuperMommy???

The goals we accomplished for the summer included:

• Completion of the Summer Reading Challenge and getting to attend a special Magic Show at school as a reward
• Tying shoes
• Great improvement in telling time
• Starting to comprehend money, coin values and overall money concepts
• Both kids completed Swim Class

So now DD is in 1st grade all day and it’s just me and DS at home. Which means my next task is to figure out how to ensure he’s learning at the appropriate rate since he isn’t currently in preschool or daycare. Somehow I think my plan might be a little more ‘reasonable and achievable’ this time.

Summer Continued Learning Curriculum

After having a great year in kindergarten we really want our daughter to re-inforce her new skills and do a little preparation for first grade. Hubby and I spent some time discussing our priorities for our daughter's summer learning activites. We came up with the following curriculum:

• Summer Reading Challenge - School sponsored challenge where each child entering 1st grade must read 10 books this summer. We want to commit 10-15 minutes a day at least 5 times a week to independent reading. I am working on a reading list that is age/skill appropriate and we will utilize our town library for books. In addition both she and my 3 year old son can choose books to have us read to them.
• Telling Time
• Tying Shoes
• Money
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Swim Lessons - Level 2
• Chores - Pick up room, make bed, help clean and help with food prep

I have several workbooks that we got from friends that I plan to use in conjunction with tangible items - the kitchen clock, new sneakers with laces and real money with applications (think ice cream man and dollar store trips).

I'd like to minimize the time spent doing workbook pages and instead use them to springboard into fun applications for learning. I haven't quite figured out exactly how that will work but my guess is that we can come up with ideas as we go along. I liked the idea of new sneakers and learning money through earning for chores and spending on wants throughout the summer.

What kind of things do you do with your children over the summer to help them keep learning? How do you work fun into the mix? Also, I'd welcome any suggestions for reading lists for a child entering 1st grade.

Happy summer learning!

Imagine Nation

On Sunday we took the kids to Imagine Nation Children's Museum in Bristol, Connecticut. It was a great time....for all 4 of us ranging in age from 3 through 41. Admission was only $5.00 per person and there were lots of hands on activities. They have a cafe in the front lobby where you can get ice cream and lunch - and also families are able to bring their own. We opted to picnic in a park across the street that had a playscape as well.

This photo below is DH's personal favorite. He watches ESPN's Sports Center every morning. Bristol is ESPN's home headquarters. If you wanted you could do a video cast and get it recorded for an additional $6.00.

Here's the sand pendulum....of course little man just wanted to keep shoveling sand and couldn't careless how the pendulum worked.

There was also a very cool water exhibit. It had a fishing tank where the kids 'caught' magnetic fish and boats. There was also a real neat huge bubble ring that I wish I got a photo of. Here's our two water painting.

Imagine Nation was a great family outing and a great value. I definitely see us going again this summer.