51st and 52nd Day of School Lunch

I didn't complete my goal of Halloween lunches for a week.  Mani didn't go to school on the 51st day of school, so no lunch to photograph.

The 52nd day of school, Mani took a long nap in the car the night before and couldn't go to sleep.  I was suppose to fix his chart for his science research paper, change the printer cartridges, and print his report. But I decided that it was getting very late, so I went and laid in the bed with him and I put on a meditation CD, hoping he would fall asleep.  Well of course he didn't fall asleep but I did.  I vaguely remember him telling me that the CD was boring and could he turn it off.  So I woke up tried to fix the chart, then couldn't get the printer to work.  I looked at the clock and it was 7:30 am. I wake Mani up and he tells me that the teacher changed the due date and that the paper isn't due until Monday.  Gee thanks a bunch for telling me.

I didn't have a clean bento, so I just threw a sandwich in some foil and tossed in a bag of chips that were on the table.

50th Day of School Lunch

50th Day of School Lunch

I saw this Kiwistein on Another Lunch last night, and I actually had some kiwi, so I thought I would give it a try in my Halloween theme lunch.  Kiwistein, severed fingers still dripping with blood, and a pastrami sandwichstein.  The sandwich looks more like a cute robot, but hey it's still fun. 

For the kiwistein, I used candy corn for the eyes, and my bone picks made perfect ears.  The fingers are pie crust with strawberry jelly at the end.

This is my post for What for Lunch Wednesday, Week 22.

49th Day of School Lunch or Not?



49th Day of School Lunch

 I heard the news report this morning that it was very windy and that there was a tornado watch until 11:00 am.  The wind did this damage here and that damage there, yada yada.  Hello, we live in Chicago, so what it's windy.  And all this mess about a tornado watch, has nothing to do with me.  I got out of bed and proceeded to go about my morning routine.  When it was closer to the time for us to leave, daddy said that it was really raining out.  Yeah yeah, I heard the news.

We are running a little late, as usual, but prepare ourselves for the rain.  I pull out of the garage, and realize I still didn't buy new windshield wipers.  No worries, we're late but I'll go slow and we will arrive safe.  Half way to the school it starts raining cats and dogs.  So I ask Mani if he thinks anyone from the parent patrol will be outside directing traffic today.  He says no I don't think so, but wouldn't it be cool if there was no school today.  I say no it will be school today, there may not be many students there but school is open.  Remember, last year when it snowed really bad and school was still open and it was just a few students in your class.  He says yeah, but it would be nice if school was closed.

We pull up and to both our surprise there is the parent patrol.  I think , God bless these parents because even if I had time, it wouldn't be me out in this rain.  There are two cars in front of us, Mani gets out.  As Mani is getting out of the car I see a child going back to the first car, oh he must have forgot something.  Then Mani stops and comes back and opens the door.  What's wrong? You forget something?  He hops in the car and says the man said school is closed today.

We truck through the heavy rain and slightly flooded streets back home.  As I'm driving Mani starts making plans for our day,  I'm sorry honey I have to go to work. You see all these cars out here, work doesn't stop just because school is closed.  By the time I pull  in the driveway the rain has stopped.  I drop Mani off to daddy and proceed to work.  Although the rain has stopped traffic is unbelievable.  I live maybe three blocks from the expressway entrance ramp and it took me 20 minutes to make it on to the expressway.

At 8:36 a.m. my phone rings, I don't know the number.  I answer. Hello? Hello? "This is an automated message, due to a power outage there will be no school today.....".  Gee thanks, only 46 minutes after school was suppose to start, but nice to know why school was closed.

So Mani will enjoy this lunch at home today.  Grapes, an apple, pumpkin shaped pie crust (I thought I had some spray that would make him orange and most of  his stem broke off this morning), and cat and star shaped soy nut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I had planned to use the ghost cutter I found yesterday for a $1 but it was too big for Mani's bread : [

48th Day of School Lunch



48th Day of School Lunch

I decided that my goal this week is to make Halloween theme lunches, we'll see how it goes.

This lunch is all about the candy corn, corn beef sandwich with candy corn face, Chex, pretzels, and candy corn, grapes, and a Vanilla Cake muffin. 

47th Day of School Lunch

47th Day of School Lunch

Pastrami sandwich, strawberries, and two pieces of chocolate candy.

Yesterday was not a good day for my allergies, nothing seemed to help.  But I did survive my rush hour trip to Whole Foods.  I found a parking space right away and they had five loaves of bread like I wanted.  The hardest part of the trip was the downtown traffic of course, but once I finally made it to the expressway, the ride was only 15 minutes YAY.

46th Day of School Lunch

46th Day of School Lunch

Kiwi, caramel corn cake, and corn pasta with peas and butter.  I still haven't made the trip to Whole Foods.  I will go after work today, despite the fact that it will be extremely crowded because of rush hour.  However, I'm going to think positive.  I will find a parking space immediately and they will have five loaves of brown rice bread.

45th Day of School Lunch

45th Day of School Lunch

Turkey and lettuce meat rollups, half of a pastrami sandwich because this was the last piece of Mani's bread and I used all the turkey for the meat rollups, GoGo Squeez, and Chex and pretzels.

I didn't make the trip to Whole Foods this weekend because my cousins from Texas were in town.  I had a great time, lots of laughs and reminiscing, but now I'm forced to go to Whole Foods during rush hour.

This will be my post on What's for Lunch Wednesday,Week 21.

44th Day of School Lunch

44th Day of School Lunch

Soy nut butter and jelly, chips, and an orange.  This lunch represents what was on my kitchen counter at the time I made it.  I didn't feel like thinking or walking to the refrigerator.

43rd Day of School Lunch

43rd Day of School Lunch

Grapes, mini waffle sandwiches, meat rollups, pretzels and chex.

I had planned just to send meat rollups for lunch and I made the waffle for breakfast.  But, Mani decided he wanted the left over jerk chicken and peas and rice for breakfast.  I didn't mind him having that for breakfast because the last few days he really didn't eat his breakfast and I knew he would eat the leftovers.

42nd Day of School Lunch

42nd Day of School Lunch

Soy nut butter and jelly sandwich, chex and pretzels, GoGo Squeez, grapes.

I thought the hole in the bread would have been perfect for a one eye monster, but I didn't have any time to jazz it up.

41st Day of School Lunch

41st Day of School Lunch

Corn pasta with edamame, grapes, and a turkey and lettuce meat roll up.

40th Day of School Lunch

40th Day of School Lunch
"Rey Mysterio"

This lunch is in honor of my favorite wrestler, yes mine not Mani's, Rey Mysterio.  Rey Mysterio rocked SmackDown on Friday, and of course finished with his famous 619 move.

In this lunch we have a turkey and lettuce sandwich, an apple, grapes, and a  Vanilla Cake Muffin, from the freezer. 

I printed off the WWE logo from the internet to make the pick.  We didn't have any color ink, so Mani colored the logo and autographed it with his initials for me.  The mask is just turkey and lettuce, and I carved 619 in the apple.

I posted this lunch on What's for Lunch Wednesday, Week 20.

39th Day of School Lunch

39th Day of School Lunch

Turkey sandwich, celery with soy nut butter, chips, and half an orange. 

Mani went on a field trip today, and of course I didn't remember until he told me as we were walking out the door.  I would have sent him a brown bag lunch today, so he didn't have to carry the lunch box the entire time. 

38th Day of School Lunch

38th Day of School Lunch

Half an orange, pretzels and Corn Chex cereal, apple, and a turkey with jelly sandwich.

Cereal was always a go to snack when Mani was younger.  But then he grew tired of it and asked me not to buy cereal, so we rarely purchase cereal now.  However, I purchased the Corn Chexs because I wanted to encourage Mani to drink more soy milk.  But he tried them and said he didn't like them anymore. 

I didn't want them to go to waste, so I thought I would add them to lunch and see if  he would change his mind.  When I told him to bring his lunch box to the kitchen after school, he walks in and says mommy can you please fix me some more of the pretzels and cereal, it was so so good.  Yay, mommy scores.

37th Day of School Lunch



37th Day of School Lunch

 Today, Mani has celery with soy nut butter, a football pick with raisins, an Aussie Apple, marshmallows, and a soy nut butter and jelly sandwich.  I used a piece of bread for the football cutout and used the edges to make the laces. 

I noticed that when I put apples in Mani's lunch, he really only eats them if they are cut up.  So I thought I would give the Aussie Apple that I saw on Melissa's site Another Lunch a try.  I think the rubber band she used is thicker and stronger then the one I used. But I didn't have another one small enough for the apple.  Hopefully, it will be fine until lunch.

I had lettuce around the sandwich, however, Mani saw it and promptly took it out and asked for marshmallows.  I told him he was messing up my design and he said I only need the football field. 

When I ask him for input on his lunch, I usually get the same response, I don't care.  Now today he wants to provide unsolicited input. Hey buddy,who's lunch is this anyway? Oh that's right it's yours, lol.  But really I'm happy to see him take an interest in his lunch, I hope the trend continues.

I posted this lunch on   What's for Lunch Wednesday, week 19.

36th Day of School Lunch

36th Day of School Lunch

Today for lunch Mani has corn spaghetti and peas with dairy free butter for sauce, celery with soy nut butter, and an apple. 

I had big plans to make a checkerboard apple, hence the lovely line down the middle. Well, one of these days I will have the time and patience to make a checkerboard apple.  I admire the mothers who make lunch the night before, but mentally I don't fell his lunch is fresh unless I make it in the morning.  Besides its been part of my morning routine for the past 3 years.

35th Day of School Lunch



35th Day of School Lunch




My alarm clock was on the floor, I didn't think anything of it.  I just picked it up and made sure it was set.  Well, little did I know it was now set one hour earlier.  This turned out to be a good thing because when it first went off at  what I thought was 5:45, I just walked and turned it off and went right back to sleep.  When I woke up again the clock said 7:00 am.  I immediately thought I'm late, what a great start to the week. But it was still very dark outside, so I was quit dazed and confused for a minute.  My first thought was, oh wow, we are at that point already when it is totally dark in the morning.  But then I checked my cell phone and I was happy to see that I wasn't late at all. 

We made it out the door on time and as I'm getting in the car my cell phone rings.  It's Mani's teacher, his table was the best on Friday and she promised them a treat.  So of course she just goes to Dunkin Donuts and gets some with sprinkles, how fun.  She asked if Mani can eat them, umm NO.

Quick Quick think, I know I took out two of the Wonder Balls, so I can run back in and put some icing and sprinkles on the one I didn't put in his lunch.  I ask her if she wants me to send something and she say its ok, she will find something prepackaged for him. We hang up and I'm thinking if you didn't know he couldn't eat donuts, what are you going to buy him.

Do I go back inside and fix the Wonder Ball, just in case. If I do we will end  up being late on the only day, since I don't know when, that we are actually on time?  I ask Mani .  He says no mommy it's ok, lets just go.  So we have the talk, if you are not sure you can eat it, then don't. I told him he could eat the Wonder Ball in his lunch, if she got him something he couldn't eat.

I'm stressing, the whole ride to work.  We had two very bad episodes last year.  My poor baby was at school crying his head off because his class won a party and he couldn't eat anything they purchased. Both times they called me and there was no calming him down.  He was so upset and kept saying that he was tired of not being able to eat what the class eats.  They offered him candy and chips and he just turned them down and kept crying. 

The second time they had buttered popcorn at the party.  But luckily the school nurse felt so bad for him, she went to the store and had the lunch room make him some with no butter. I always tell his teachers if they know before hand to tell me.  That way I can send something for him, so he can be like the other kids.  But do they call NOOOOOOOOO, not until my baby is crying.

Thank you God, because I didn't get a call like that today.  She gave him a baseball themed wooden tic tac toe set.  I asked if he was upset he didn't have  a donut and he said he didn't care, YAY.

Ok I got all that out, now back to  lunch--Carrots, GoGo Squeez, Wonder Ball, and soy nut butter and jelly sandwich.

34th Day of School Lunch

34th Day of School Lunch

Carrots, cantaloupe, the last of our Ian's gluten free chicken nuggets, and marshmallows. I usually make Mani's lunches in the morning while he is still asleep,but he was woke today and requested this lunch. Everything was so orange, so I thought I would add animal picks. I was trying to count how many animal picks I had, so it turned into a bit of an animal yard, lol.  I'm going to buy a box one of these days to organize my picks.