A sandwhich to remember

When friends heard we were headed to Pittsburgh, most replied with, "You must go to Primanti Brothers".  I had never heard of it, but Jeff most certainly had and knew how much Ian would enjoy eating there.

They are known for putting French fries on top of everything!  Even my salad came to the table with a layer of fries sitting on top.  Yum!

Ian said this was the 2nd best sandwich he has ever had.  Nick's Old Original Roast Beef in Philadelphia takes the top position.  If Ian's sandwich from Primanti Borthers couldn't take the lead, there will probably be nothing that can.

Before:

Roast Beef, Cole Slaw, Tomatoes, Onions, Pepper Jack Cheese, and French Fries all

on their house made Italian Bread.

After:

Yes, that was all Ian, minus 1 bite from Jeff.  He wasn't hungry again for quite a while!

Girls with their dolls - Take 6

My friends and I have a plan!  We now know what we will do once our daughters have gotten older and no longer be available to go to the American Girl Store Restaurant for our annual back-to-school lunch.   We will go anyway!  We will take our daughter's dolls and show up at the restaurant ready to celebrate -- most likely it will be celebrating our friendship and not back-to-school, but it will occur at the American Girl Store nonetheless.  

We love this time of the year...kids going back to school, getting our routines in place, starting new activities, continuing some of our favorites and having a delicious, frilly, completely girly lunch at the American Girl Store.  We have a formula that works. This is our 6th year and we don't plan to stop.  It's simply awesome.  

It was getting pretty wild today at our table!  Even the dolls were drinking!

3 moms, 5 girls, 5 dolls = 1 fantastic group!

This picture of the girls looks like it should be in their catalog!

Girls with their dolls - Take 5

The American Girl Store and its bistro seems to be popping up everywhere.  They even opened a location in Orlando this past year.  It's pretty neat how they seem to be taking over and giving girls a special experience.


 Each year my friends and I, along with our daughters go to the Tyson's location for a back to school tradition.  We've now celebrated 5 years in a row, taking along our favorite American Girl dolls with us.  We always have such a good time and enjoy celebrating the kids are back in school.  As long as American Girl Store is open in our area, I see us still celebrating each September, long after our girls are no longer into their dolls.

Our fun and festive group.

Sam and Caroline in matching outfits.

Sam took this picture of Caroline at the table.

Lunch.

Our rood to eating healthier (at least when we are home) is going swimmingly well.  I feel so good about all the food we are bringing in the house.  Slowly we've eliminated packaged foods that had dyes, high fructose corn syrup/corn syrup, preservatives, enriched flour, and lots of refined sugar.

Lunch has posed an issue for Sam.  She is tired of turkey sandwiches and would prefer to eat noodles 24/7.   Um, no.  That is not happening.  Even if it is whole wheat pasta.  I consulted my new bible, "100 Days of Real Food" cookbook and got inspired to think out of the box.

Voila!

The heart-shaped cut-out item on the left are apple slices (cut horizontally) stacked two high with peanut butter in the middle.  A new take on the peanut butter sandwich.  On the right side of the container, you have carrots, cheese cubes and a banana muffin.  Let me tell you about this muffin!  It is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and free of refined sugar.  Whoa baby! Now that is a muffin we can feel great eating.  The kids love them!!   Throw in a bottle of water and lunch is ready to go to school.

Here is my new favorite container I pack Sam's lunch in:

 It folds up compactly, keeps everything separate and fits nicely in her lunch box.

I am so proud of this.  If I was in school, I would love this lunch!  The first morning I put this together, Sam came into the kitchen to see what I was up to.  She took one look at the finished product and opened her mouth ready to complain about something.  Get this, she couldn't find one thing to complain about.  She ended up closing her mouth speechless.  Ha!

Since I've done this, Sam has asked me to stop putting so much peanut butter on the apples.  No problem, easy enough to fix.  I can mix up the sections with cucumber slices (another favorite of Sam's), grapes, whole wheat crackers, etc.  The possibilities are endless.

Here's another version I've packed for Sam:

The saltine crackers are organic and all natural ingredients.  Next to it is turkey for Sam to put on top of the crackers.  I've also included cucumber slices, grapes and a healthy version of a vanilla wafer.

Here is a link to this awesome new cookbook I've been using.  So far everything I've made has been a winner.

http://www.amazon.com/100-Days-Real-Food-Wholesome/dp/0062252550/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411558698&sr=1-1&keywords=100+days+of+real+food

This author also has a wonderful website, facebook page and email newsletter under the same name.  She truly makes the overwhelming task of label reading much easier.  Brings it down to my level.  We are not anywhere near perfect, but we've made huge strides in the last 6 months.

Girls with their dolls - Take 4

Back to school means one thing.... a visit to the American Girl store in Tyson's Corner.  It's time for our annual lunch with our friends and the dolls.   This is our fourth year in a row.  Gosh, I love a good tradition.  And it is still as much fun for us as it was the first year. I am not sure who looks forward to this afternoon more; Sam or me. 

Each year we wonder out loud if our girls are ever going to stop wanting to do this.  At some point, they will outgrow the American Girl store, right?  And I am sure it will not be cool to be hanging with your mom. Or they will be too busy with other things and not have time for us.  When that time comes, my mommy friends and I plan to still come here for lunch.  We will just show up without them. :)

 

 

 

Caroline got to join us for lunch this year.

Sam and her signature shake. 

Sam and school.

This past Monday, starting off the 2nd week of school:

Sam wakes up.  I catch her before she comes downstairs.

Me:  Sam, let's get you dressed while you are still up here.
Sam:  What do I have today?
Me:  It's school.
Sam:  AW!  Not again!!

Yep.  Better get used to it.  :)

On Tuesday, we had our best day yet.  She didn't utter one word about not wanting to go.  She happily got dressed, eagerly brushed her teeth, and with a smile on her face made her way to the bus.  I was so excited and optimistically hoped we were out of the woods.

Wednesday, however, brought on real tears.  It started as the bus pulled up to the curb.  She looked at me and said she didn't want to go to school.  I told her it was not optional and she had to go.  She was the first one on the bus (kindergartners get on first), but was not pleased about climbing onboard.  The bus driver looked at Sam and asked her what was wrong.  I am thinking to myself:  Don't slow her down!  She is walking up the steps, let her continue.  Asking her what is wrong is like opening Pandora's box...not a wise move.  Sam mumbled something and kept going.  Once seated, she looked out the window.  I was standing there making funny faces getting her to smile. Eventually the bus pulled away and Sam was on her way.

Later that afternoon, I had a surprising turn of events and The Crazy Man called me at 12:30pm and said he wasn't feeling well.  He asked me not to come work for him.  I decided to take a chance and surprise Sam at school for lunch.  My only concern was that she would have a hard time saying good-bye to me again when her lunch period was over.  Fortunately, all went well and Sam loved seeing me.  She was completely okay with me leaving her side 35 minutes later.  Sam had no issues giving me a hug and lining up with her class.  Whew!  It was the right thing to do going to see her.  It made my day and I am pretty sure it made hers too.  As a bonus,  I was able to get there 15 minutes early and find Ian in the cafeteria.  Oh, how I love to surprise him too!  He never knows when I am going to show up.  It's pretty fabulous -- probably more for me, than for him.  :)

Sam and I having lunch together at school.

It's funny watching the kids at Sam's table eat lunch.  None of them speak to each other.  They just all sit there and silently eat.  Meanwhile, the rest of the cafeteria is loud enough to burst an ear drum or two.  I attempted conversation with all of Sam's classmates sitting directly around us, but none of them were talkers. It will be interesting to see when these kids start to come out of their shells.

Seeing Sam's face light up when she spotted me at lunch was definitely the bright spot of my day.

Girls with their dolls - Take 3

Our tradition of going to the American Girl Doll Store with our friends to celebrate the return of school is alive and kicking.  Sam's behavior this year was the best yet.  She earned her new outfit for McKenna and was very happy going shopping before sitting down to lunch.  And in a move that shows how smart Sam really is, she prepped me far in advance that she wanted a strawberry milkshake with lunch (just like she got last year).  The sun was shinning, the birds were singing, and I was happy Sam was in a great mood.  How could I say no?

I love our tradition.  I love traditions in general.  This was our third year in a row to go with our friends.  And there are no signs of stopping.  I am sure at some point the girls will be too old to want to do this and of course, do it with us, but I hope that's a long way off in the future.

All whining stopped when we got out of the car.

School is back in session = one happy group!

Sam and her milkshake!

Losing it.

The 5 minutes I wish I could roll back the clock and re-do this week?

I put a note in Sam's lunchbox on Monday.  Since she is unable to read, I don't put very many in her lunch because it means her teacher needs to stop what she is doing and assist her to read it. 

I wrote, "You are my cutie-patootie sweetie-pie.  I love you!   Love, Robyn"

Yep, I actually signed my real name and not "Mommy".  I didn't discover my blunder until I unpacked Sam's lunch at the end of the day and saw the opened note staring at me.

Oy!  I guess I was moving a little too fast that morning trying to get us out of the door.  I can just imagine what the teacher thought when reading this note to Sam and had to read, "Love, Robyn".

Shout out time!

I'd like to dedicate this space to Ellen  She is my 2nd cousin, once removed (?) or something like that.  However the relation, she is family.

Ellen surprised me one day, not too long ago and sent a little treat in the mail.  Actually, this is the 2nd time Ellen surprised me by sending me an unexpected package.  The first was when she received an extra copy of Elizabeth Hasselbeck's Gluten Free cookbook and thought of me.  I know Ellen more from her Facebook posts than anything else and was tickled pink that she went to the trouble to mail me the cookbook.  It was a very sweet gesture.

But that's not all and this latest surprise in the mail from Ellen has been a real treat -- both for me and for Ian.  Ellen had read on my blog about putting notes in Ian's lunch and encouraged me to never stop.  She wrote and said that even though her kids are teenagers, she is still writing notes and leaving it for them to find.  In the envelope sent to me were a package of printed lunch box notes.  And not just mushy "I love you notes" (like the kind I was writing and embarrassing Ian with), but really, really cool ones. There were 25 of these notes in various colors.

On one side of the card is a sweet note: "Thanks for being honest", "Your smile brightens my day", "I love your creativity", "Your thoughts and opinions matter to me.", "Treat people the way you want to be treated", etc.

Then, on the other side of the card is a fun trivia fact:  "Did you know?  It is believed that a snail can sleep for up to 3 years."  "Did you know?  Just like finger prints, each person has a unique tongue print."  "Did you know?  That girls blink nearly twice as often as boys."  "Did you know?  To escape the grip of a crocodile's jaws, push your thumb into its eyeballs.", etc.

Without letting Ian know I had a new supply of lunch box notes, I put one in his lunch.  I picked this one.  "My favorite job is taking care of you."  And on the other side, "Did you know?  Wrigley Field did not have lights until 1988."

After school, Ian ran into the house and asked, "IS THAT TRUE!?!?!  You know about Wrigley Field?" 

Me:  Oh, Ian.... you saw the note I put in your lunch?

Ian:  Yes, I LOVED IT!  You can do that again.  Like every day.  That was cool.

A big hug and kiss to Ellen.  Your kindness is very much appreciated.  I know that you've been spending many, many hours volunteering to help the people affected by Hurricane Sandy get back on their feet.  The state of New Jersey is very lucky to have you on their side.

It was incredibly sweet of you to think of me and send these notes our way.  Ian and I thank you very much!  I am a big believer in karma and I know something amazing is going to happen for all the good you do and continue to do.  You rock!

The unhealthy-not good-for-you-lacking major nutrition-lunch

(And, I am not talking about the cafeteria food either!)

Ian's school holds a Thanksgiving day lunch.  Parents, grandparents, siblings are encouraged to join their student for lunch and give thanks for all we have.  It is even more poignant when the school picks Veteran's day to hold the Thanksgiving day lunch and really gives the working parents a fighting chance on making it during the day.  Standard Thanksgiving day food is served (Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, etc). Ian got a nice surprise on Monday when not one, but both of his parents were able to show up and have lunch with him.  This was actually the first time that Jeff has done lunch with Ian at school.

My two most favorite boys in the whole wide world.

During the 40 minutes I was there, it seemed to me that most every student had a parent or someone with them.  However, at Ian's table, I noticed the boy directly across from me (let's call him "Steve") was by himself.  I started a conversation with him and asked him about his weekend.  While chatting, I noticed that he was all done eating his lunch.  Steve had brought his lunch from home.  Given that it took him less time to eat it than the amount of time it took me to go through the lunch line to get my fruit salad and yogurt, I had to ask him what he had to eat.  Steve answered Pringles (one of those individual servings container) and a baggie with a baby pickles.  That's it. No sandwich, no fruit, no drink. Nothing else.

Instantly, my mind starts racing with a ton of questions -- "Did you pack your own lunch?"  Yes, with a smile on his face is Steve's answer.  "Does your mom know what you packed?"  No is his reply.  "Do you think your mom would be happy if she knew?" A shrug of the shoulders was his answer.

Ugh!  I am not sure which is worse -- that Steve was allowed to pack his own lunch and his mom didn't take the time to double check what he packed, or that Steve doesn't know enough that Pringles and pickles does not make a suitable lunch.  Even IF (and this is a big IF because it won't be happening any time soon!) Ian were to pack his own lunch, he knows what constitutes a healthy, appropriate lunch. 

My heart was breaking for this kid as I looked down and saw all the food I had in front of me to eat -- not to mention I was headed home afterwards and could always get something else if I was still hungry.  I quickly offered Steve some of my fruit and started a pile of apple slices for him.  He said, "No, I'm fine."  I  then offered him my unopened yogurt with a clean spoon and again, he said, "No, I'm fine."   Then I pushed my unopened chocolate milk his way and said, "Surely, you must be thirsty."  And that got returned as well.

At this point the woman sitting next to him, who was there for her daughter sitting on the other side of her, noticed what was going on.  She couldn't believe either what Steve had for lunch and started offering food from her tray.  Each time Steve said, "No, I'm fine."  the other mom and I looked at each other.  I told her 'the Mom in me' is having a very tough time letting this go.  She nodded her head in agreement.

So badly I wanted to send Steve's mom an email and tell her to get a clue and help her son pack his lunch.  But I restrained myself and waited until my bookclub meeting later that day to find out the best way to handle this.  All the women unanimously agreed that it was best to let this go.  Oh yeah, this is what Jeff initially said too, but he's a guy, not a mom.  :)   They felt that this kid packed his own lunch and he should suffer the consequences of being hungry.  They further explained that the mom could very well know what was going on and was letting Steve be held accountable.  Hmmmm.  Ok, so maybe I need to attack this from another direction.

At dinner the next night, I made it clear to Ian that if he ever sees a friend or a classmate hungry, he has my permission to offer them some of his lunch (barring any allergies the kid may have).  I always pack more than enough food for Ian to share.  And I asked Ian what Steve had for lunch that day. Ian said he bought his lunch.  Whew!  The next day and the day after I asked what Steve had for lunch, and Ian described the lunch he brought from home containing a sandwich and a yogurt, plus of course, the Pringles and pickles.  Still no drink, but its a start.

I think I will let this go.  But it still doesn't sit right with me what this kid was allowed to leave the house with so little in his lunch bag, let alone having all his food void of nutritional value.  You know me, I'll be keeping an eye on him, even if its just a daily report from Ian on what he had to eat that day.

UPDATE:

Ian went to a birthday party over the weekend, and Steve and his mother were also there. Upon meeting the mom, Jeff and Ian chatted with her.  The first thing out of Ian's mouth?  "My mom asks what Steve has for lunch every day."   OMG!  I am mortified.  Maybe the mom thought she heard wrong, because she didn't say anything to this statement.

I am officially done now worrying about Steve's lunch.  I am going to crawl under a rock and hide now.

On his terms

Not quite yet old enough to grow facial hair,
but he's getting there. 

My 7 1/2 year old son is growing up.  He is finding his voice and letting me know how its going to go down.  I am still getting used to this "new" Ian. 

I love to take pictures.  Lots and lots of pictures.  I always have a camera available and I am not afraid to use it.  I thought the kids had gotten used to this by now, but I guess not.  When we were walking in to Cox Farms on Saturday, I 'warned' Ian I'd be taking pictures and he better cooperate.  He instantly came back with, "You can take 10."  I loved that!  He told me the limit he'd be comfortable with and I knew I'd get 10 chances to take a picture with him smiling and being happy I had my camera out.  It was a win-win for both of us.  What a smart cookie he was to come up with this idea and compromise.  And we had fun keeping count of the pictures I had taken and how many I had left to go.

At the beginning of the school year, I put a note in Ian's lunchbox.  It was the kind of note that had a tiny little envelope to go with it.   When Ian came back home at the end of day, I cleared out his lunchbox and found the note, still in the envelope, completely in tact.   I said, "Ian, How come you didn't open the note I left you?"  Ian, replied back with an exasperated voice telling me he didn't want the note and to not do this kind of thing any more. 

I think I made it a whole two months before I attempted something similar again.  On whim, as I was packing his lunch, I took a post-it note and wrote something quick like, "I hope your having a great day.  I love you." and put it in his lunch.  Ian got in the car at the end of day and quickly said with excitement, "I got your note at lunch.  You can do that again.  Not like all the time, but every now and then a note would be nice."

Also at the beginning of this school year, I made the off-handed comment that I couldn't wait to surprise Ian at school for lunch.  Last year, when he was in first grade, I showed up, on average, about once a month and ate lunch with him and his friends.  I loved it and so did he!  It was always a surprise, more because I never knew if my schedule was going to be free during his lunch time and I didn't want to disappoint Ian if at the last minute, I couldn't make it.

Very quickly Ian made it a point to tell me, that in no uncertain terms was I to come to his school for lunch this year.  He didn't want surprises and he didn't want me around during lunch time. I was only 'allowed' to come and eat with him and his friends, on his birthday (not until the end of May!!!!!!!!!!) and when he is made Star of the Week, because Thursdays are designated to eat lunch with your child when they are made Star of the Week.

Really?  Really?  Ian is only in 2nd grade and I am already embarrassing him?  I knew this was going to come at some point, I just didn't think it would start this early. 

The other day Ian gets in the car and says, completely out of the blue, "You can come to my school and have lunch with me sometimes.  Just not all the time."  Ian then sets the ground rules and says I can come once every other week.  Wow!  I feel like I've just been given keys to the city.  I'm not going to come nearly as much as Ian says its okay to come, but once a month would be nice (and ok by Ian's rules).  Woo-hoo!!

So, to whatever mother out there that has been sending notes in their kids' lunch box and showing up to eat with their child, THANK YOU!  Your making it cool for me to do this too, at least for this year. 

Ian is growing up.  I need to grow up too and let him. 

Girls with their dolls - Take 2

It's back-to-school!   And with that our tradition continues celebrating at the American Girl Doll store.  Lunch with our friends and all the dolls happened this past Sunday.

I hit a small bump in the road with Sam, upon entering the store.  I had never dreamed that she would be expecting to purchase another Bitty Baby.  We got her one last year, right before we met for lunch, and she hadn't been back in the American Girl Doll store since.  So of course, she is under the impression that every time we go in there, she can pick out a new American Girl Doll.  Uh-oh!  This came as a surprise to me and I hadn't set her expectations before we walked in to meet our friends.  It should be noted, however, that when I explained the situation to Jeff as to why our outing wasn't 100% perfect, he said he thought the same thing.  Jeff also expected Sam would be getting another Bitty Baby.  Who are these people I am related too!?!?!   I thought quickly on my feet and explained to Sam that we would need to tell Daddy that she wants to get a new Bitty Baby.  I said that Daddy would want to be with her when she picks out the next one.  That sounded believable, right?   When that didn't seem to make her happy, I then told her she could get a Strawberry Milkshake with her lunch.  Once the milkshake arrived, talk of the new Bitty Baby quickly went by the wayside.

Oh what fun we had!   We will most definitely be back next September for a return visit.

Yes, she still managed to eat lunch, despite the gigantic milkshake.

All the girls with their dolls.

Sam giving her Bitty Baby a drink.

Got lunch?

We started the school year telling Ian he could buy his lunch at school one day, per week. It was up to Ian which day looked like his best bet.  After a few weeks, Jeff and I realized it was more cost effective for Ian to buy his lunch than for me to make it.  Plus, I got the benefit of not having to pack one.  Win-win!

When Ian was given carte blanche to do lunch at school every day, he was momentarily very excited. Then Ian realized he didn't think he'd like enough options offered on the Fairfax County public school menu to want to do it every day. Back in kindergarten when his class was given a test run doing lunch, Ian tried the pizza and hated it.  Normally, one of Ian's favorite foods is pizza, so it must've been very bad.  That took Fridays out of the rotation for the entire year!!

The other days during the week all depended for Ian on a combination of what sides and entree were being offered.  He has high standards and won't accept just anything.  Ian very rarely did lunch more than 1 or 2 days in any given week.  You can imagine my disappointment when I would tell Ian that the sides were broccoli and orange quarters (his favorites), but the entree was a bean and cheese burrito or a hamburger.  I knew if Ian just gave it a chance, he'd probably like it. Back-up each day in case you didn't like the featured entrees was a packaged boxed of items called a "Yogurt Biteable".  It contains yogurt, fruit, sun chips, and a cheese stick.  Another winner as Ian would normally eat all these items on their own at home.  However, at school, Ian wouldn't do it.   I never argued and made his lunch each day.  Hey, its my job!

The entire year passed.  I made many, many lunches and sent them with Ian to school.  On the Sunday before the last week of school, Ian and I went over his cafeteria menu.  It wasn't looking good, even for one day for Ian to buy.  Each day gave one or two options, none that had Ian excited about.  However, there was this "Manager's Choice" written in for each day.  Ohhh!  Jeff and I quickly deduced that meant whatever extra food they had leftover they wanted to get rid of.   I told Ian he could take a gamble and maybe get lucky with something he liked.  He was willing to take the risk!  Every single day!!  Including pizza Friday.  Wow. 

One by one, Ian tried all the foods I knew he would like all along.  The yogurt biteable?  Check!  The bean and cheese burrito?  Check!    It was very exciting hearing Ian tell me what he got and that he liked it. 

Too bad this all happened the last week in school.  Good thing it was in 1st grade.

The funniest moment came when Ian jumped in the car and told me he loved the nachos! 

Me:  Really, Ian?  You liked what they put on top of them? 
Ian:  I told them to keep it plain. 
Me:  So basically you had a chips for lunch?
Ian:  Yeah, they kept it as an entree too.
Me:  Lovely. (said sarcastically).  What sides did you get with it?
Ian:  Ice cream!  Wasn't that great?!?
Me:  Yes, perfect.  (again, said sarcastically).

Maybe it was a good thing that I packed his lunch for the majority of the year.

The gentlemanly thing to do.

Sam and Ian have a bit of a competition going on between them.  They are taking delight in seeing who can go to Panera Bread for lunch more times without the other one being there.  It's funny that this is what they are bickering over.   When we pick Ian up from school, before he can even close his car door, Sam will say to her brother, "I went to Panera Bread for lunch and you didn't"   You can imagine how this makes Ian feel and thus the need to even the score on the rare occasion Sam has school and Ian doesn't. 

After Sam's appointment with the latest doctor, we found ourselves in Herndon, at lunch time, with a Panera Bread within walking distance.  Sam saw this Panera Bread from the parking lot and it was a no-brainer where we were headed after the appointment.  We walked in at the height of the lunch rush and took our place in line.  The line, incidentally, was about 35 people deep and went out the door.  Yowzer!  Sam and I were the ONLY ONES not wearing a business suit.  We were the ONLY MOTHER/CHILD combo.  Every single person (other than us) in the crazy-packed Panera Bread was a working professional.  Sam did great waiting in line with me and fortunately, it was only about 10 minutes before we made our way to the front.  The guy next up in line, saw the wave from the employee that he could go up and order, turned around and said to me, go on ahead.  We should take his place in line and be just a little closer to getting our food.  He was helping out a mom with a young child and did the gentlemanly thing.  It was very refreshing!

Unlike close to 3 years ago, when we had a group of about 5 moms and 12 young kids (all age 5 yrs and younger) eating at a Panera Bread, right after blueberry picking.  We got lucky and found a bank of empty tables that were all next to each other. This would allow our whole group to sit together and eat lunch.  It was perfect with the exception of one lone guy sitting at the end of one of the tables.  There were other tables available at Panera Bread.  You would think that this guy would've gotten a clue and offered to move to a different table.  But no, he literally sat there while our group of moms and kids crowded together, practically sitting in each other's laps, so this guy could have his 4 top all to himself.  It was really something else to see him just sit there and continue to eat.

In both situations, I think back to the men in my life and wonder what they would've done.  Without hesitation, I can tell you that my dad would have not only given up his place in line for a mom and her small child, but without any prompting he would've moved his food and himself to a nearby available table.  That's just the way he is.  No need to even ask if this would be his inclination to do.

However, after both experiences, I came home and posed the same situations to Jeff and asked him what he would've done.  I know that deep down Jeff has it in him to do the right thing.  However, it would probably take that person asking him and suggesting it first.  Jeff can be a bit oblivious (he'll admit this himself). He has a huge heart and would do what he can to help others. I know this and have seen him in action.  I only hope that we are raising a son with the same kindness instincts.

Lunch!

Last year when all my mommy friends sent their child off to an elementary school that offered full-day kindergarten, having lunch with their son or daughter in the cafeteria was a big thing.  I longed for the day that I'd be able to do the same with Ian. Now that Ian is in school full-time, I got my chance last week.

I decided I'd surprise Ian and not let him know that I was planning on coming.  I had a dentist appointment at 10:30am and wanted to leave the possibility open that if I got stuck at the dentist longer than I anticipated I wouldn't be disappointing Ian.  Plus, I love surprising the kids.  It's just so much fun!

Ian has lunch from 12:10 to 12:40pm each day.  Parents are encouraged to come for lunch and you don't have to arrange it in advance.  I arrived at the school at 12:00pm and signed in at the front office.  Upon walking down the hallway to Ian's classroom, I ran into another mom whose child was in Ian's class last year, but got assigned a different teacher this year. Carol had also been eager to have lunch with Anna-Kate and decided to do a surprise too.  We joked that you won't be able to miss us sitting with all the little kids. 

I found Ian standing in line outside the cafeteria waiting until it was their turn to go in.  The look on his face was priceless and instantly all the kids near him asked if I was him mom. I felt like a rockstar! 

Ian was purchasing his lunch that day and I joined him in the line to pick out something for me to eat too.  Ian chose the turkey hot dog and I picked the yogurt biteable (yogurt, cheese stick, orange slices, and sun chips - which after looking at the ingredients discovered they not gluten-free).  Ian found it humorous that I picked the chocolate milk to drink.  Hey, it was non-fat chocolate milk; there was no way I was going to pass that up!

I followed Ian to his table and he introduced me to more of his friends.  I then realized that eating in the school cafeteria is not for the faint of heart.  Oh my!  It is seriously noisy.  So loud that I kept feeling like a fight was going to break out and I'd have to duck under the table for cover.  The lunch room lady turns the light off and on when it gets too loud.  So you can imagine that it was flickering like a disco ball.  Then there is this clapping that happens when the lunch lady wants to get the kids' attention.  She'll clap and they have to clap back -- repeatedly, until everyone is listening.  Yowzer!  That's just a whole lot of noise going on!

I joked with Ian that I was going to come meet him for lunch every day.  He had this look of fear on his face and said, "Um, no."  Then about 5 minutes later he said I could come once a month.  Yeah, I think the headache I got from all the noise will be gone by then.  I can handle once a month.

Despite the noise, I had a great time.  I fulfilled this cafeteria dream on a few levels; getting to have lunch with my son and getting to have lunch in a true school cafeteria.  Growing up, I went to small schools that didn't offer this.  It was neat getting to experience this.

I wonder when it will no longer be cool to have lunch with Ian?

Ladies who lunch (with their dolls)

The week the American Girl Doll store opened in April at the Tyson's Corner Mall, I got an email from one of my mommy friends asking if Sam and I would like to join her and another mommy friend with their daughters for lunch.  Heck ya!  You can most definitely count us in.  Sam is finally getting to the age where we can do special things like this.

Our reservations were made for Sunday, August 28th at 12:30pm. Fortunately Hurricane Irene and the ensuing power outage didn't stop us from our American Girl lunch experience.  I knew going into this, we'd have to get to the store early and let Sam pick out a Bitty Baby for her to have.

We got through the store having only bought a bitty baby and a swing for bitty baby to hang out in.  It took a lot of will power to not also get matching outfits for the baby and Sam.  Also, Sam wanted the crib, but I had us show even more self-control and make her choose which she wanted more; the swing or the crib.

Now it was time for lunch!  We made our way upstairs and after about a 10 minute wait, we were shown our table.  Our table was back in the deluxe party room and it was very nice having our own, private little space.  Each Bitty Baby or American Girl Doll was given its own little chair that attached to the table.  It was very cute!

Right away the maternal instincts kicked in and
Sam fed her baby.

To my delight, they had a gluten-free menu.  The chef came out with the official allergy book and went over what the dishes were.  The food was delicious and we were all pleased with what we ordered.

We decided this was too much fun not to plan an annual trip.  Every August we will be back and celebrate the return to school.  I hope Sam enjoys it as much 15 years from now (when she goes to College)  as I enjoyed it today.



Home Sweet Home with our new Bitty Baby and swing



McWhat?

When I was pregnant with each of the kids, my big craving was McDonald's McFlurries. It was strange, because it wasn't something I was used to eating before getting pregnant, but once the craving kicked in, I HAD to have one. There was something about the McDonald's frozen treat that was not easily replicated by any other brand of ice cream or dessert-type restaurant. Only a McDonald's McFlurry would do.

A few times we would be driving on I-95 through Maryland and of course buzzing by all the exits with signs for McDonald's would get me salivating for a McFlurry. I would tell Jeff to do a quick drive-by and get me one. Much easier said then done. First let me say, it is very deceiving when there is a sign posted that a McDonald's is going to be off the exit and when you go to drive there, you find you are more than a 5 minute drive from the exit ramp. What is up with that?!?! There should be a law that makes it illegal to advertise it as an exit stop if it is more than 1 mile off the highway. This is just my opinion, but I think it would cut down on road rage. Apparently no one at the Department of Transportation agrees with me because all along I-95, every exit advertising a McDonald's is a good 10 minute drive off the interstate. How frustrating!! And then when you do finally get there, the McFlurry machine is not working or they are all out of the ice cream mix. On one particular trip, it got to be incredibly frustrating after making three non-successful stops, which took up a good 45 minutes of our time, that I felt compelled to call the Governor of Maryland at the time (Gov. Ehrlich) and tell him what I thought. Considering it was a Friday night, I had to leave him a voicemail. For some reason, he never returned my call. I am sure it was the pregnancy hormones talking, but I was OVER IT thinking a McDonald's would be thisclose to the exit and then come to find out it was more trouble than it was worth to get to it.

It got to be a joke between Jeff and I that it usually took 3 or 4 McDonald's before we could find one that actually had the item I wanted and could sell it to me. Not just on I-95, but McDonald's everywhere in NoVa were having McFlurry machine operating problems. The harder it was for me to get one, the more I wanted it.

Anyway, I digress. We found ourselves back on I-95 the weekend of March 20th to go to Cherry Hill, NJ and do a playdate with my 1st cousin Leslie and her two kids. It was a fabulous weekend trip and the weather was gorgeous. On the way back home, we needed to stop for lunch and decided on McDonald's. It wasn't our first choice, but the restaurant options in Jessup, MD were pretty slim pickings. And, this McD's just happen to be located near the exit. I can count on one hand how many times a year the kids eat McDonald's. Eating fast food is not something I want them to get in the habit of and start asking for. I'd much rather seek out a Panera Bread or a Cosi for a fast food type lunch option. I have to say, this McDonald's was stunning. Really. The bathroom was beyond clean and the whole restaurant was sparkling. I made a comment to the manager behind the counter how great his place was and he said it was relatively new. Ah, maybe Gov. Ehrlich did get my message and had the powers-that-be build this McDonalds just for me!

While sitting at the table eating our lunch, I got nostalgic for my old McFlurry cravings and commented to Jeff on how I would love to get one, but I really didn't want to eat it in front of the kids and giving them sugary sweets was not something we wanted to do at this time of the day. Jeff said we could all get in the car when we were done eating, go thru the drive-thru and I could probably get away with having it without them seeing while continuing our drive home. I thought about it a little longer and decided, I would get one and all of us would split it. I knew the kids would enjoy it and it would help control how much I was eating if I had to share it with the others. I enthusiastically went up to the counter and ordered a M&M McFlurry. Only to be told that the machine is not working and they can't do any kind of ice cream treat. I couldn't believe it! More than 5 years later after getting pregnant with Ian and I am still having problems finding a McFlurry. It was actually pretty funny and without even needing to explain to Jeff why I came back to the table empty-handed, I just sat down and we laughed.