School Lunch Wisdom

Every now and then, I like to pop in and meet one of my kids for lunch. I love that it means so much to them and I realize that before long it will be an embarrassment. So, I try to do it while I still can. Last year, after choking down numerous corn dogs, frozen burritos and other unsavory school lunch foods, I had a revelation -- I don't have to eat the lunch. It may seem rather obvious, but, at first I felt that I had to purchase a lunch to sit by my child in the cafeteria. I now realize it's not so much the eating of the lunch as the just being there. My kids don't mind a bit that I sit there with no tray watching them eat and asking them about their day. I love that all the kids in E-Man's Kindergarten class wanted to sit by us when I joined him for lunch today. And, I also loved that I did not feel compelled to pretend to enjoy the chicken and rice or a prepackaged grilled cheese sandwich.

Switching gears, to another story, I was paid a very high honor today. Over the weekend, my friend took her 3-year-old daughter to Build-a-Bear. This is, Izzy, the same 3-year-old darling girl who I frequently babysit while her mom "puts the bad guys in jail" (those are the words of her 6-year-old daughter, my friend is a lawyer and victim's advocate). Apparently, Izzy picked out a moose at the Build-a-Bear, dressed her in angel clothes, and named her after ME! I just found out today and I thought that was about the sweetest thing I've ever heard. I've never ever had a stuffed angel moose named after me before. The best.
Here is that sweet girl blowing out her 3rd birthday candles (with AiAi's help) a few months ago.