Apparently I'm a Mean Mom. Day 1 of Kindergarten and I'm a Mean Mom. Really? Already? We were, I was all excited about our cool laptop lunchboxes. BigBoy and I developed a list of food that was deemed acceptable for school lunch. We practiced opening the main box and the cute little containers. Talked about healthy choices and how hot lunch at school was junky. How mommy was packing a special, healthy lunch for him that will give him lots of energy and brain power for the day...
Lunch was not a hit. And when lunch is not a hit, Mom is mean. Baby spinach with dip is not cool at school- so I've been informed. "Junky chips in little bags"= cool. Wow. I'm fighting this fight already. *sigh*
The day started out well enough. BigBoy was actually up 15 minutes before I needed to wake up him up- Hallelujah! We've been hitting the sack way late this summer and he got in the habit of waking up after 8, which was unheard of pre-CA trip. Our morning was pretty smooth-- lunch was packed, outfits set out, and BigDaddy was home to help.
Lunch was not a hit. And when lunch is not a hit, Mom is mean. Baby spinach with dip is not cool at school- so I've been informed. "Junky chips in little bags"= cool. Wow. I'm fighting this fight already. *sigh*
The day started out well enough. BigBoy was actually up 15 minutes before I needed to wake up him up- Hallelujah! We've been hitting the sack way late this summer and he got in the habit of waking up after 8, which was unheard of pre-CA trip. Our morning was pretty smooth-- lunch was packed, outfits set out, and BigDaddy was home to help.
Since we had some extra time and Sassy was still snoozing, we decided to read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. At Back-to-School night all the K teachers read the story to their classes and they wore little hands around their necks. Totally puppy dog cute. We had the book already so I pulled it aside to read the night before. Oops! Mommy brain totally spaced it so luckily we had some time in the morning to cuddle and read. Great for BB but BIG, HUGE mistake for me. The story is about a raccoon who is leaving for school for the first time. Mama Raccoon kisses his palm and tells little raccoon that when he gets sad and misses her, all he has to do is press his palm to his cheek to feel the warmth of his mother's kiss. Sappy book for mamas, sweet and reassuring for kids. Strangely, no mention of Mr. Raccoon. Sorry BigDaddy. By the end of the book I was already fighting back the tears.
While I was taking the kids' pictures I caught the munchkins sitting on the front step and could hear BB telling Sass the story in a very serious tone. Proof that They DO love each other!
Now Sis, I'm going to Kindgergarten today...
Now you'll have my kisses all day.
We met up with our friends down the street and take pictures upon pictures. The kids were jazzed and thankfully the frenzy of activity and the bus showing up early (EARLY?!) kept the kids the moms from getting too weepy. But the tears started to flow as I watched the bus pull away down the street with my Baby Boy inside.
The mini-munchkins were not happy the older sibs got to go on a cool bus and head off to school, so what's a mom to do? Instant playdate and snack time! Throw a little dancing into the mix and we have some happy 2 y.o.s and moms. Sassy and I headed home after our emotional morning and then decided to have a girls' day. Shopping and a leisurely lunch. Nothing like a little Panera and retail therapy to forget about our woes.
That afternoon, we had an entire Welcome Home Crew for the kids; tons of hugs and kisses from the families. About 2 seconds after BigDaddy walked back to work the meltdown started. Here we go...
Between trying to stomp on his sister's shoes, chug milk leftover from his lunch and overreacting to e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. I tried to get the gist of the day. Did you like it? Was it fun? Were the kids nice?
BigBoy: You're a MEAN MOM! I didn't like my lunch! I didn't have ANY junky stuff! The other kids had LOTS of junky stuff... like junky chips in little bags. They were in their own little bags. I don't get anything like that! Just a little bit of junky snack mix, and THATS... ALL! [For full effect, insert major stomping here.]
Mean Mom: Well honey, when we went over your list of lunch foods that were yummy, all those things were on it. You LOVE spinach and wanted it all yesterday. And you wanted peeled clementines. These were things you said you wanted.
BB: I don't remember that.
MM: Well maybe next time you can help me make your lunch from the list. But we don't eat a lot of junky food at home, so you won't get a lot of junky food for your lunch. And we buy snacks in big bags and use containers so we can re-use them.
BB: Um. Okay. But I really want those junky chips in little bags. I would even recycle the bags mom. really.
That's my boy. Saving the world, one little junky chip bag at time.
After prying out more info throughout the afternoon I was informed I was a Mean Mom yet again.... I left his rest towel at school as part of his supply list. HOW COULD YOU?! Now, all of a sudden, he LOOOOOVES that towel. I found out some kids had actual blankets and nap sacks. Good Lord. So I found an acceptable baby quilt that was cool enough to use at school and sent a note asking Mrs. S to switch it out.
At the end of the day, we were both beat and having meltdowns. In a few hours Day 2 will be over and I'm sure the laundry list of how Mean I was today will start. I just picked a bunch of ripe, orange, Sunsugar Cherry Tomatoes from the garden- the same ones on the previously mentioned list. I think I'll send them with BB to school tomorrow to give to Mrs. S for snacktime. Nothing screams Mean Mom like sending Organic Vegetables with your son to hand out for snack time. I'm thinking this being Mean thing is gonna take a lot of work and preparation. I better whip up my own list: Things Mean Moms do to embarass their 5 year olds at Kindergarten. Attn: Loyal Seven- I'm open to suggestions...
The mini-munchkins were not happy the older sibs got to go on a cool bus and head off to school, so what's a mom to do? Instant playdate and snack time! Throw a little dancing into the mix and we have some happy 2 y.o.s and moms. Sassy and I headed home after our emotional morning and then decided to have a girls' day. Shopping and a leisurely lunch. Nothing like a little Panera and retail therapy to forget about our woes.
That afternoon, we had an entire Welcome Home Crew for the kids; tons of hugs and kisses from the families. About 2 seconds after BigDaddy walked back to work the meltdown started. Here we go...
Between trying to stomp on his sister's shoes, chug milk leftover from his lunch and overreacting to e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. I tried to get the gist of the day. Did you like it? Was it fun? Were the kids nice?
BigBoy: You're a MEAN MOM! I didn't like my lunch! I didn't have ANY junky stuff! The other kids had LOTS of junky stuff... like junky chips in little bags. They were in their own little bags. I don't get anything like that! Just a little bit of junky snack mix, and THATS... ALL! [For full effect, insert major stomping here.]
Mean Mom: Well honey, when we went over your list of lunch foods that were yummy, all those things were on it. You LOVE spinach and wanted it all yesterday. And you wanted peeled clementines. These were things you said you wanted.
BB: I don't remember that.
MM: Well maybe next time you can help me make your lunch from the list. But we don't eat a lot of junky food at home, so you won't get a lot of junky food for your lunch. And we buy snacks in big bags and use containers so we can re-use them.
BB: Um. Okay. But I really want those junky chips in little bags. I would even recycle the bags mom. really.
That's my boy. Saving the world, one little junky chip bag at time.
After prying out more info throughout the afternoon I was informed I was a Mean Mom yet again.... I left his rest towel at school as part of his supply list. HOW COULD YOU?! Now, all of a sudden, he LOOOOOVES that towel. I found out some kids had actual blankets and nap sacks. Good Lord. So I found an acceptable baby quilt that was cool enough to use at school and sent a note asking Mrs. S to switch it out.
At the end of the day, we were both beat and having meltdowns. In a few hours Day 2 will be over and I'm sure the laundry list of how Mean I was today will start. I just picked a bunch of ripe, orange, Sunsugar Cherry Tomatoes from the garden- the same ones on the previously mentioned list. I think I'll send them with BB to school tomorrow to give to Mrs. S for snacktime. Nothing screams Mean Mom like sending Organic Vegetables with your son to hand out for snack time. I'm thinking this being Mean thing is gonna take a lot of work and preparation. I better whip up my own list: Things Mean Moms do to embarass their 5 year olds at Kindergarten. Attn: Loyal Seven- I'm open to suggestions...
8 comments:
You should pack a can of spam (and no opener). Just as a joke...well...maybe not.
Cute pics.
Welcome to the Mean Mom Club. Wear your stripes with pride. Jackson has dubbed me the meanest Mom ever before. However, Daddy is the best around and never dubbed the meanest Daddy ever. Not fair...
It gets worse until about age 18 and then they go to college and can eat everything you didn't give them.
I did pack some junk as "all the kids" get that. I remember we ate a lot more junk in those days.
Today I would do chocolate covered raisins or almonds. Or a trail mix that has m&m's in it.
But mean Mom comes up time and time again. My grown sons are now 38, 36 and I am the best Mom and grammie so something to look forward to from the other side.
Jim- classic! Can I even buy Spam anymore??
Gina- I'm been a member for a while, it's just more public now. :)How come Dad's aren't ever mean. What happened to "Wait til your father comes home"??
Madge- We make trail mix and that the little bit of junky that he got ;) apparently, not enough "junky" for him.
lol This is my worst fear... and boy I know it's commin'!
Ok, I'm totally new to this blog but I am not new to being in school, since I've spent way too much time there but...Spinach in lunch? I don't know his tastes and I don't know what was agreed upon but I can't EVER thinking that a school lunch with Spinach was cool. How about just opening the junky chip back and packing it with spinach instead?
Roni- your time is just around the corner my dear!
Mr. DannyB- He actually loves Spinach, both kids do and ask for it constantly- with dip of course ;) The agreed upon list was one post back. He also got yogurt pretzels, which were a big hit and trail mix- both were gone. I do like the sneaky little chip bag switcheroo idea. Now you're thinking like a parent!
Mariana has always liked healthy food, mostly. What I do with her besides talk to her about nutrition is also just pack a two baked chips or sun chips. I also pack carrots and raisins, grapes, etc. The point is don't let the chips have complete control. Give him two. They'll make 'em less desirable.
Mariana also has been bringing home what she does not eat. I tell her its so I can tell what she has time to eat and what she likes. I also tell her that if she doesn't it the good stuff, the chips won't be in there tomorrow. I don't give them reward status. I frame it as well, if you are running out of time at lunch I want to make sure you have enough to eat the healthy stuff first. for now, she buys it.
We have our challenges in other areas. She's a talker with poor impulse control. She's gotten in trouble for playing with the teacher's phone. She's also poked a boy in the face with a pencil. She does this BECAUSE I told her we keep pencils away from the face...curiosity killed the cat and gets Mariana in trouble everytime.
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