Sundays

I've been chopping and grating all afternoon. We're having homemade tomato soup for dinner and the kitchen smells amazing. It's sunny and warm out, but not hot and I'm so grateful for the first hints of fall weather and the lower softer light that's spilling in our back windows.

Caroline didn't want to nap today so Brian rocked her in her chair and they took naps together.

I bought some new fall clothes for the kids last week. Andrew wore his dark jeans and a pink checked button down to church this morning and he looked like a million bucks. He helped me put the outfit together, down to the sloppy front tuck. I think he's got a little bit of style in him when he tries.

Caroline wore her new pink Nikes to church even though I wanted her to wear her little silver mary janes because these days shoe choice is just not something I have the energy to argue over. She is so very TWO - self assured and full of firm opinions. At least they're super cute for sneakers.

Our living room is full of the sounds of football. Andrew knows that a Sunday in the fall will be known as "football Sunday" in our house. The Cowboys lost. But I'm going to win both of my fantasy games this week. I'd honestly rather lose my fantasy games and have the Cowboys win, and that's saying something.

Andrew's spent his afternoon in the playroom building little cars out of his Legos. His ability to focus and build for 2+ hours at a time is still surprising to me. He's such a little boy. We call him Architect Andrew because he designs these tall castles and garages for his cars to sleep in.

I did some decorating while it rained yesterday. I worked on the bedding in the guest room and we hung a new mirror in the entryway. (But there's still so much empty wall space here! And boxes too. Oh yes.)

My fall book banner from last year is hanging on the mantle in the living room. I like it more here than I did in our old house. The old straw scarecrow is standing by the front chest, ready to greet you when you knock on the front door.

Now I just need a few little pumpkins to scatter about, and we're ready.

Latest Bentos - "Fall" Edition

My goodness, it's been a while since my last post.

I think I'm in some kind of why does it still feel like summer, but it's supposed to be fall funk.

The days are shorter and the sunlight is a little softer, but it's still hot as blazes and I'm just ready to step outside and not sweat.

But we've been plugging along at school.

I joined the ECPTA!  Andrew gets to pick out his own clothes every morning. Caroline LOVES her class so much she cries on Tuesdays when Andrew goes and she comes back home with me.

September has been good to us. :)

So here are a few of the lunches I've sent with the kids the last two weeks.

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Monday, Sept. 9

Andrew's lunch was packed in the Lego Box. We love this box, and now that he's even more obsessed with Legos it's even better. I used these stampers for the ham sandwiches with a rainbow cup full of ketchup, (I know - it's so gross.) watermelon and graham sticks in a star cup.

What a cute way to start off the week!

Tuesday, Sept. 10

Andrew had turkey roll-ups, yogurt, strawberries, bunny grahams with a leftover pita triangle (there were two and he ATE one while I was packing his lunch - ha!) and mini chocolate chips. This lunch was packed in the Planet Box. I tossed a few picks in for fun.

Thursday, Sept. 12

Caroline's lunch was packed the Yumbox. She had turkey roll-ups, cheddar cheese strips, pretzels, grapes, raspberries and yogurt covered raisins. I included the Hello Kitty picks and she was so excited! She kept waving - "hi lunch!" while I was packing. She's a hoot!

Andrew's lunch was packed in the Laptop Lunchbox. This box has been much more popular in our house this year. I'd bought it last year and he couldn't open it without help which was a big no-no for my independent three year old. But at four and a half he can rock it - we've practiced at home.

He had a really simple lunch of strawberries, pretzels and peanut butter celery. I tried to make him a star shaped ham sandwich, but it was too big so I cut the tips off and stuck a circle sandwich on top of it. Sometimes I mess up! :) And there's ketchup in the dipping cup.

Monday, Sept. 16

I sent Andrew with a Planet Box full of pretzels, shelled pistachios, apples and superhero sandwiches, with a few mini marshmallows for a treat. He picked the sandwich stamps he wanted to use. I love how interested he is in his lunches this year! The superman shield is a little cupcake topper ring.

Tuesday, Sept. 17

Gah! This was a cute lunch packed in our frog box. Andrew had a cold turkey dog, cucumber slices, a cutie packed in an orange cup with a leaf pick, berry mix and star shaped pumpkin spice bread cut to fit in the star cup. This lunch was a little nod to fall I think.

Here's to cooler weather, y'all!

Back-to-School Lunches

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These sweet kiddos started school last week.

Andrew is in official Pre-K which is kind of crazy and mind-blowing. He's going three days a week. Caroline is in Mother's Day Out just one day a week. I'm hoping that doesn't stunt her adjustment phase - like she forgets she goes and gets upset all over again the next week.

But the first week she was all smiles, no tears at pickup or drop-off so I'm hopeful we're safe.

And Andrew, well, he loves school so much. He loves his teachers and making new friends and show and tell and lunches and making art projects and learning new things. I hope he is always so full of joy and excitement over new classrooms and experiences.

I'm hoping to get him really ready for Kinder next year by working on pre-reading skills and sight words. I've got a few ideas, but do you have any sight word exercises you've used? Fun games to play? I was reading by the time I left for Kindergarten, and I'd love to have Andrew as close to reading as possible.

I can't wait for the world of books to open up before him!

Can you tell I'm happy with school starting? :)

So back-to-school means back to lunch packing for me. Wheeeee!

I really wanted a PlanetBox last year but I just couldn't quite justify the $60 price tag. But I decided after a whole year of packing cute and healthy lunches for the kids that a PlanetBox would be worth it. I ended up going with one from PBK because I had a 15% off coupon and it included the dinosaur magnets and the carrying case. (It's like this one, but the one we have with the dinos is no longer online.)

Andrew is crazy about this lunch box! He wants to take it every day, so I'm sure you'll see lots of lunches packed in here! It's stainless steel and all one piece so it's really easy to pack and wash - it even goes in the dishwasher!

So here are our lunches from the first week of school. We're one short because of Labor Day. (I'll normally have four lunches a week.)

Tuesday, August 3

Andrew had pretzels and cheese stars, mini initial pb&j's, watermelon with a frog pick, carrots and mini chocolate chips in the treat spot. He said he had too many carrots and didn't finish them all, but ate the rest of it. I used old cookie cutters for the initials, like these.

Thursday, August 5

Caroline's first day of school! I wanted something colorful and girly, but still easy for her to eat. Caroline's also in a nut-free class this year. I was so busy concentrating on not sending peanut butter, and then I realized I'd sent almond crackers. Oh no! I ran back in and told her teachers but they weren't that worried. I think it's a peanut allergy and they said they'd just make sure they didn't sit at the same table. Whew. I won't do that again!

She had ham roll-ups, bunny crackers and yogurt melts, grapes with leaf picks, the nut crackers and a little cheese cut into a flower. It was packed in our lock&lock box which I really like for its ease of use. The cups are all silicone by Wilton that I've collected from various sets over the last two years.

I've shared a lot of these cups with my sister for their lunches. You probably don't need all 12 cups from two or three different sets, but they're a lot more reasonably priced if you go in with a friend on them.

Andrew had his second lunch in the PlanetBox: a ham sandwich cut like a kitty with our CuteZCute cutter, graham sticks, cucumbers with salad dressing for dipping in the small dipper cup, grapes and mini chocolate chips for the treat.

He ate every single bite of this lunch. Yay!

We're off to a great start! Did you decide to start bento lunches this year? How's it going so far??