Lessons from the Lunchlady: Is there sausage in the sausage?

This week there was laughter, forgetfulness, singing, dancing and downright silliness and I haven't even told you about the kids.

Here's what I learned.

There is such a thing as a free lunch. I've always been under the impression that there was no such thing as a free lunch but apparently we even offer coupons. I had no idea!

Changing lunch always causes confusion. Some of our students were exceptionally disappointed when they thought we were having popcorn chicken and it turned out we were having egg sandwiches. Um...which came first the chicken or the egg?

Cooking is a job requirement. It's always a little unnerving when you realize that lunch starts in 45 minutes and you have forgotten to make a major portion of it. It also makes you laugh...a lot.

pomegranate slushies make messes. Turns out deep purple slushy messes on spoons will make slasher streaks on the wall near the silverware chute. Sort of like a scene from CSI.

Is there sausage in this sausage? A third grader asked me if there was cooked sausage in his sausage link. I was somewhat confused by the question so he clarified, "Are these like the sausages you get at home where you just have to heat em up?" umm...yes. Our sausage linker is broken... :-)

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Writer's Workshop: work vs. stay at home

My oldest child will soon be thirteen, which continues to boggle my mind. She' on the far right in the picture above.

When we were expecting, my husband really wanted me to stay home after our baby arrived. I will be honest with you, I wasn't really excited about the idea. The thought of being alone all day long with an infant depending on me for her survival sounded terrifying. Little did I know that the infant part was the easy part.

We were 6 hours away from our closest family. My husband's mom stayed home throughout most of his childhood. My mom always worked. I don't remember her staying at home. I remember my grandmother caring for us until we were school aged.

I think if I would have actually liked my job, the decision may have been harder. I think if I had actually made enough money to justify childcare than perhaps I would have put up more of an argument, but alas I stopped working 4 days before I had my oldest.

The first month was ok. My hubby was off the first week. We were invaded by company and then they all left. Hubby went to work. Family returned home. Our infant seldom slept.

After about three months of complete isolation and lack of sleep I needed medication. Post pardom depression. My doctor also recommended a mother's group. I needed to get out and be with other mommies. I needed to stop the isolation.

Thirteen years later that mommy group spans multiple states. I still value the opinions of those women and there is little I wouldn't do for them.

During the decade I stayed home, I had my ups and I had my downs. What I came to understand is that it has to be your choice. I have friends who could not stay at home and that's okay. I have friends who still stay home and that's okay too.

I think we have to learn to respect each other enough to realize that this is a personal choice and can only be made by the person facing it.

Did you work or stay at home? Why?

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Hump Day Craft Post: a disney project sneek peek

I am working on a fun Disney project for a friend. Here are just a few things I've included. I am only about half way done...and having tons of fun!

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Once Upon A Time: 7:15 a.m.

This episode was significantly better than last weeks episode. It featured hotty pants Charming/James/David.

In Storybrooke,

More mystery swirls around the stranger. I was surprised that EQ/Regina didn't know who he was. Regina convinces Emma to investigate him for just being him. I actually loved the scene between her and the stranger at the dinner.

There was some chemistry between them and when he whipped out that typewritter and announced that he finds Storybrooke inspirational my heart leap a little perhaps he is one of the Grimm brothers.

MM spends her day stalking David. She starts at 7:15 at grannie's dinner just she can watch him by his wife coffee. OUCH. Thought it interesting that she was reading a Jules Verne book. Anyone see the title?

The theme of both episode Love Bites.

MM saves a bird that needs reunited with it's flock. On her way to make sure the bird is not alone forever, she slips down a cliff and gets trapped in a storm in a romantic cabin with David...um yikes.

Snow is not interested in sleeping with him...afterall she thinks his wife might be pregnant and apparently that is where she draws the line. The bird is reunited with its flock and both David and MM decide that they have got to stay away from each other.

In an effort to avoid each other they do not go to to the dinner at 7:15 but still end up there together 45 minutes later. LOVED the kiss. Sad that EQ was watching.

In fairytale land....

Snow is alone like the bird, seperated from her love. It was nice to see Red bringing her food. Charming/James is about to wed midas daughter Abigail/Katherine. Love seeing widmore in all his evil as the king.

There is lots of talk about the evils of love.

At one point Snow visits rumple who gives her a potion guaranteed to erase her memory...to make her forget about her love, about the pain of rejection, about it all. Of course, it's made with her hair and that grosses me out a little.

Rumple as always is creepy and wonderful. He keeps a little bit of her hair as payment which is slightly bothersome.

Snow gets a letter from James saying he needs her, he wants he but he doesnt really love her...no wait that's a Meatloaf song. He begs her to risk her life to come to the castle and see him.

Surprisingly, ok not really, she is captured and locked in the dungeon with Grumpy. I love Grumpy. He's the only one talking any sense this episode. He encourages Snow to embrace her pain because it makes her who she is.

Stealthy dwarf comes to rescue them and he isn't very stealthy. Grumpy helps Snow and then Stealthy gets killed and Grumpy gets captured. snow returns the favor and saves him.

The king lets Grumpy go and orders Snow to break James' heart. If not, he will kill him.

"you would kill your own son?" asks Snow.

"He is not my son," replies the king.

Ouch..always the twin that daddy didn't want.

Snow breaks James' heart and heads to the forest where she is greated by the tallest 7 dwarves EVAH. They become her new flock...she is no longer alone.

James can not forget her. He calls off the wedding. He looks for her where he thinks she maybe and Red says she never returned. He declares that he will find her. Grumpy excitedly announces to Snow that James called off the wedding.

Her response. "who?"

She has taken the potion given to her by Rumple.

Next week: Mirror Mirror who are you loyal to?

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Lessons from the Lunchlady: I'll have a bananna hold the imabendazole, imazalil and myclobutanil

I know what your thinking. How can she post a Lessons from the Lunchlady post when her district was on winter break and she only spent two days in the cafeteria?

To you I say, you've obviously never spent two days in the cafeteria.

That place is oozing with enlightenment. Oozing I say.

Bannanas need "preserved for quality". I know...i had no idea either but apparently imabendazole, imazalil and myclobutanil help with this process. And to think, all this time I've been buying them by the bunch and hanging them on a hook.

Caterpillar delight is a delight. We are celebrating various countries throughtout this month and the next few days are dedicated to Mambia. This meal was a challenge as they eat a lot of mice and bugs. Since we're not allowed to serve that we settled for pudding with oreos, graham cracker bugs and a gummy worm.

A birthday melody. Our famous custodian had a birthday over the winter break. There is nothing quite like the sound of grades of children attempting to sing happy birthday. It's the loudest most off pitch cha cha cha rendtion you will ever long to hear.

HS wrestlers have cheerleaders. When did wrestling become a sport cheerleaders attend. Did you have wrestling cheerleaders when you were in high school?

In the middle
of the mat
roll him over
pin him flat.

Really?

Bag lunch picnic style. We had a reading reward mid year party on Friday. As part of the party the kids all got a brown bag lunch and they got to eat on the floor. A first grader said, "Are we poor? Lunch in a bag and no tables?". A kindergartener said she was going to "Call 911 because eating on the floor was ridiculous." My favorite part about the picnic? My principal repeated reminding the kids not to set their food on the floor.

What did you learn this week?

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Enjoying every minute is an unrealistic goal

As I said in a previous post my in laws are staying with me for a few days.

I get along pretty well with both of them. But like all company, after three days we start to get on each others nerves. This usually results in my FIL sighing a lot and my MIL sleeping alot and me dragging wine to my room...by the bottle.

They have been a great help with the kids and they did give me an opportunity to sneak out for a much needed hair cut. My co-worker told me I looked liked Jesus so I figured it was about time for something...but that's a post for another day.

Here's the thing that drives me nuts. My MIL (along with countless others) is always telling me to "enjoy every minute because before I know it they'll be grown"

SPARE ME.

No one enjoys every minute of every day. If they say they do, they are lying.

In the last week my kids have slammed doors, over flowed two toilets, got oil pastels on the couch, spilt milk on the dog just when I didn't think he could smell worse, dumped a bottle of hot sauce, fought with each other and shattered two glasses.

I didn't enjoy much of that.

Of course, they've also shown great compassion for each other, helped me fix the toilets, laughed with me at the milk covered dog, hugged me, shared with me their worries and their hopes, and most importantly put some of the freakin groceries away.

I enjoyed that. Especially the groceries.

Recently I read this post and I think it sums up what I'm trying to explain to my MIL.

Like me, she didn't enjoy every minute. She enjoyed being a parent and maybe now she misses being needed. That's understandable.

But telling someone knee deep in garbage covered in coffee grinds who is looking for that one piece of paper that came home from school a week ago that they should enjoy their kids while they are young isn't helpful.

And never will be.

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Hump Day Craft Post: Birthday book

I am trying to get some scrappin' done.  I can spend hours in my craft room and not think of anything except what I want the next page to look like.  My son's birthday book is a couple birthdays behind.

Here is a slide show of his 6th birthday.  We had a Tom & Jerry theme.  I don't like to post pics of other people's children without their permission so the faces of the children that aren't mine have been removed.

Makes the entire thing look a little creepy...doesn't it.  LOL

Now if I can find the time to scrap year seven and eight,  I'll be caught up for a few short months.

What projects have you been working on lately?

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