Lessons from the lunchlady: sometimes you gotta wool with the punches
I'm convinced there was a full moon this week as we had a lot of significantly strange behavior and it's not snowing yet.
Here's what I learned.
Fire safety week. Nothing screams fire safety week like little kids proudly announcing to you that they know what to do if they catch on fire. "Stop, drop and wool. Thas what you need to do."
Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. Sometimes I take breakfast to teachers. Sometimes I drop off pudding cups with cookies and cream whipped topping to someone I know might need a little pick me up. It never fails to make me smile when, like Norm from cheers, all the kids stop what they're doing to say my name. "Hello, Miss Wendy"
I've got a feeling. In a super odd move this week, I just got done saying that I thought it odd we had not seen the state inspector yet and within five minutes of my statement he was in the kitchen. All remains well in the cafeteria although I may have to have some service on the dishwasher. This is sort of a bonus as the dishwasher repairman is quite pleasant to look at.
Bampire bumpkins are hard to make. I'm usually pretty good at deciphering kid-speak, but when a first grader told his teacher he was making a bampire bumpkin it took me quite a while to figure out just what his Jack-o-lantern was going to look like.
Breakfast for lunch. Kids love pancakes and sausage. It continues to be our most popular meal with the least amount of alternates. It out scores pizza and that's saying a lot.
I also learned that I'm gonna miss having one of my own kids in the building. Here we are embarrassing my son with a birthday basket.
What did you learn this week?
Lessons from the Lunchlady: the battle of Green Bean vs. Celery
- Peanut Butter Popsicle: It's important to get the frozen uncrustables out of the freezer as soon as you come in. If you don't, you will realize at lunch time that you have no alternate and will have to change to yogurt munchables. Turns out some kids like yogurt, cheese and goldfish crackers more than pizza. BONUS.
- There is no macaroni on my tray, said a little kindergartner who took the wrong lunch by mistake. It truly is disappointing when you sit down and realize everyone's lunch looks better than yours.
- Who's your teacher? I asked a first grader in the lunch line this week who her teacher was. Her response, "I have no idea but it's that lady right over there." Seriously? It's almost been a month?
- Celery kicked Green Beans Ass: In an unprecedented match up, Celery came from behind to literally kick the crap out of green beans in a head to head. I guess even after four years I can still be surprised.
Is that a spy camera? I was being interviewed about the recent changes to school lunch and the videographer had a microphone near the lunch line. A couple of kids thought it was a spy camera. I think they've been reading a little too much LUNCHLADY. I so need some of those fish stick nunchuks.
Lessons from the lunchlady: You can't fill another's shoes, you have to make your own path
When I took the manager's job, I realized that there would be a learning curve. That being said, I don't think I realized just how much of a learning curve. After telling my old boss that I found her shoes hard to fill, she said "You can't fill another's shoes, you have to make your own path."
This week was trailblazing. Here's what I learned.
Noodles can disintegrate. Apparently steaming noodles is an art form that I clearly have not yet mastered. Turns out depending on the size, shape and thickness of the noodle some steam a lot faster that others. For example, egg noodles steam very quickly. Rotini...not so fast. Wanna know what happens to them if you steam them to long? Mashed potato noodles... And NO we did not serve these ones.
The walk-in hates me. The walk-in cooler has a way of breaking only when I am having a stressful week. While I realize that it is an inanimate object who cannot possibly know my stress level, it always sounds its alarm when my stress level is already high.
Some kindergarteners have a lot of nerve. This week I took a break from serving and headed to the check out register. After only six kindergarten days of school some of those little angels actually get irritated If they still have to say their name. One of them rolled her eyes at me and said, "I say this everyday. How long till you remember?" I asked if she knew my name and she said, "No." So I told her that I will remember her name and all 67 others kindergartners names once she remembers mine. Until then, she can stop at the register and say her name EVERYDAY.
Birthday baskets lift my mood. If you order one in advance, our kitchen will deliver a birthday basket snack to your kiddo. It was an initiative established to help stop the onslaught of cupcakes brought to the school. We had our first basket on Friday. It was sooo much fun to deliver.
What did you learn this week?
About Me
- kisatrtle
- I'm a 41 year old (gasp) freelance writer, school cafeteria manager, wife and mother. I have three children and one anxious and overweight beagle. I use my blog to make others laugh, to share some cool crafts, to document my lunchlady adventures and to lament about the challenges faced by us all on the journey called life. Thanks for visiting. Please leave some crack...um...I meant some comments.
