(no subject)

[the_rck]

The nearby science/nature center is planning a parents’ night out thingy for next weekend. For $30, they’ll keep kids for five hours and feed them dinner and keep them busy. Cordelia is just young enough for it, and I’m tempted because I’d like some time with Scott while she’s not around, but she would loathe it.

I think Scott and I are out of luck on getting time to ourselves. She doesn’t want to spend the night with Scott’s sister or Scott’s parents, and sleepovers are apparently not a thing in her friends group. On weeknights, we have less than an hour after she turns off her lights before we need to be in bed. On weekends, she’s up later than we are.

We’re trying to come up with things that Cordelia is willing to take in her lunches (and will actually eat). Right now, she’s taking some cucumber and a sandwich and then complaining a lot about how that’s not enough. She’s willing to take apples but only if we cut them up for her. Nothing else I’ve suggested has met with her approval. I’ve suggested other vegetables and fruits, hummos, yogurt, beef jerky, and nuts. I’ve also suggested that she put more on her sandwiches.

My left foot started hurting badly again yesterday evening and is still pretty painful. The pain seems to show up in different places at different times, so I’m really pretty confused by it.

We started watching that Shannara adaptation last night. I’m not convinced we’ll finish. It wasn’t terrible by any means, but I don’t think either of us connected to either story or characters. I think I’m going to push for watching our Netflix DVD (Whitecollar season 1 DVD 2) first.

I woke with a headache this morning. It’s on just one side of my head, so I tried my migraine medication first. That hasn’t killed it, so I’m debating what to try next.

Scott decided recently that he wanted to try oatmeal made from steel cut oats instead of instant oatmeal. Unfortunately, our deepest bowls (which are pretty darned deep) aren’t deep enough to keep the stuff from bubbling over in the microwave. Scott cleaned the microwave, but the bowls ended up pretty nasty inside and out. I had to fill the sink in order to soak them, and I still had to pry bits of oatmeal off with my fingernails after. I don’t mind Scott trying something healthier, but I think he’d better cook the stuff on the stove instead of in the microwave.

Comments

[kyrielle]

If she doesn't like bulkier sandwiches, maybe taking two sandwiches would help? You'd need more bread if that worked, but it still might help some.

Does she have Thermoses available? Maybe hot leftovers could work sometimes.

For the apples, would she cut her own if you got her an apple cutter? I kind of adore ours - it takes a hard press down but no knife worries - and it's dishwasher safe (rinsing it right after using is a good bet though). This isn't the same one but actually looks slightly superior / more comfortable to use: http://smile.amazon.com/Chefaith-Slicer-Cutter-Wedger-Divider/dp/B0184YLZZW/

Various things we've put in ours, some of which I think you've already said she doesn't care for, and I apologize for not remembering which:

• Fruit: grapes, oranges (cuties, or wedges from larger oranges), bananas (or banana halves, but mine are smaller), berries or cherries in season, melon slices or balls (rarely, but sometimes - Ian adores this), pouches of dried fruit or single-serving cups of peaches or pears (which requires a spoon included). Sometimes I add a little container of caramel dipping sauce for apples. (Also pouch applesauce, but I think Cordelia is too old for that.)


• Snacks / sides: Cheese sticks, bags of chips. (We don't often add the latter - rarely the former, but if the lunch is low on protein it goes in.) I'd add 'nuts' in this category but Andrew's school discourages them and Ian's bans them, and neither boy loves them.


• Veggies: Carrot pieces with hummus (Ian eats these, Andrew doesn't), green pepper spears, fresh peas in summer, lemon cucumber, regular cucumber, pickles, black olives, cherry tomatoes, corn (sometimes on the cob, in which case a half-cob hot and in the thermos). Peas and corn need forks or spoons, of course - the latter works better with Andrew's short lunch in particular.


• Drinks: besides water, juice boxes, or shelf-stable milk or chocolate milk. For Cordelia, the larger juice bottles might make more sense - mine are still small enough that the little boxes are enough.


• Mains, besides sandwiches: Tortilla roll-ups, quesadillas, leftovers from dinner (some cold, some heated and in a thermos - cold pizza is surprisingly popular), mac'n'cheese (the instant microwave kind), ramen without the broth (cheese sticks usually go in with this), "lunchables style" (crackers, quarters of cheese slices, rolled-up or cut up meat - sometimes I use a fancy cutter but honestly I usually just quarter them). Rarely, "breakfast for lunch" which is chilled toaster waffles with a thing of maple syrup for dipping in, plus hot scrambled eggs in a thermos and accompanying silverware, plus a fruit option.


• Desserts: Zucchini chocolate muffins when I'm really on my game. More often, rice krispie treats, a cookie (or two if they're small), a piece of chocolate, edible cookie dough (doesn't bake well, tastes great uncooked and no eggs, freezes fine for later use - usually with chocolate chips or M&Ms in), brownies....

For the thermos, best piece of advice I got is to fill it with near-boiling water 10-15 minutes before putting the hot stuff in, it stays hotter longer.

[lunabee34]

My daughter is 13 and she loves those applesauce pouches, especially the apple mango flavor.