In a Rut

It's nothing too dramatic. It's just lunch.

This morning I was in the kitchen trying to think about what I would put in Emma's lunchbox for school today. And I hit a wall. Fresh out of ideas. And in typical Amy fashion, I waited til the last minute to check her backpack from Tuesday, and was thrilled to find a note saying it was pizza day at school. Hallelujah! Because I really had no idea what I was sending.

Once upon a time, Emma LOVED peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. Lunch was easy, life was good. Then she had to have lunchables. What's easier than that, except I'm betting her teachers weren't too thrilled with the choice. And then she wanted a ham and cheese sandwich, without the bread. And I felt like somewhat of an idiot just putting slices of ham and cheese in a baggie, and wondering if her teachers were calling me an idiot. Most mornings I find myself just throwing in prepackaged crap of one kind or another, hoping the teachers won't call CPS on me for malnourishment.

And Emma is no help. I ask her what she wants, and she answers whatever. Then I tell her what I am making and she says she doesn't want that. Or I just send it sight unseen to school, and it comes home uneaten and she basically looks at me with a face that says what kind of crap was that, can I have a snack because I didn't eat lunch and I'm starving.

I know there are only a few weeks left of school, but I am going to have to be doing this everyday next year. And if I can't get my act together and make lunch for two days a week, how am I going to handle five?

So what do you put in your kids' lunchboxes??

Emma and I are open to suggestions, and hopefully you guys have some wonderful things I'm just not thinking of. And if I tell her it was your idea and not mine, maybe she'll actually eat it!!