First Lunches of 2012

The first school lunches of 2012 are also the last lunches I'll be able to take pics of, for the next week or two - I'm sending my camera off to be repaired. It takes pictures just fine but the flash doesn't go off - Birdie hit it with a baseball. I'm so so so so thankful my smart Sailor Boy purchased the repair or replacement plan! I may have to do without it for a bit, but I'll get it back as good as new - or I'll get a new one :)

Pickle's first peanut butter sandwich of 2012, with fireworks!

Oh! He gave me a little scare over the holidays... Boxing Day he announced he didn't want any more peanut butter sandwiches, that they were boring! So for nearly a week all he ate was yogurt, Cheerios, and Life cereal... I was getting worried! The list of foods he will eat is so short, and the peanut butter sandwiches are his main source of protein - so boy was I relieved when the night before school started back up, when I asked him what he wanted in his lunch the next day, he said "A peanut butter sandwich. A surprise one." Thankyouthankyouthankyou! 

Beanstalk's bento boxes from yesterday and today. Bun, ham, Clif Z Bar, apples. He too is a creature of habit. He did vary the Clif Z Bar flavour :)

Of course yesterday and today it was barely light out when I packed lunch - I sure could have used that flash! ... otherwise, I kind of like it... I like it gradually getting lighter, it's a nice way to ease into the day, especially after my 2 weeks of sleeping in while my husband got up with the kids  - I'm out of practice :)

Bella made it easy for me yesterday, she wanted spaghettios. I also packed a bottle of apple juice, a couple of maple cookies, her spork and a cloth napkin:

Tip: When packing hot food, I fill the Thermos with boiling hot water while I heat the lunch, cap it, and empty it just before filling it with the hot food. "They" say preheating the container helps keep the lunch from losing any heat. Bella says her lunch is always still hot at lunch time :)

Today, she did not make things as easy for me. She said she wanted the school's pancake hot lunch, but then 20 minutes before we had to leave she changed her mind. Pickle did that to me last time the school had pancake lunch! I quickly packed her an Easy Lunchbox with the other half of the apple I sliced for Beanstalk, plus some ham, cheddar, carrot and cucumber slices, and a bun. Didn't take any time preparing it in a cute way, but the flower muffin cup and picks were cute enough for her ✿

I made the little girls bentos with a cheerful orange theme - hoping to get them to give mango a chance.  They also got familiar carrots, cheddar cheese, and cheese crackers. I alternated the mango with cantaloupe, on party picks. Looks yummy to me!

Birdie and Bean Sprout didn't even want to TRY the mango. Sprout said she wasn't going to eat the melon either since it was touching the yucky mango, and of course Birdie followed her big sister's lead. Gah! 

There's half a mango left, I'll try again today... maybe cut it into cute shapes...