So it's been a while....

This is mainly for Kirsten's sake!

I know it's been a while since I've blogged, but life gets crazy when you're working full-time plus call and you have a husband in school full-time as well as two little kids running around. However, I always wanted more time to blog, and seeing as right now I'm couped up in the hospital for pancreatitis, what better time than now?

I've decided to write not about my illness, at least not right now. Instead I'd like to talk about school lunches.

Ty started Kindergarten this year and so far there have been many ups and downs. First off, he had separation anxiety and didn't want us to leave for a while. (The first day of school Libby was scolding him, "Ty, you go to school. You be a big boy and not cry and just go to school.) It's gotten better, but he still has his days.

It doesn't help that Ty's one of, if not the, youngest in his class. This is a difficult decision when you have a boy that has an October birthday. He did pre-k last year and did fine and his teachers saw no reason to hold him back, so we forged ahead. However, due to his age, some kids make fun of him for only being 4 and not 5. It seems harmless, but it gets to him, especially since he's one of taller ones in the class.

Secondly, we send him with a healthy lunch every day. By that, I mean he usually has a fresh fruit, fresh vegetable, sometimes some light ranch dip, a sandwich on wheat bread, a juice box, and some crackers. As a treat, we'll put in a fruit snack bag that's made from 100% fruit juice and about 35 calories. Not bad, I think. Ty's a good eater (this kid will eat mostly anything - except peanut butter) so why stifle it?

I think that he's the only one to eat from home. Granted, there are a lot of poor kids in his class and I can understand the free meals program, but the school lunches are FAR from healthy. One day, Dane forgot to pack him a lunch and so Ty ate the school lunch: Sausage sandwich on maple syrup pancakes. WHAT?! How is that healthy. I'm sure that their lunches have at least twice as many calories as I pack for Ty, and pretty much nothing is fresh.

To add insult to injury, one day Dane packed Ty a typical healthy lunch but for a treat put about 10 Sour Patch Kids in. Apparently a lunch lady commented to Ty that he never has anything healthy to eat and he needs to have his parents pack him healthier things. WHAT?!!!! We discussed with Ty the importance of healthy eating mixed with small treats and that if the lunch lady said anything else to him that she could speak to his parents directly (and we could tell her a little bit about healthy eating, too!).

Well, rant is over, please share your thoughts.