Catch up!

Oops!  I did it again.  I missed a whole week of blogging.  Actually over a week since I haven't done it since Wed the week before.  I did make lunches and I did take pictures so here is what you missed!

If you remember, Tim was in Belize for 10 days and returned around midnight on Wed last week.  We all went out to the airport to pick him up!  We missed him.

On Thursday we did Valentine's Lunches since the kids were missing school on Friday to spend time with Tim.

Heart PB&J sandwich rollups; Snap peas, heart cucumber, heart red pepper and heart carrot; Heart shaped cantaloupe on heart skewers and heart shaped strawberries; Valentines taffy and conversation hearts.

Thursday night Max's class at school put on their play.  This is him just before we were leaving:

For the weekend we went up to the mountains and skied for the first time this year.

Maya did awesome!  She's really getting her ski legs.  Max was a little nervous so we ended up putting him in a lesson one of the days.  He did well but then wanted a break:

On Monday there was no school for President's Day and Maya had a food challenge at the allergist.  We went loaded down with food (of which I didn't take pictures) because it can take 20 minutes or 4 hours, depending on how she does.  We had her Kindle and my work stuff to keep us occupied as well.  I am happy to report that she passed the challenge with flying colors and is now able to eat eggs!  Although she says she doesn't want to.

On Tuesday there was no school for a teacher work day or something.  Both grown ups had to work though so the kiddos went off to a day at SPREE camp.  I talked more about this camp here.  It was a beautiful day so I am glad they spent most of it outdoors.  I made Spring-y lunches for camp:

Flower shaped cucumbers, carrot coins, grape tomato and mozzarella ball skewers (Maya didn't get the mozz); Blackberries on a tree trunk pick; Ham, pepperoni and cheese sandwich on homemade roll with ladybug and bee picks; A leftover mini strawberry cupcake from Maya's birthday without frosting.

On Wednesday it was back to school.  It was still lovely weather so I made another Spring lunch

Turkey, ham and pepperoni triangles with cheese flowers to put on thin Triscuits; Cucumber/carrot flowers and pepper rings; a clementine flower with grape center; the last of the mini cupcakes.

Thursday's lunch was quick and easy.  It was cold and snowy again.  Only in Colorado can it be Spring one day and Winter the next. 

Bean burrito with snowflake pick; Cucumber stars, grape tomato and mozzarella cheese ball on skewer, carrot coins; grapes and pineapple chunks.

On Friday I woke up with a little more time so I made pocket sandwiches.

Mini peppers, Ants on a log; a stack of Pringles; PB&J pocket sandwiches; clementine segments, pineapple chunks, grapes and kiwi hearts.

Now we are all caught up to start a new week.  

Thanks for reading!

Deb

Happy Birthday Maya!

Wow!  What a week! Is it only Wednesday?

My husband has been out of town since 2/2, coming home tonight.  Thank God!

The first week went well.

Except for the trip to the ER.  See this post.  Minor details.

Friday night Maya had a little sleepover.  She only invited 2 friends since Mama's partner in crime was off on his own journey.  I really appreciated her thoughtfulness.

They made pizzas, did a bunch of princess activities - like making crowns and getting tattoos, and just played a ton.  It actually went quite well.  They went to bed at about 11, so not too late.

She chose to make these cute valentines trees for dessert instead of cake:

Upside down sugar cones with frosting coated on them and candy strategically placed.

The weekend was good as well.  We spent several hours at the coffee shop so Mama could get some work done on the computer and the kids played on the iPad and Kindle.  We also ran the usual errands that take so much longer with kids in tow.  

Then Monday came.  Oh Monday.  How I dislike thee.  

I woke up Monday morning at 7:36.  

We need to leave the house at 7:55 in order to get kids to school and Mama to work on time.  

I had 5 lunches to make.  

This was not good.  

I ran in and woke Maya up.  

I went into Max's room and he was reading.  I informed him that, in the future, if it was after 7 on a school day and Mama hadn't come in yet, that maybe he should come wake me up.

I scurried around and got us all out the door and to school only about 10 minutes late.  Which I think was pretty good.  

Except it threw the rest of my day off.  And I feel like I am still recovering.    

Needless to say, there are no pictures from Monday's lunch.  

Tuesday was National Guitar Day.  That one I could do!

Ham, Pepperoni and cheese guitar sandwich; Girl Scout cookies (I need to get rid of these things!); Snap peas and ruffle cut carrots with ranch dip; Apple wedges with music note picks

Wednesday, today, is Maya's 9th birthday!

I can't believe that this: 

Has turned into this: 

Just crazy.

We made cupcakes for her to take to school:

Some are Funfetti cupcakes and some are Strawberry cupcakes.  All with pink vanilla frosting and pink sprinkles.  Thank you fellow Bento bloggers for the idea of buying the toppers from the bakery at the grocery store!

For lunch she wanted to have make your own pizzas.

Tortilla cut with the cake LunchPunch cutter with two heart pepperoni's and some Sweetheart's; Pepperoni wedges in the silicone cup with a Happy Birthday pick; Pizza sauce in the cup; 3 baby carrots and 2 heart cucumbers with the reliefs stuck in the side; Strawberry hearts and Blackberries on a heart pick are wedged under the Cantaloupe wedge with Happy Birthday stamped in.

Everyone else had a similar lunch, but more Valentines Day-ish than Birthday:

Heart shaped tortillas; mozzarella cheese and pepperoni pieces; Pizza sauce; a mini strawberry cupcake (for everyone not in Maya's class); 3 baby carrots and 2 cucumber hearts and reliefs; Heart strawberries and blackberries on a heart pick.  (Everyone except Max got some cantaloupe hearts as well, but he hates cantaloupe)

 It has been an awesome 9 years and I wouldn't change it for the world.  I love you Maya!

Thanks for reading!
Deb

Be Heart Smart

Another busy day in the Mile High.

Max went back to school today, feeling much better after >24 hours of antibiotics.  That meant I could go back to work. :)  It was a very busy day playing catch up.  And preparing for Maya's birthday sleepover party.

Today is National Heart Disease Awareness Day.  This is important to me because my father had heart disease.  All the men in his family died young of heart disease.  He was fortunate in that medical science was able to prolong his life much longer than the other men in his family.  He had a heart transplant while I was in high school and this allowed him to see me (his youngest) graduate college before he died.

It is also Girl Scout cookie day.  So we have to include one in lunch!

Peanut butter sandwich with frosting letters and sprinkle heart; Girl Scout cookie; Grape tomatoes, cucumber and carrot hearts; grapes.

Thanks for reading!
Deb

Happy Pancake Day!

What a day!  So much going on!

Last night was a rough one for Max.  He started complaining of stomach pain around 8:00 and over the next few hours it was waking him up multiple times and he was crying and writhing in pain.  I started to get quite concerned thinking maybe he was having appendicitis (a friend recently had this so guess it was on my mind).  I finally had the brilliant idea to take his temp and it was a little high: 100.3.  Gave him ibuprofen and he slept the rest of the night.

This morning he was better but his tummy still hurt and he had a slight fever (99.1) so I kept him home.  He didn't eat much of anything - a half piece of toast and juice.  He just laid around watching Netflix on the iPad.  Around 1:00 he came downstairs, pale, red cheeks, hot (101.3), writhing in pain, tummy hurt.  I called the nurse line to see if I should bring him to the doctor and they told me to take him to the Emergency Room!  Scared the crap outa me!

Took him to the ER, because when the nurse says go to the ER instead of make an appointment you GO!  This is him:

His fever climbed to 102.3 by the time we got to the ER, checked in, and taken back with the nurse, which was probably 40 minutes total.  The ER doctor said that if ibuprofen helps him feel better, then it's not appendicitis.  Good to know.  Wish the nurse over the phone had told me that!

Anyway, he ended up having strep throat.  So it's good we got antibiotics, bad we have to stay home another day.  Especially since he is feeling so much better now that his fever broke.

Maya got a special treat because she got to go with a friend after school and they went to a coffee shop where she got a giant baked something or other.

Anyway, on to lunches!  If you've made it this far:

Today is National Pancake Day!

Apparently it's also Nutella Day but I didn't know that, and don't have any anyway.

I wanted to make heart shaped pancakes since it's also National Heart Health Awareness month.  So I  used a cookie cutter to try to use as a mold for the pancakes.  It worked fairly well on the first one (see below).  But then, in my brilliance, I used a plastic cutter so it melted on the second try.

Because who puts a plastic cutter on a hot pan?

I do.

And what do you think that does?

I'll tell you.

It melts the cutter.

It also, obviously, makes the pancake inedible.

AND, it ruins your pan.

Don't use plastic cutters on hot pans.

Told you it was an eventful day.  Sigh.

Pancakes (1 heart shaped, 1 round), syrup, granola; Blackberries, banana, grapes; yogurt with frozen fruit (Maya got ham roll ups and extra fruit)

We ordered delivery for dinner.

Thanks for reading!

Deb

Snacks for lunch

I wasn't feeling super creative today for lunches and I got a whole mess of crackers on sale this weekend so I decided to try snacks for lunch.  The kids seemed to like it so I might do it again.  In this lunch we have:

Kettle corn mini rice cakes; Original goldfish (no cheese so Maya can eat them); Sugar snap peas, baby carrots and cucumber sticks with hummus to dip; Honey ham roll ups; White cheddar Cheese-Its (Maya got Chicken in a Biscuit crackers - yuck!); Blackberries, blueberries and grapes

Thanks for reading!

Deb

Superbowl

It's been a crazy week in the Mile High Munchables home, so I 'm just getting around to posting my Superbowl lunches now.  

My husband is a huge Bronco fan, having been born and raised in Denver.  I am not so much a football fan.  However, due to circumstances beyond our control Tim had no way to watch the Superbowl while it was going on and would not even be able to find out who won until Monday.  So I vowed that the kids and I would watch it.  

On Friday, before the game, it was not only a big day for our school because our fabulous Kindergarten teacher who has been a die hard Bronco fan her whole life was bringing Fox news to our school, but it was also the Chinese New Year.  I looked high and low for a horse shaped cookie cutter because I felt that this was an omen: the year of the horse and the Broncos, I mean, come on!  However, everywhere I went was sold out or didn't carry a horse cookie cutter.  Guess I'm not the only one who had that idea.  ;)  So I had to make due with what I could get my hands on, which turned into this lunch:

Jersey shaped quesadilla with "Go Broncos XLVIII" stamped in and then drawn over with food safe markers to show up and a football pick; A fortune cookie for the Chinese New Year; Baby carrots, grape tomatoes and cucumbers (supposed to be footballs); Orange and blueberries (Bronco colors)

So, this is the first game of the season I watched start to finish, and I think I channelled Tim's angst quite well.  After the demolishing was complete I informed that kids that we would still be wearing Broncos shirts the next day even though we didn't win to show our support for the team.  It was a small demonstration, and I think we were the only ones to do it, but it felt right to me.  

I also made another football lunch:

 Make your own pizzas with Football shaped tortillas, sauce, pepperoni wedges, and mozzarella cheese; Sugar snap peas and baby carrots; Orange segments and blueberries on a football pick

So all done with the football lunches for this year.  Maybe now I can find a horse cookie cutter. :)

Thanks for reading!

Deb