Sunday, February 20, 2011

Just Call Her Winona Ryder Junior...

There are times when I'm glad I go through the wee ones' backpacks nightly. I rarely miss a field trip notice or a homework assignment - though that isn't to say they don't get lost once I've seen them once. On Friday, I pulled an extra special note from Little Miss's backpack.


Ummm, excuse me?

What meals account? We don't have a meals account. There is no deposit there, so how could it be in arrears?

Little Miss doesn't eat hot lunch. I pack her a healthy and yummy lunch every single day, and never once have I forgotten. She can't eat the hot lunch anyway because she's dairy restricted, not to mention that they are generally foods I don't want her eating anyway. And for $2.50? Yeah, I'm definitely packing her a lunch.

This must be a mistake. There are three girls in her class with her name; somehow this must be meant for one of them, not for Little Miss. Right?

I mean, I know she's brought home her lunch untouched or with just a few bites taken several times, but she goes in fits and starts of eating, so there were no red flags raised, especially since she'd eat her full lunch once she got home from school. After all, she has snack, too, and I feed her a pretty big breakfast. Right?

After fifteen minutes of careful questioning, my little sneak admitted to having eaten hot lunch at school without having paid for it. She couldn't remember how many times she did it or what she ate when she got it, but she knew it was maybe more than one time. She didn't really like what she ate, but ... she wanted to be like the other kids who got hot lunch.

She knew the lunches cost money that she wasn't paying (they have a little "credit" like card that she knew didn't have any money loaded on it that they use to pay). She knew I'd find out. But she did it anyway.

I sent her upstairs to count out $7.50 to put into an envelope to take to school to pay for her lunches, and she's promised to never do it again. I don't know if I trust that, though. And I'm not sure what else I shouldn't trust.

I've already had a conversation with her teacher - who had no idea that she was buying lunch. The teacher is going to pull her card so that she doesn't have this option anymore. I still have to call the lunch staff to explain this to them, however, as pulling the lunch card is not standard practice apparently.

Someone help me through the teen years with her. Did I mention that she's five?

I am also giving away a Progresso Souper You Debut gift pack here.

Oh, and while you're at it, I finally set up a Facebook Fan page for my blog (and corrected the link here - oops!). It's way overdue. Go like me on Facebook if you would so I can get an official username - once I get enough likes. You can also follow me on Twitter, too, if you're so inclined.

14 comments:

Hyacynth February 20, 2011 at 9:27 PM  

Oh boy. Peer pressure starts that early?! I feel for her, but at the same time, I feel for you, too!

Pat February 20, 2011 at 9:45 PM  

I'm glad you made her pay for those lunches...hope she learned a lesson! In a few years you'll be laughing about her lapse in judgment back in kindergarten.

Mrs4444 February 21, 2011 at 12:47 AM  

Yes, you'll laugh about it one day, but I'm laughing today (sorry). At least she's resourceful?haha

tracey.becker1@gmail.com February 21, 2011 at 4:58 AM  

I'm sorry, but she's too similar to my Evan. That's just awesome. I mean, it's NOT, but really? It is the stuff that family legends begin from.

Unknown February 21, 2011 at 6:45 AM  

Sorry, I laughed a little too. She's very clever that Little Miss.

p.s. I can't believe 2 other families named their daughter Little Miss ;)

Melisa Wells February 21, 2011 at 7:02 AM  

I'm with Tracey. You'll be talking about this when she's 30. Hilarious!

(In fact, you should thank her. Maybe? haha)

Kimberly February 21, 2011 at 7:17 AM  

I'm impressed that she confessed. And I'm impressed (but not surprised) that you made HER pay the tab.

Tara R. February 21, 2011 at 1:00 PM  

That's a tough one. How do you monitor that? I can just imagine your convo with Little Miss. The redacted letter did make me laugh.

Susie February 21, 2011 at 1:19 PM  

I have the opposite problem! Our lunch is $1.79 and we like her having something hot during the cold months. But, all she wants is cold lunch! You can't win!

Not a Perfect Mom February 21, 2011 at 8:23 PM  

wow...not making me wish for my girls to grow up...
but my 6 1/2 yr old son...he prefers me to pack his lunch-he even tells me it's better than school lunch, but the other kids buy lunch, so once a week I let him too, although every time he does he confesses he didn't eat it all and it's not very good...
Frustrating....
and I have no advice...since she's dairy restricted...toughie..

Joanna Jenkins February 21, 2011 at 9:45 PM  

I know I shouldn't be I'm smiling too. Hopefully the lesson was learned and you won't have to do it again.... In High school :-)
cheers, jj

Michelle February 22, 2011 at 2:20 PM  

Hy - I don't know that it was peer pressure, as they could care less what she ate. It was her ... being her.

Pat - Ummm yeah. She was not happy to take the note to school with her today, but she did it.

Mrs4444 - Yeah, she's a little TOO resourceful, if you know what I mean. I worry about that.

Tracey - Oh, she's a legend in her own time.

Megryansmom - Yep, clever. And ohhhh so frustrating sometimes ;)

Melisa - You know I will. I'm just hoping I'm not telling it to her behind bars....

Kimberly - Ummm it was kind of hard to hide. And it did take fifteen minutes of me questioning her delicately.

Tara - No idea. None whatsoever. Which is why she no longer has a lunch card at school. Now to hope she isn't smart enough to simply get money from her piggy bank.

Susie - Too funny! Gotta love the differences.

Not a Perfect Mom - Interestingly, there are lots of other kids who don't get hot lunch. Go fig.

Joanna - I'm sure I won't have to do THIS again. But there will be something, I know. What, I'm not sure yet ;)

Heather February 22, 2011 at 11:16 PM  

I promise I'm trying SO HARD not to laugh but.... That being said, I feel kinda bad for her-- Kids want to just be like everyone else.

What's kind of funny about this situation is that I always wanted Kathleen Schrader's brown bag lunch her mom packed instead of hot lunch as a kid! Too bad Little Miss isn't me! ;) I'm sorry hon! I hope that she doesn't do it again!

Michelle February 23, 2011 at 9:14 PM  

Heather - You just keep right on trying not to laugh. I'm pretty sure she won't do it again. She's back to coughing and hacking - because of the dairy - and I think she's starting to get the link. That, and she knows how disappointed I was.

  © Blogger template 'Solitude' by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP