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.

An F For Me In Homework This Week

I love the wee ones' schools. They are at different schools for different reasons, and both are very strong schools with lots of support and "extra" things that make them awesome. Both wee ones are currently involved in reading programs - albeit very different ones with very different structures and rewards.

Sometimes, the extras for the wee ones mean I have homework, too. Both the wee ones had occasion to dress up this week. In costume.

I am the mom who goes to the costume store to find a costume for my children. I can't imagine actually managing to create and sew a costume for the wee ones for Halloween. And no, I am not creative enough to simply find things for a costume at home. I'm just not that person, and I'm ok with it.

First up was Mister Man who had to dress as a 100 year old man for the 100th day of school. Are you kidding me?

Fortunately, he has corduroy pants. That helped. I wanted to make a potbelly for him (thank you to someone for that suggestion) by tying a pillow to his tummy; he was having none of it. Ditto with trying to make a hump for a hunched over old man. Fortunately, I found a plaid shirt that looked sorta old man-ish. Ish.

I was planning to put baby powder in his hair to make it look grey, as well. He wasn't happy with that idea at first, as he's the child who refuses to have the baby powder at the barber because it irritates his already roughed up neck and makes him itch more. Once I explained it was only going on his very thick hair, he was good with it. That said, I assumed I had baby powder I had received in a baby kit somewhere (I never, ever used any). Apparently, either I never did or I tossed it somewhere along the way. Instead, he went as an old man who's a big fan of Just For Men.

The coup de grace that actually made it sort of work? As I was checking my parents' house for any snow damage after the blizzard a couple weeks ago, I discovered a walking cane in the basement. Score!

Little Miss was even more fun. She was supposed to go as her favorite word. Ummm yeah. Her favorite word? I was afraid to even ask her what it was, knowing it would be a nightmare to try to create a costume. Fortunately, Twitter to the rescue, as a few friends graciously provided me with some dumbed down suggestions that even I could create.

Little Miss's costume? She went dressed as a tree. I even made leaves. That said, the leaves started to fall off as we put on her coat. Oops. I explained to her that she was simply a deciduous tree (look, new vocab word!) whose leaves were falling off as it went from summer to fall to winter. Thankfully, she bought it.

Next year, I've learned the teachers provide a list of vocabulary words for us to choose from. Disguise? Cyclone? I'm pretty sure I'll be hitting Twitter again for help.

The wee ones were happy with their costumes, but I have to admit I'm a little ashamed, especially as I saw students with age lines drawn in with makeup (ohhhh, good idea!) or dressed in full on costumes like a present and the like. Not my best parenting week.

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. 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.

My Little Teetotaler

Only a few days left to enter my giveaway here!

***
Friday was the fiftieth day of school for Mister Man. In celebration, his teacher (whom we love) had a fifties day. They were to bring in 50 pennies, which they counted and used for all sorts of fun games. She provided 50 Cheerios per student for snack. They played with hula hoops during recess.

Oh, and of course, they were allowed to be out of uniform and dress for the fifties.



(Ok, seriously, why can't he smile like that for the pictures for school?)



When I picked him up after school, I asked how the day went.

Fine, Mom, he told me. Mom, am I allowed to drink beer?

Ummm, no. You know that of course. You are allowed to drink root beer though.

The silence in the back seat was deafening.

Did you have root beer today, Mister Man?

Umm, I told Mrs. Teacher that I'm not allowed to have it.

Oh, knowing they also had root beer floats in school. So did you just have the ice cream then?

No, I just told her that I wasn't allowed to have it.

Oops. Yeah, that generalizing thing isn't exactly his strong point. Poor kid. Of course, now I have to wonder what the teacher thinks that I won't let my poor little guy have a root beer float with the rest of the class!