The School Lunch Paradox

I have just realised something rather paradoxical. I love school lunches ... when I thought I was enjoying the break from them!

Today marks the beginning of Term 4 at our school and I have just made the first day's school lunches. Our school only has 'tuck shop' once a fortnight where we would be able to buy lunch, should the children be so fortunate that I might have $15 left with nothing to spend it on, on a Friday! So we send the children off each day with their lunches in their boxes. I realised six months into Miss Sunshine's first year of school that I would be organising lunches for the next 20 years and I have to say, the thought was a little overwhelming and sobering. By then it was too late to consider how many children should make up our family and stop before the time span of school lunch making increased. We already had the three children we intended to have! So I have trudged on with this daily task finding it to be a necessary part of the routine that I look forward to leaving behind on holidays. Not that the task itself is unpleasant. It's just something I enjoy a break from having to do first thing in the morning. A sandwich, a snack and a piece of fruit isn't all that inspiring!!!

For the first time during this school holidays I have found myself to be longing for school lunches. What?! How can that be?! I thought I liked not making lunches at 7am! You know what I longed for? The lower standard of expectations. On holidays there is the possibility of something hot, something special. A treat otherwise impractical or indeed impossible at school. There are a myriad of complaints many days, when such possibilities are not realised by treat seeking children.

So this morning it was not without a small amount of pleasure that I sliced the loaf of bread and made sandwiches. I wrapped up snacks and the children dug out a piece of fruit from the basket that has since been replenished with fresh fruit.

No one complained.