Back to School

All year my kids have been asking me to come to school to eat lunch with them. I would be happy to do this if they had lunch at a reasonable hour but they eat at 10:30 and 11:25 and I can't just leave work in the middle of the morning. I get guilt tripped about this on a weekly basis. "So and so's mom came to lunch today, when can you?" These manipulative children of mine.

So last week I volunteered to work at the school's book fair and I told both the girls I would have lunch with them. I met my second grader in the cafeteria and I told her I would eat school lunch with her. I wanted to see what the USDA is offering up now a days. So I get in line with all of the other second graders. I know I looked ridiculous. I felt like Billy Madison. They had popcorn chicken with honey mustard, french bread, corn, cheesy mashed potatoes and apples. Of course I had the customary carton of chocolate milk. Why is school lunch chocolate milk so yummy and refreshing? It's from those special school-lunch-giving cows.

The lunch ladies were super nice to me and were giving me extra helpings. Score! They had foam trays that had "Say no to drugs" written on them. I plan to do that. So I sat down at the kid table and we ate. My daughter was so excited. They were telling me about dinosaurs and about what they do at recess. One kid dropped a banana. As I looked around I thought, "These kids are going to be running the world some day." That's scary. The kids were very well behaved, they were like miniature grown ups.

I just sat with my kindergartner while she ate lunch. Her table was a little more subdued. The kid who sat across from her was a Debbie Downer. He was like, "We are not allowed to talk. We can only eat. I am tired...." This kid just complained about everything. Finally I said, "It's hard to be a kid, isn't it?" They all nodded in agreement.

I really meant that. Being a kid is sucky in a lot of ways. You have to go to school, take a bunch of tests. Have grown ups tell you what to do constantly. Go to bed even if you aren't tired. Share. I hated being a kid when I was one. For as long as I can remember I wanted to be grown up. I do not regret it for a moment. I love being a grown up. It has never lost it's novelty for me. haha. I can eat chocolate ice cream for breakfast if I want, I can stay up as late as I want. I can say the F word if I want. It is AWESOME! Although, I could still go for some school lunch chocolate milk on the daily.