This was the busiest weekend we have had in quite some time!  Hailey came down with strep throat on Friday. My brother got married in Boston on Saturday (and Hailey was the flower girl - you never would have known she didn't feel well.  She did awesome!!). Paul's grandfather celebrated his 80th birthday today in the form of a HUGE surprise party.  Lots of fun and excitement, but now, everyone is exhausted!!

Needless to say, it pained me to take the girls grocery shopping at 5:00 on a Sunday evening.  I truly contemplated having the two of them buy lunch tomorrow and send for a Peapod delivery. But, we managed, and I made Hailey a decent lunch for school on Monday.

Hailey's lunch for tomorrow:

Ham and cheese on wheat (with a container of mayo), cheez-its, peach yogurt, strawberries and grapes, and some gummy snacks.

Crazy week

So THIS will be a crazy busy week due to Hailey's 4th birthday and the shortened holiday week.  I'm SO excited!!  Truly, this week can take its sweet time.  I'm going to savor every moment.

Hailey's lunch for tomorrow: ham and cheese Santa crackers, mini pretzels, peach yogurt, blueberries with a Santa pick, carrots and a container of ranch, and a rice krispie Rudolph resting on a red of snow (mini marshmallows).

Baby It's Cold Outside

I love the cold weather.  I don't mind walking to my car when it is cold, the wind whipping against my cheeks and ears, my girls don't cry or complain about the weather (as a matter of fact, Hailey loves it!).  It gives me the perfect opportunity to crank the heat on our ride to work/school, wear lots of layers, or snuggle with my girls under a blanket at home.  I can't do anything about the freezing temperatures, so I may as well look at the positives!!

Hailey's lunch for tomorrow: ham and cheese with present skewers, grape tomatoes and ranch, cinnamon goldfish, diced pineapple, and marshmallows (REALLY hoping for a snowy weekend....maybe this is just as good as doing a snow dance??) under a Christmas tree. :)

Last full week of work!!

Last week was beyond crazy.  I was out too many late nights due to work events and my birthday (happy birthday to me!!).  I was lucky I even had time, or the desire, to make lunch.  I did have bentos for Hailey each day, but didn't have the energy to take a photo or blog.  Anyways, I'm back for (hopefully!) another full week this week.  Hey, December is crazy for most, right?? :)

This week is another "full week" of work.  Next week will be only 3.5 days before the long Christmas break.  Can't wait.

Hailey's lunch for Monday:

Ham and cheese on homemade bread (in the shape of a present, under a Christmas tree pick), blueberries, peach yogurt, a clementine (I tried to get another present cutout, but it didn't quite work....), mini shortbread cookies, and scooby fruit snacks.

Cailyn's lunch for tomorrow:

Blueberries (sliced in half), cheddar cheese cubes, garden tomato snacks, peach yogurt, and cinnamon goldfish

Snow!

There was no snow on the ground when I left my house, so I was shocked when I saw snow on the ground in the town where I work!  I loved seeing all the flurries outside my classroom window today, and it made me really want to get hit with a BIG storm right about now. I will keep my fingers crossed. :)

Hailey's lunch for tomorrow:

Ham and cheese on sandwich thins, with an extra cheese santa on top, grape tomatoes and a container of ranch, a clementine, mini pretzels, and a marshmallow snowman.

Cailyn's lunch isn't colorful, but I know she'll think it is yummy!  She is having homemade mac and cheese, applesauce, clementine, cheese, and some animal crackers.  I'm sending some yogurt also.

Oh Christmas Tree.....

I'm so excited for this weekend.  We are going to get our Christmas tree, decorate the house, maybe even get the lights up outside (Paul...yes??).  I absolutely love this time of the year - from the cold weather, to the smells of festive candles, to the hustle and bustle of the shops....so much more.  I'm loving making holiday themed lunches for Hailey.  I hope she doesn't get sick of them by the time Christmas is actually here!!!

Hailey's lunch:

A ham and cheese Christmas tree with a cheese star on top, cheddar cheese gifts, cherry yogurt, strawberries and blueberries, cinnamon goldfish, mini marshmallows, a teddy bear of raisins, and some chocolate candy treats.

Hailey asked for blueberries and strawberries when I went grocery shopping last weekend.  Those two items cost over nine dollars!!!  Hence, the reason Hailey has had strawberries and blueberries this week....every.single.day.

Cailyn's lunch for tomorrow:

Chicken and peas, cherry yogurt, cheddar cheese, blueberries, and some animal crackers.

Nice holiday break with the family

It was so nice to have the extra time home with my family over Thanksgiving break.  I've decided the work stress just isn't worth getting worked up over.  I was determined to have a relaxing 4 day weekend, and boy did I!  It got to the point where I just sat in complete silence reading a magazine for a good hour and a half on Saturday. I can't remember the last time that happened!!  I also did get some shopping done, visited with family, ate lots of yummy food, and spent quality time with the best little girls one could ask for.  And, yes, I did manage to get a teeny bit of work done too. :)

Lunch for tomorrow:

Cailyn will have a half of a cream cheese and jelly sandwich, strawberries and blueberries, vanilla pudding, and some animal crackers.  

Hailey's lunch is ham and cheese on a mini bagel, veggie sticks, a container of raisins, vanilla pudding with some heart sprinkles, strawberries and blueberries, and a couple of shortbread cookies.

How is my baby going to be ONE tomorrow??

Hailey is so incredibly excited for Cailyn's 1st birthday tomorrow.  It totally makes my heart melt to see my two girls playing, laughing, and showing each other so much love.  Hard to believe that one year ago, Cailyn was not even here yet!

Hailey's lunch for tomorrow has a little love from mommy: Half a ham and cheese sandwich on Arnold's Sandwich Thins - with an extra cheese heart on top, blueberries with a little turtle pick, pirate's booty, vanilla yogurt with heart sprinkles, and a few fudge cookies for dessert.

I forgot to take a picture of Cailyn's lunch.  It isn't anything "birthday" related, or anything "special" for that matter.  I did manage to send her with her favorite (grilled cheese), diced blueberries, and yogurt.  I also baked some sugar cookies (compliments of Betty Crocker - LOL) for her little playmates at daycare.  Where does the time go??  I'm feeling so sad that she is already through her first year...but I'm so incredibly happy that this sweet little lady is in my life. I love her more than words can say.  We are very blessed.

One day down....

Four more to go!  I'm pretty excited that Hailey liked the Arnold Honey Wheat sandwich thins.  She hasn't really been eating the bread of her sammies anymore....regardless of the way they are cut (hence the regular "cheese and cracker" lunches!).  These are pretty tasty though, if I do say so myself.  She asked for another tomorrow.  I'll be interested to see if she does indeed eat it, or if she picks the meat and cheese out of the middle.

Hailey's lunch is a half of Arnold's Sandwich Thins with ham and cheese (and a turtle pick for some fun), some pirate's booty, grape tomatoes (I did add a small container of ranch after the picture was taken), applesauce, and some cute little treats for dessert....mini twizzlers, two hershey squares, and rice krispie flowers (the stems are just green toothpicks).

Determined to get back into this!

 going to try my best to post 5 bento lunches this week - for both girls.  Let's see if I can do it! :)

For Cailyn:

Diced chicken nuggets, cheese stick - cut into little pieces, grapes - again diced, and some vanilla yogurt.  Hopefully that is a decent lunch for her!

For Hailey:

Ham and cheese roll up, a few crackers, grape tomatoes and a little container of ranch, grapes, "s'mores" goldfish, and vanilla yogurt with a few heart sprinkles.