Thursday - day 179 - It's All about the SNACKS

Getting two little boys ready for school, packing two lunches, making sure they eat breakfast and are dressed nicely for school, can be a challenge in any home.  

Commuting twenty to twenty-five minutes to their schools and getting use to a new drop off routine, forces us to get up earlier then expected.  Keeping the morning activity flowing is a normal routine in homes across the country once the school year is back in full swing.  

I contemplated this idea today, how many of these homes are managing their morning in 250 square feet of living space?  Probably not many.  Incredibly, the fact that John made the beds, walked the dog and contributed to getting James dressed, the morning did not feel nearly as stressful as I would have expected. 

We mange well together as a team and kept out of each other's way when needed, but most importantly  we kept James on tract.  He needed coaxing to get dressed and finish breakfast.  John is extremely good about keeping us on par for time.  He is our vocal alarm when it gets close to leaving the house.

To be totally honest my most difficult task in the mornings is making sure each boy gets the right snacks.  They do not necessarily eat the same things or have the same exact lunch, so I need to be sure I pack each of them only the items they will most likely eat.  

James is good about eating fruits and somewhat healthily items. We've determined a particular brand of turkey is the only one he'll eat without bread and we supplement with grapes, carrots, apple sauce and cut melon, which I put in little tupperware containers.  He will also eat granola bars, goldfish, and fun fruits.  

Ty can't communicate what he prefers, so it is a guessing game based on things he normally eats.  Grapes are hit or miss, raisins are a sure winner, apple sauce sometimes, turkey occasionally, goldfish no problem, leftover pasta in Tupperware, big winner.  Ty is a good eater overall, but packing a lunch is difficult.  Next week he will have a fresh, purchased hot lunch.  Especially after his teacher told me he was trying to eat the other kid's food.  Little Ty knows what he likes, no doubt about that.  

Although, there is some trial and error involved, I'm thinking  after a few weeks, I'll be a pro at this morning routine thing.  One successful day at a time.