Lunchtime Fun

I have a lifelong BAD habit of fast eating, not to mention rapid talking, walking, etc. My Mom is convinced that this vice originated with the minimal amount of time we were allowed for lunch in my elementary school. Often, by the time you had your lunch and were seated, there would be less than 10 minutes left before you had to line up for recess. Never one to skip a meal, I would gobble and go. In recent years (since M's birth) this habit has proved all the more detrimental as mean old Mother Nature (and Father Time...) played some very dirty tricks on my metabolism and shape. So, when M entered school, I was seriously hoping this would not start a pattern for her. Now, in all honesty, M's pace at everything is not exactly what you would call speedy. I like to tell myself she is a methodical thinker like C. Otherwise, the snail's pace would drive me a wee bit mad...

Today, I had a light bulb moment about those rapid school lunches. Wednesday is my day to be the class lunch helper. Wednesday is also "Pizza Day", as such there are a substantial number of hot lunch versus sack lunch kids. My job includes escorting the class from the classroom to the cafeteria and anything else they need until I escort them to the playground for recess. Piece of cake, right? After six weeks of doing this, I just figured out that 20+ kindergartners can finish all the eating they are going to do in about 10 minutes flat. Obviously my thought process is not always so quick either. Sadly that never slows down my speech, but that's another blog that will be titled "Open Mouth, Insert Foot." So, anytime beyond the aforementioned 10 minutes is just used for touching, poking, tickling, standing on the benches and yelling at your sister's best friend as she enters the cafeteria. Oh, and don't forget the sudden onset of multiple bathroom emergencies. Now don't get me wrong, these kids are actually a fantastically well-behaved and respectful group. It's just that beyond that 10 minutes all they can think about is recess. You remember they only get 3 such recesses a day, so their social time is severely cramped...

So, I think my point is that I can finally let my dear old catholic elementary school off the hook. It appears that even if I had my full 20 minutes to eat, I would only have wolfed it all down in 10. Heaven knows I had a very busy social schedule to adhere to. Just ask Sister A who spent a whole year telling my parents I was a gifted student who just talked WAY too much. GO FIGURE!

Now, on a totally unrelated thought, I just got back from M's ballet lesson. I fear those of you that peruse the pages of Glamour may see me in an issue soon. You remember that section in the back with the black bars over the faces of real people on the street caught sporting a fashion "don't", apparently I now fit the bill. I decided that the best way to spend my hour each week in Carmel was to push L up and down all the hilly streets in her jogging stroller. It's really a nice cardio workout... However, I am afraid my UofL t-shirt from my actual college days (remember those were quite a few years ago...) and my black jogging shorts do not pass the required dress code. You know that feeling when someone turns to look at you and you're quite sure it's not because they are wishing to ask for your stylist's name? I could have actually counted those looks today. I must admit rather than dampening my spirits, it made me more determined to come up with a similarly fab getup for next week. Sometimes I crack myself up. It seems usually these are the times no one else gets the joke, except for all of you of course. It's good to know I am among friends here in cyberspace. Otherwise, I might have to go shopping.

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Finally, some more older unrelated shots, just because....

Can't you see why we are so proud?

She may not be fast, but she gave her all in soccer....

They just sit like this nicely, all the time....NOT!

Can you blame me for taking so many pictures? Look how sweet my family is...

Have a great night!