The first day of school. I was very excited to have the house to myself for six hours of the day. But first, I had to get them all out the door. Getting Kaden and Sadie ready for school requires more of my attention than it should. Up until now, my kids had been pretty independent about making their own lunches and even getting their own breakfasts, though I often would cook something for them in the mornings. They have become so difficult that it's hard now. Sadie doesn't want to eat at all, Kylee doesn't like eggs or pancakes, Dylan doesn't want anything that takes very long or requires work from him (he used to make pancakes for everyone occasionally). And I had to start packing Kaden's lunches so I just packed lunch for everyone. That's when Dylan started saying he didn't need a lunch... Adolescent kids are super frustrating. I've learned to pick my battles, I don't always want to be in a power struggle with them. There are certainly things I can't control. But him telling me he wasn't going to eat lunch at school, and he would just eat when he got home at 4:15, was too much. I kind of lost it. I couldn't figure out his motivation at first. Was he embarrassed by the foods we usually pack? Or just hated them? Was he too busy to eat at school? He complained about carrying his lunch box around and having to go to his locker to put it away. What a hassle... He refused to eat school lunch either. I offered to buy him hot pockets or whatever other crap passes for food for teenagers these days. Nope. Finally I threatened enough that he took his lunchbox and went. But seriously, he's planning on going to school for 8 hours and not eating anything? And then coming home at 4:15 and eating a bunch of snack foods right before I make dinner? That's not going to work. And it's not good for his body. He's growing and he's working hard in sports and things and he needs nutrients.
As best I could figure out, he was just lazy and so very sick of eating slices of ham in his lunch like he did last year. Last year he got lazy so he would just throw in some ham, occasionally a slice of bread but not often, and some carrots. Then he would come home and eat trail mix and chips. Not ideal. But eating plain ham lunchmeat by itself does get old. And I think he was just over it. So, being the lazy teenager that he is, he thought it would be easier to not deal with it at all. I bought some cheesy bagels and beef sticks that he liked so we got through the first week. Then I made him a deal, that if he ate the lunches I prepared for him every other day, I would bring him something once a week. Chick-fil-A being the favorite, but also Jimmy Johns, etc. So he agreed. I still can't get him to eat more than half a sandwich and he has stopped eating fruit, which is annoying. But he still eats a couple veggies. I know it's laziness because some nights when I am running to kids' soccer games and don't have time to cook, I tell him to find something. He refused to even heat up chicken strips. He wanted to wait until I would do it for him. I'm telling you, kids are frustrating! He also refuses to eat Wendy's even though it's everyone else's favorite fast food, and also the most convenient for us. He claims he just got burned out because we eat it so much (by that he means when we actually eat fast food, which isn't that often) but recently we found out that a teacher once told him she found a moth in her salad from Wendy's. So that's what did him in. So annoying. We explained it could happen anywhere, and that he doesn't ever order salads, but he's stubborn when he wants to be.
It used to stress me out that Sadie didn't want to eat anything for breakfast and I would make her take a granola bar for when she got hungry, but after awhile I figured she knows how she feels and if she's never hungry in the mornings, that's up to her. She actually will eat savory stuff- there was a period of time when she ate breakfast sandwiches every morning. She will eat sausage occasionally and if I make eggs she has some. But she doesn't want anything sweet. I get it, I am not a breakfast person.
It's funny though because Kylee eats two breakfasts and is still starving by 2nd hour. I don't get it. I figure her body would adjust, especially over the summer when she slept later, but she still has that problem. She usually eats a sausage corn dog thing (wrapped in pancake) along with peanut butter toast. And then she brings a z-bar to school for when she gets hungry. I guess it's not that weird when she's practicing soccer every day and playing two games in a row (varsity and then JV) a couple times a week.
Anyway! We finally got our picture and Sadie and Kaden took off on their bikes. Sadie said she would help Kaden find the line for his room and I didn't go to school with him. That may be the first time ever not going to school on the first day.
On Facebook when I post first day of school pics, I always post a few things about them. I'll add them here.
Likes: soccer, nail art, sushi, Netflix
Dislikes: meat, people in her personal space
Wants to be: physical therapist maybe?
Likes: soccer, track, Chick-fil-A, screen time
Dislikes: leaving the house, doing anything mom asks
Wants to be: who knows, he was too busy being stubborn and fighting with me to ask (he says astronaut)
Mrs Bolkcom
Likes: friends, dogs, soccer, stuffed animals, crafts
Dislikes: her brother, being too busy to hang with friends
Wants to be: an actress (specifically the Keeper of the Lost Cities movie), stay-at-home mom
Mrs Rothwell
Likes: rocks and gems, Minecraft, RC cars, basketball
Dislikes: roller coasters, shopping
Wants to be: a geologist
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