Thursday, October 25, 2012

Big Brotherly Advice

My daughter, who is a pint-size hurricane of a kindergartner, had not purchased lunch at school prior to last week.  It has been a steady rotation of Uncrustables (whole wheat, reduced sugar versions, natch), yogurts, thermos experiments, and Very Interesting Pantry Goodies.

Finally, FINALLY, she consented to try buying lunch.  Since I had recently flooded their accounts (schools have figured out a way to avoid kids handling cash), I was primed and ready for a packing-lunch break.  The menu indicated some appealing options on D-Day:  chicken nuggets and pizza.  Also known as manna to the under-12 crowd.

The morning of the big buying-lunch day, I deposited my computer bag and lunch in my car, and came back to overhear this nugget of wisdom from my oldest:

"[Girl]," said the Boy, "when you are in line, be sure to tell the lunch lady what you want. Don't just look at her. She can't read your mind."

I almost collapsed, taffy-like, convulsing in laughter. How many times do you think my 8-year-old has waited in line, just STARING at the stalwart cafeteria workers until they prodded him to tell them what he wanted? And the fact that he offers this advice to my daughter, who is mostly a mouth with some blond hair attached, makes it all the richer.

She chose pizza and yogurt that day. She reportedly had no problem requesting these choices from the cafeteria workers.

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