October 9, 2013

Pizzettes, part 1

Today’s lunch was about hearts <3 🙂 When there are a lot of “feelings” around my house (hurt feelings, frustrated feelings, jealousy feelings, etc.) I try to make sure the kiddo knows there are love feelings, too. Last night, she was really jealous of her sister and so we had a talk and lots of hugs but this morning, when I found out I still had a heart-shaped “pizzette” in our freezer pizza stash, I knew it was meant to be. I actually have made quite a few pizzette shapes for her lunches but am still perfecting the way to get them both delicious AND attractive… right now, melting cheese is my nemesis 😛 Until now, I was pre-cooking and freezing the pizzas and then re-heating in a toaster oven, which makes them melt and spread even more. Hmmm… I think next time I’ll pre-cook with just the sauce and add the cheese afterwards when I’m re-heating. In the butterfly below, I kinda did that and added some extra cheese but they didn’t heat up enough to melt properly (mainly because the butterfly already had cheese on it and I didn’t want it burning.

Anyhow, here they are!

hearts4

(Hearts lunch above)

Main Cheese Pizzette (there were two, one underneath the heart) with ranch for dipping.Teeny cheese heart in the ranch dressing.
Sides Grape hearts and a heart cookie.
Also included (not pictured) a sliced kiwi

(Butterfly lunch above)

Main Cheese Pizzette with ranch for dipping.
Sides Dried blueberries, grape flower and raspberry center
Also included (not pictured) a sliced kiwi and a yogurt

Today I used:

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March 22, 2013

A Kiss-and-Make-Up Bento

I must admit, yesterday was a sort of tense day in the house. I had to work in my office and my husband was taking care of our kiddos. The Preschool Kiddo was just coming off of being sick and was extra super clingy. The Baby Kiddo is, well, a baby — although he will sit by himself pretty relaxed, he still needs to be held and tended sometimes, which is difficult when the other one is stuck to you like glue. My sweet husband did tend to them both though (plus got a couple of important house tasks done) and was doing a pretty good job. This situation wears down even the most patient of parents, though; and add a third child — well, soon you have a screaming baby, a tantrumy Preschooler and a Kindergarten Kiddo with hurt feelings. I wish I could say that when I got off work I was patient and helpful, but honestly, I was just thinking I needed to finish some paperwork to finish my job and then log onto work again to answer some questions. And by the time I got off work it was dinner time, Kiddos were hungry, tired, and crazy — I was grumpy I couldn’t get my work done, they were wound-up, husband was tired… well, short tempers all around. I won’t lie. There was yelling. There were frustrated “ARGHs.” There were unkind words from all parties involved, to all parties involved.

In the end, it was one of those days.

At bed time, Kindergarten Kiddo confided in her dad that she felt we were all being mean to her last night. And when he told me, I felt rotten. I didn’t want to be mean. I didn’t want her to feel that people were being mean to her in her own home. I wanted to say I was sorry but when he told me, we were two hours past bedtime.

I felt I needed to make amends. Right that minute.

So I made a Kiss-and-Make-Up Bento — very late at night, since I couldn’t sleep. It looks like a Valentine’s Day bento with all the hearts and love, but really that’s all I wanted to give her. Hearts and love. We did make up this morning with hugs, and I showed her the bento I made last night. And today there were soft whispers (so as to not wake the baby!) There were walk by kisses. There were gentle words.

And a happy kiddo and a slightly sleep-deprived but happier mom.

Sandwich PB&J stamped with a *heart* you sandwich stamp I got from Target’s Dollar Spot
Sides Strawberry cut into a heart; apples cut into hearts; craisins skewered on heart food picks.

Today I used:

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