David said he was on his way to the grocery store. He said that they were out of salami at his house for Jacob's sack lunch for school tomorrow. Jacob's world will end if he doesn't have a salami and cheese sandwich in his lunch bag. Jacob is six. Salami and cheese sandwiches are important when you are six. I asked him if the elementary school his kids attend was on Michelle Obama's handy dandy lunch program with it's rules and regulations. He said it was. Which is why he was on his way to the store for salami. His kids would much rather take their own lunch than eat the government regulated school lunch. Smart kids.
Jacob wanted to join the Boy Scouts. A couple of his friends from school are in the Scouting program. So David took his son to a meeting to see if Jacob would like it. He did. I now am the proud grandma of a Cub Scout. He earned his first badge by learning the Scout Pledge. He is so proud of that badge and of his new uniform.
I hope he sticks with Scouting for a while. David said he didn't know if he had an Eagle Scout in the making or not, but for now, Jacob was enjoying Scouting and learning new things, and that was what was important.
I just love these phone calls. David's truck is equipped with one of those "hands free" phone things, so he often calls when he is on his way somewhere or on his way home from somewhere. I tease him that his kids will keep me in material for blog posts for years to come. He just laughs at me. And says I am probably right! Whether that is true or not, I am blessed to have kids who stay in touch, even when their lives are hectic. I'm glad they call. I'm glad they tell me about salami and cheese sandwiches. And about my little Cub Scout. And anything else that is on their minds. May that never change.
My beloved sister has grown kids who worship at the feet of their mom. I don't know how she did it, but they're the salt of the earth too. It seems like you had the same mommy tricks up your sleeve too. Those are good grown-ups, with good kids. It doesn't hurt that they're cute as pups either.
ReplyDeleteDana...What a nice thing to say. Thank you. I don't know about any mommy tricks. I just love them. Even though their Dad and I were divorced, he remained a big part of their lives and that made a difference. They have had, over the years, a good relationship with both sides of their family and I have always believed that was important.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah. At the risk of being nauseatingly prejudiced, that kid in that Cub Scout uniform is just so stinkin cute! Grandmas get to say that. It's in the contract.
I'm almost ashamed to admit that I work at a school that is on Michelle's food program. In our school probably 80% plus goes into the garbage as the children will not eat it. It is a totally useless program that only rips off the tax payers. We are a school where everyone is provided 100% free breakfast and lunch even if you can afford to pay for it. I have several children, who's parents are Drs. who get free food. What a joke.
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I was listening to Herman Cain on talk radio last night, and the ridiculous Michelle Obama school lunches were one of the things he talked about. He said the kids won't eat them, so the food goes into the trash, and then the kids go home and their mom or dad have to fix them something to eat because they are starving.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a teacher, and had lunchroom supervision, I used to agonize over all the cheese, salad, and vegetables that went into the trash. The kids liked greasy burghers and fries. That's just how it was.
Jim...I had been reading about Michelle's school food program and what a dismal failure it is, which is why I asked my son about it. He said that his kids just don't like the food offered. It just makes sense to take their own lunches. At least they are getting food they will eat and enough of it to get them through the day. They aren't picky eaters so it must really be bad if they would rather take lunch from home. Some schools here in Minnesota have opted out of the program. They were losing so much money that the federal incentives didn't make up for the loss in revenue.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago when my kids were in school, free breakfast was offered for those whose family income was below poverty level, as well as reduced price lunches using the same guidelines. That made sense to me. There were some children whose only decent meals were provided in this way. I think I would be ashamed to send my child to school for free meals if I could afford to pay for them. But then I am old. I seem to have a different set of values than so many today have. :)
Harry...You have raised children, as have I. We both know that kids are going to choose mac and cheese or burgers and fries over broccoli and apple slices every time. And kids just aren't "one size fits all." Each have different needs. A kid who is an avid chess player and goes to Chess Club meetings after school is not going to have the same caloric needs as the kid who plays football or runs track. The idea that all growing kids should adhere to the same strict dietary standards is ludicrous.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I had read about this lunch program was the monumental amount of food that was being tossed in the trash. The kids just won't eat it. And if a kid is hungry most of the day, I'm pretty sure that will have an adverse effect on his ability to learn. Seems to me that it is the responsibility of the parent to see to it that a child is properly fed, and not the responsibility of the government to dictate what kids eat. And if a kid is overweight, that should be a concern of the parents and their doctor. Seems to me there are a lot more important things our government needs to worry about than whether or not a grade school kid eats a cupcake.
A bit of a late reply, but when I was younger and in the Air Force as a lower ranking individual I qualified for free lunches for my children. I refused this as I felt that I as the father had brought these children into the world and it was my responsibility to provide for them. I'm sorry to say that is not the opinion of most parents these days. They feel they are owed it to them.
ReplyDeleteJim...I don't understand how we got to this place, where most feel that the government is responsible for taking care of us and of our offspring. I'm pretty sure, judging from your comments here, that you were raised like I was. If we wanted something, we worked and saved for it. Our parents did whatever it took to make sure their children were fed. My Dad sometimes worked three jobs to take care of us. We were taught to preserve food and stock up for hard times. My Dad would have felt shame to take something he didn't earn. Our parents taught us to work and be responsible for ourselves and our families. And now so many feel they have a right to government handouts. I particularly recall after Hurricane Sandy, the interviews with people who were angry because their government supplied food and water had not yet arrived. I just don't get it.
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