We had such amazing weather this weekend: crisp and cooler, but still plenty warm for outdoor activities!
Thursday night I went out with a group of girlfriends to celebrate a birthday and couldn’t resist getting the usual at Zocalo: a virgin jalapeno rita and the pepper! I saved half the pepper (so full!) and had the leftovers for dinner on Sunday night.
VIDEOS
On Friday, I met Mazen and the neighborhood crew at the bus stop. The first week went well! Mazen’s biggest complaint was that he didn’t like having his lunch packed and wanted to go through the lunch line, so he bought his lunch on Friday. It was pizza day, and I told him he would be expected to take a fruit and vegetable (and eat it). I *think* that all went well, but it is kind of strange that he’s so independent that I really don’t know what he had for lunch! (And as an RD, I’d rather be packing, but as a mom I would be thrilled not to have to pack a lunch every day, so it’s kind of a wash!) We’ll see how it goes from here, but he won’t be buying every single day. We might pick two lunches a week based on the menu.
We went with the neighbors to Tonsler Park splash pad and then to La Michoacana’s popsicle shop! They have a million flavors and many of them are unique (like Tres Leches!)
(He gets so many compliments on this shirt, and it’s on sale! The shark’s tongue is a pocket!)
We had family pizza night at home for dinner, and Thomas picked up our favorite from Belmont. I made a point to set the table nicely and made a salad before he arrived home. MagicLinen sent me a tablecloth and duvet cover to share on the blog, and they are both awesome! I love the thick texture and the dot edging. The tablecloth is so great to cover all the stains on our picnic table.
Friday night bedtime Lego battle:
On Saturday morning, I had breakfast in three courses:
First, a slice of locally made pumpkin bread.
Then two fried eggs with cheddar, folded over into a tiny omelet.
Then watermelon!
Mazen and I went to the gym, where I did a 45 minute stairmaster + walking workout, and then we headed out to the Struckmann house for lunch and playtime.
Sarah made a lovely lunch, which we enjoyed outside with her parents. Biscuits with roasted vegetables and an Italian egg dish with tomato sauce. Yum!
We played by the pool and in the yard for a while. The Sayas played restaurant for a while!
Mazen was invited to stay for a sleepover, and I headed back to town to meet up with Thomas, who had spent his morning on the golf course. We took Gussie for a walk and then dressed up for a date night downtown.
31 weeks!
We had dinner outside at Commonwealth, and per usual, ordered too much food.
I had a yummy Earl Gray mocktail with honey, lemon and herbs.
We shared a cheese plate with some awesome gourmet cheeses. We enjoyed taking our time to nibble through these before ordering our dinner.
For dinner, we shared the pork lettuce wraps and a chicken piccata plus green beans and a side biscuit. It was too much food, and we brought the biscuit and beans home for lunch the next day. Super delicious though!
We were saving room for Chaps Birthday Cake! I asked for one scoop and was handed two, so I had no choice but to eat it.
It was nice to eat while we walked home to feel like we were canceling out the ice cream a little (although I know that would be more like a 4 mile run 
) I covered about 15,000 steps / 6 miles yesterday and my legs and feet were feeling it when we got back. I had to prop them up to de-swell.
To end of the weekend on Sunday morning, I had my biscuit half plus an egg and the last of the watermelon.
We did morning chores and got Mazen for a family-fun afternoon at the pool!
Today, I’m heading to NYC for a little blog event – perhaps my last one for a very long time! I’m meeting up with my sister and Emerson for the day before I get to my hotel. Should be a fun but very quick trip!
So jealous of your weekend weather (it’s been thunderstorming where I live)! Seems like you got so much done! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I’m always amazed at all the time you manage to get alone with Thomas! I’m never alone, always my son with me. I just really find a babysitter, at least one night a month..
NYC! How fun! Have a safe trip!
I’m curious, do you feel like you have to ”cancel” out the calories that you eat?
No I was meaning more digestion and how I was feeling.
Hi Kath –
Just a note on school lunch. I know it’s gotten a bad rap for a long time – but school meals (particularly in elementary school) have come SUCH a long way! I’d strongly encourage you to check it out and consider it for Mazen. While the foods can look and sound like junk/kids’ foods (often to entice the kiddos) – they must meet USDA standards which are based on the DGA and age-appropriate nutrition needs. So all lunches require a protein, dairy, fruit and vegetable serving, whole grains and have limits on sodium, fat, calories, etc. I definitely understand the hesitation around pizza but the good thing is that it will have a whole grain crust, low-fat/low-sodium cheese. He should be required to take fruits and vegetables, although that certainly doesn’t guarantee kids will eat it. But a lot of times there’s power in numbers so if kids around the table are trying it – others will too.
Not everything may be at the same quality that some people expect at home – but given the pricing of meals – it’s a pretty good deal and I imagine as an RD you can understand the constraints generally of food in an institutional setting. You probably wouldn’t fall into this as an RD, but there’s been studies that show that parents often times think they are packing a healthier meal than they are – and the school lunch is actually more nutritionally appropriate.
From a community perspective – the more all kids buy lunch goes a HUGE way in de-stigmatizing the experience for those children who receive school lunch for free as their only option. It’s also important that those students don’t hear from other kids that their parents “don’t allow them to buy lunch” (not saying you say it like that to your son) – but it’s an easy thing to forget that it really is the only opportunity some kids have for a well-rounded meal and when people talk poorly about it – can be a heartbreaking experience. Recess and the cafeteria tend to be the toughest places for kids who are in less fortunate situations.
And finally, buying school lunch also helps out the school! School nutrition programs are self-funded so they don’t get assistance from the school board budget like every other part of the school. For kids who qualify for free or reduced priced meals, the federal government reimburses either the full or partial amount, but what people don’t always realize is that every meal, regardless of a family’s income, is reimbursed around 30 cents. So when “full price” kids pay for school lunch – it really helps the bottom line.
So that is my book for making a case for school lunch. 🙂 I know it’s a personal/family decision at the end of the day – but I hope everyone would give it a try and try to learn more about it. Some schools are better than others, but there are nutrition directors doing amazing things and I know that it means the world to them when parents reach out to say thank you or ask them if they need anything (as they’re usually only hearing complaints). I think cville schools also have a parent advisory board which could be something nice to consider down the line as I’m sure they’d love your expertise!
All good points! I haven’t been all that impressed by the menu, and I seriously doubt the pizza is whole-grain, however having worked in a school nutrition department for six weeks during my internship I know the challenges to all of these nutrition concerns. I think buying some and bringing some is probably the best compromise between nutrition, supporting the school, and letting him buy because he likes it!
nope – it has to be whole grain. if it’s not, then they are in non-compliance and would lose funding. that’s the deal when you participate in the national school lunch program as all public schools do. the nutrition facts is posted on the website, although i dont think the ingredients are but i’m sure they would be happy to supply it to you if asked. they work their tails off trying to provide healthy food to kids. out of an abundance of respect for school nutrition professionals – i think it’s important to not make assumptions, particularly in a public forum, when the information is otherwise attainable.
Looks like it is whole grain. Thumbs up.
great!!
Thanks, (Michelle) Obama!
Love this comment! I’m an RD who works a lot with low income pediatric population and totally agree that there are unwarranted stigmas towards school lunch. There are been a lot of changes to provide more balanced nutritious meals!
Where did you get the pizza? It looks amazing and what is the half that’s not mushroom and pepperoni? It looks delicious!!
Belmont Pizza! And that’s the Rialto with Sausage, Apple, balsamic drizzle. It’s amazing!
My kids are way older now, but in elementary, we let them pick 3 days of “lunch line” lunches per month. We did this because they only ate part of school lunch and would come home starving. When given the choice, they picked their favorites, on home packed lunch days, we packed what they liked, they felt they had a say in their picks (both home packed and school lunch line) and it ended up a win-win.
The cheese plate and pizza make me hungry. The food looks awesome.
Love the tablecloth! Have fun in NY 🙂
Your school lunch thoughts cracked me up. I used to write the menu for the week on our fridge and ask my son at night if he wanted hot lunch or cold….meanwhile I’d be silently saying in my head “please say hot, please say hot” so I wouldn’t have to pack. LOL School lunch has come a long way! With a new baby coming, I’d say just let him eat the hot lunch…one less thing to worry about in the morning. Our school even has a salad bar! And my son (who often crushes 2 chocolate milks, according to the lunch lady) even eats from it! 🙂
I love your gray plates! Would you mind sharing where they are from? We are in the midst of a complete kitchen remodel, and those match my colors perfectly. 😉
They are Crate and barrel!
Perfect, that’s what I thought! Thank you!!
Hey Kath,
I’m newly pregnant and have been really stressed out about everything online about what you can and can’t eat. For instance, all pasteurized cheese is okay, except mild ripened (Brie, blue cheese)? I even read online you shouldn’t eat hummus because of the risk of listeria? Unpasteurized honey isn’t okay per a lot of websites and my doctor but the Mayo Clinic website says the pasteurization process of honey does nothing. I would really love it if you did a more detailed post about nutrition do’s and don’ts during pregnancy. I know you did one awhile ago but I just want more information.
Thanks!
In addition to Kath’s opinion, I recommend reading Emily Oster’s “Expecting Better.” She gives a lot of information on what the actual risks are so you can make your own decision about what you feel comfortable eating. This is especially helpful in addressing the listeria thing. Statistics and studies and data are way better than random internet do’s and don’ts, many of which are outdated and/or based on zero actual data.
I love the picnic table linens! The weather recently is making me pretty excited for fall!! It kind of blows my mind that I’m nearing 1 month out from my 1 year wedding anniversary already! Feels like I just read your post about your wedding and then got married myself.
Safe travels, and I hope you have a fun trip!
I would love a post about what you do pack in Mazen’s lunchbox when he brings! I think most people with school age kids struggle with this and need new ideas!
My mom packed my lunch every single day from kinder to highschool. I am pretty sure I always threw away the fruit and vegetable she packed ? however I now eat all the vegetables so it all works out!
My kids loved the idea of having the lunch offered by the school, until they figured out waiting in line cut into lunch recess. I packed cold lunches forever……. I have to ask, where do you get the ideas for your mocktails? I am not a fan of the taste of alcohol but occasionally I like to have something other than water.
I like anything on the tart side! But the bartender does all the magic 🙂
My kiddo always wants hot lunch on the pizza day too! But after dealing with having to wait in the darn long lines, she doesn’t want to always get it because she’s hungry and won’t have enough time to eat!