Today’s menu: salisbury steak, spinach, bread, fruit cup
Processed meat…yummy… it’s hard to choke it down, but I ate the whole patty. I’m able to do that because I make sure I’m really hungry at lunch. Some of you have wondered if I pack my own lunch in addition to buying school lunch. You don’t trust that I’m eating the lunch. Well, I don’t trust myself either: I don’t very good impulse control. If I had a home lunch within reach and one of the school lunches, which would I eat? Not what is pictured below….
So I make sure that I’m actually hungry for lunch. Then I’ll eat what I’m given. By the way, the meat was blah. The gravy seemed thicker than usual, not sure why.
Thanks for reading my blog. I know it’s not a happy, warm and fuzzy place to hang out on the internet. I do my best to keep it light even though the subject material can be pretty heavy. Recently someone told me that they thought I had been “lazy” by not taking more of a political stance on the lunches. Do you agree? If I do sound wishy-washy, it’s because I have been concerned about my job…though I’m less worried these days. Thoughts?
***
I’m totally spent. Long days at school, then off to pick up my son at daycare, home to frantically make dinner, and afterwards I try to get some time with my son before his bedtime… I also have to fit in a shower and scheduling it is really a stressor. Since the second bathroom is located right next to my son’s room, I can’t shower when he’s asleep without waking him up. Around here sleep is sacred.
My little guy sleeps in until almost 7 am and so I won’t risk waking him (the kid needs his sleep). In the morning my husband hits the shower as soon as our son is up! So at night after we finish dinner, I rush to fit a shower in before my son’s bedtime. Then once he goes down (not always an easy feat) then I go straight to my laptop to upload the lunch photos and write a blog post.
I know a lot of the blog posts have typos and grammatical errors. Well, in a perfect world I wouldn’t be writing a post and publishing it same night. I like to let things marinate and come back to revise, but it’s not possible. I wish I could comment on your comments, but once I post, I either go straight to bed or clean the kitchen up and then off to bed. I feel like a hamster on a wheel.
My son has gotten occasional colds over the past couple months, but nothing like the first six months of this year when we couldn’t catch a break and he was constantly ill. Because of my committment to eating school lunch every day, my husband has been the go-to guy to stay home with our boy. I hate that it’s a choice between feeding my blog and getting snuggle time with my sick kid. Luckily my husband has a mountain of sick time (way more than I do) so to him it’s a no-brainer that he stays home. Sometimes though I can’t bear being away from my sick kid…being Mommy is my most important job.
Most people in my life, coworkers and friends who don’t know about the blog, look at me and can tell that something is going on with me, but they can’t put their finger on what exactly it is. I bet many people think that I might be pregnant. It’s hard for them to justify what they see: someone who is totally run down, but with a sparkle in her eye. It’s for me to know and them to find out!
You used the line that it's for them to find out. Are you planning a reveal? Have you heard any rumblings of people in your school even being aware of the blog?
Honestly, blog for yourself not because of your readers. If your readers were so concerned about wanting to see specific stuff, they'd be writing their own blog on the topic.
You write about eating school lunches. Considering how repetitive they are, it's not like you're always going to be able to include tons of exposition in addition to the pictures if you're rigidly held to only speaking on school lunches. So if you want to talk about how the lunches are affecting your health and how you're having to compensate (reducing gluten) or anything else (companies, fast food, etc), do so.
I've been reading since the beginning although I end up reading in chunks just because of time constraints. I've had this comment waiting to be written after the two or three other times you had readers try to tell you how to manage your blog content; I was just too late to the other discussions to warrant posting it.
I love this secret identity. Pregnant and eating school lunch when you used to bring home lunch? Funny.
I totally believe that you're running around in your house as soon as you get home.
Just Better Together
You do realize this is just a blog, yeah? When people find out, they'll probably be like "Oh I think I heard about that. Good for you." You seem to be under the impression that the reaction will be like "OMG thats you? How could you be doing such a huge thing and not tell me?" I get that your taking this seriously and its appreciated… but it's not like your Spiderman, getting ready to take off his mask.
It sounds like you are overwhelmed. I know you said your husband is the go to parent when its comes to your child being sick. However, in your chat about coming home, cooking dinner, blogging, cleaning up dinner and showering, you never mentioned him helping out with that what-so-ever. I dont want to jump to conclusions, but it sounds like he could step in and at least help clean up the kitchen after dinner? Most women feel like they 'need' to do those types of things, and I know that these days everyone works hard…but it was just my observation that you sounded way more rushed than your husband.
I read your blog almost every day, but am not a frequent commenter. That said, I have to say that I think that what you are doing and how you are doing it are great. You are documenting, relatively objectively what the kids in your school are eating for lunch. Most of us feel that it is probably pretty typical of school lunches over most of the US and Canada and we can draw our own conclusions. Speak to our own school boards. You have also managed to create a space where people from around the countries and world can come together to connect and find ways to do things about these issues. The guest posts serve this end particularly well.
I think, personally, that documenting what you see and creating a community and forum are invaluable contributions.
Keep going! What you're doing is great, just the way it is. No one person can do it all, and shouldn't be expected to.
You shouldn't need to justify yourself. We all know you have a busy life as a wife, mother, teacher and blogger (just to name a few!) -so if some people have a problem with you not getting more involved politically re. school lunches, let them step forward and get involved as well!! Seriously…
I'm surprised that anyone would call you lazy or imply that your blog is somehow too apolitical. The breadth of your project, the intensity of your involvement (you're ingesting these meals!) and the fact that it is called "Fed Up With Lunch"… obviously you are taking a stance. Do they think crappy school lunches is a partisan issue or want you to give more background on public policy?
A few suggestions for the dinner time frantics: crockpot cooking – pop some ingredients in it in the morning and by evening, dinner is ready. Lots of recipes online
Or, make a few things during the weekend. Marinate chicken breasts and freeze them, meatballs can be rolled and cooked and frozen in sauce, and so on.
Thank you all of you (Sill — too true!!)
The reason I brought up the "lazy" comment is because it came from an expert not a nasty commenter. I trusted their opinion and I just wondered what you thought, if it was something that I missed because it's often tough for me to evaluate how my blog comes off.
Mrs. Q,
I've been reading your blog almost all year (new to posting) and I think that you are managing time just fine. As a mom and teacher (and grad student), I do know that run down feeling all too well. So many projects on the go. To be honest, it has helped me not to procrastinate! And the shower thing… oh yes! We're very strategic at my house too. I enjoy your posts. I do not think that you should fret over minor typos. After all, we are glimpsing your public log, and a log is to document, not to be perfect… no one is! Imagine, you are weeks away from New Year's!
Lazy? Really? I was rather shocked to read that. I, too, have been reading your blog loyally since you began. I feel that what you have successfully done is present the many sides on the school food and sustainable food issues in a rather unbiased manner. To me you have taken your blog audience on a journey with you as you have learned about these very important and complex problems. You have presented your findings in a very factual manner and provided a forum for people to share their perspectives and knowledge. You have shown incredible dedication to that task. So, lazy? No. Responsible? Absolutely.
well…i would never say that a teacher, let alone a mommy was lazy…that person was just being rude IMO…you are brave and doing something about the crappy food situation…in a creative way..and i'm pretty sure that "glech" is my new favortie word…hope you get to sleep in sometime soon…
As a long time activist who focuses on policy reform I have to tell you what you are doing is extremely helpful to the issue of addressing the quality of school lunches. We work hard in my arena to bring stories and voices forward to impact what we care about – you are doing that with a huge audience in regard to school lunch.
And how wonderful to hear that Mr. Q works a job where he is able to earn paid sick days, and how helpful that is to your family that you don't have to panic about child care if your son is clearly getting sick. I know it's tough for you as a mom when you can't stay home with your sick child (been there) but at least this is one thing you can remove as a stresser in your life.
Thank you for all you are doing to elevate the need to address our nation's children's nutrition.
I've been reading your blog for quite a while now and just wanted to say that if you miss a school lunch on occasion (especially when it comes to snuggling with a sick child!) I think most of us readers would understand!
Dear Mrs. Q, I've been following along since almost the beginning and I just wanted to say that my favorite part of your blog is the pictures of the lunches. I went to a private school, so I never got to experience school lunch and I am still incredibly curious as to what public school children get served every day. My favorite lunches you've eaten are a toss-up between the ones with fresh fruits and vegetables and the ones with components that seem like they don't go together at all — like the sloppy joe and beans and rice lunch you had a few weeks ago.
Thanks for taking the time to write the blog and know that if you can't manage a commentary every day, the pictures by themselves are just fine for this reader.
Mrs. Q, I read a lot of food and school lunch reform blogs, many of them political and written by "professionals." They ALL have typos and misspellings in them. This isn't a spelling a contest so whoever told you that needs to get over it.
As for whether or not you should become more political, do what feels right to you. Just be yourself. You're the only person who can do it.
I concur with the "write what you like" folks…I appreciate that you are documenting (especially via pictures) the lunches. My (college) students are reading your blog in order to learn more about food production and consumption in our culture, and they're fine with your content! You know…in case what college students think is important to you. They can be some cynical little buggers…
Try adding some pepper to the gravy to make it a little more interesting and appealing to your mature palate. School lunches are prepared intentionally bland, so that kids with limited range of what they'll enjoy will be more likely to find it palatable. There are doubtless paper salt and pepper packets on hand in the cafeteria. There's probably already loads of salt. Just add pepper! If you can keep a jar of Tabasco in your desk, even better. 🙂
I been reading since last school year, never commented before, but I have a great deal of respect for what you are doing here.
Sometimes it is the simplest things that are the most impactfull politically and I think that your blog is a perfect example of that. Your photos and descriptions make it vividly clear that the national school lunch program is not operating in the best interest of children.
Thanks for the blog – it is important.
You're doing great. The year is almost over and then you can relax a little. Being a mommy is hard. Being a mommy and a teacher is harder. Being a mommy and a teacher and a blogger? No wonder you're tired!
Wow, fantastic blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your web site is wonderful, as well as the content!