I'm addicted to Bento

Do you remember taking your lunch to school? I had a tin My Little Pony lunch box that always smelled like squished PB&J. That’s probably because that’s what usually was in them. When I was working at a private school the kids brought their lunch 3 days a week. These 1st graders were eating sushi and cucumber sandwiches, must be moms after my own heart. I really want to get into Bento Boxes for DH and the girls lunches. For those of you who do not know what they are here is a definition:

“The Japanese school Bento has never been regarded as a mere lunch box, such as the Western standard of a sandwich, cookie and apple in a brown paper bag. Laden with an eye-catching array of seasonally selected meats, fish, salads, rice, pickles, vegetables and other foods, the child's Bento is not only a branch of the Bento culinary tradition, but an enduring symbol -- and a measure -- of a mother's devotion to her child.”
Some are completely adorable, I mean how can you not want to eat them?

Traditionally they are neat and pretty to look at:

It’s what they have for lunch in Japan and apparently it’s a big deal over there who can make the best box for their child. Here’s a quote from The Japan Times Online:

“The Bento, however, is more than merely a duty for the mother. "The kindergarten Bento is important for the education of the young mother," explains Misa Ishii, a retired professor of preschool education at Ogaki Girls College, in Gifu Prefecture. According to advice given by kindergarten teachers to parents, the Obento should be attractive to the eye, as well as homemade, fresh, varied, nutritious and with bite-size contents.”

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20030309a5.html

Yea I don’t want to get into being all that crazy however I think it looks super fun to make. I’ve been shopping online for Bento lunch boxes for the girls. They of course want Hello Kitty so here are 2 I am thinking about getting.

Ebay has a TON of Bento stuff, like rice molds and egg mold’s, there is even a Hello Kitty rice mold

Did you know you could mold boiled eggs into shapes? I mean I knew you could fit them into coke bottles but I did not know you could make a piggy face. How cute it this?

Look at this set; it’s like scrap-booking with food! Pink rice….

This video on Youtube has some amazing boxes, Winnie the Pooh, and a DS and so on..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0s1JXwOgBg

I find this blog one of my Favs for just starting out if you want help.

http://justbento.com/

Next time I get a chance to go to the bookstore I plan on looking at 2 books, “Kawaii Bento Boxes” and “Yum-Yum Bento Boxes.” How could a 5 year old resist eating food that looks like a cartoon character or a kitty cat?

School Day's

There are some days where you might as well just get comfy in the rocking chair pick out a good show and sit back. This is one of those days, and thank goodness USA is running an SVU marathon. Rugglebug is extremely fussy today. Maybe its teething, or being spoiled from this last weekend by being held all day. Whatever it is I can’t walk more than 2 ft from him…..
I never really watched SVU before, I guess that’s good because I have 10 years of episodes to choose from. I think DH is getting tired of Detective Stabler, however he really enjoys when Mariska Hargitay walks into the room….i wonder why =) I think DH just watches shows with me for the women, although I can’t blame him. Example Army Wives on Lifetime, Brigid Brannagh and Catherine Bell definitely eye candy there. The show is a total addiction and it makes me cry every week. True Blood, Big Brothers and Greys…..yea I knew there was a reason he sat with me.
I did manage to get the dishes done, table wiped down and the counters cleaned off. Thank goodness for naps. Now that I think about it maybe his afternoon fussiness is from the morning shopping we did, although we were only out for an hour. I went through 135.00$ in one hour….DH says it was for a good cause school supplies. Who knew some paper and markers would be so much these days, and that was buying the off brands. Well maybe it was a little more stuff than that here is the list for Kindergarten:
2 - box/pkgs. 6 or more pencils (#2 lead with attached eraser)
2 - boxes of 24 Crayola crayons
1 - box of 8 Crayola broad tip markers (classic colors)
2 - 32 oz. glue sticks
2 - 4 oz. non-toxic glue (plastic “squeeze” bottle, NO paste/gel)
1 - pair of scissors (Fiskars for Kids)
1 - school supply box (plastic)
1 - box of 8 ct. Crayola watercolors
1 - pkg. of asst. colored construction paper (heavyweight, 50 sheets, 12x18, approx.)
1 - pkg. of manila drawing paper (heavyweight, 50 sheets, 12x18, approx.)
6 - folders with brads & pockets (2-red, green & 1-yellow, blue)
1 - Tub Play Dough (any color)
1 - pink pearl eraser
2 - spiral notebooks (min. 120 pgs)
1 - handwriting tablet (Mead #48210-Pre-school-2nd gr.)
1 - box gallon Ziploc freezer bags
1 - box quart Ziploc freezer bags
1 - pkg. lunch size brown paper sacks
1 - pkg. paper plates
1 - box baby wipes
1 - 8 oz. bottle of hand sanitizer
2 - box tissue (200 ct, Kleenex/equal)
That was all for one child so I had to buy double. However I am very proud of myself to have beat the crowds and have all the school supplies and clothing shopping done. Go me. Every morning the girls ask me if its fall yet, I don’t know who’s more excited about school starting me or the girls

Wordless Wednesday

July 2010 Convention

This weekend was our yearly convention. I rented a hotel room for the first time ever in downtown Ft. Worth. There was no way I was taking 3 kids alone and driving into the city every morning just so I can fight for a parking space. Friday was fine but thanks to a tropical depression we had huge storms that afternoon. We stayed 3 blocks from the convention centers door so guess what me and the kids had to do? Yep in the pouring rain, at least I had a HUGE umbrella. The baby was just fine in his stroller that was water proof and had a roof. The girls and I took off our shoes and put on flip flops and decided to make a game of it jumping in all the puddles on the way back. Some people thought we were crazy I’m sure but most just smiled and laughed with us. It rained most of the weekend, I love the rain so it was a great for me.

I did learn a few lessons; one Rugglebug does not go to sleep well without his swing. Two the Ft.Worth water gardens are really pretty at night. Three , packing breakfast foods doesn’t really work unless you use boxed cereal and small cartons of milk that have to sit in the ice bucket to stay cold. Four, enjoy room service it’s awesome with three kids. Five, sharing a room with 3 kids and 2 teenage girls….not so fun. My 13 year old niece and her bestie stayed with me Thursday night, I totally love them to death for helping me out but between one grinding her teeth all night and the other shouting and talking in her sleep…let’s just say makes for an interesting night.

DH came and spent the night with me Friday and Saturday night. He took the kids swimming in the hotel pool, at one point I seriously thought he was going to throw a teen boy across the pool. The kid kept running into the girls. Rugglebug didn’t like it too much the indoor pool wasn’t warm enough and it was really loud. Saturday night DH and I walked the kids down to the Square. We only went to B&N but I got a chance to look for new cookbooks so I was happy.
I took several pictures here are some with my family and the kids.

with my niece who happens to be expecting

My nephew with the girls

My mother and Rugglebug

With two of my nieces and another nephew who is 5 wks older than Rugglebug

My Parents

This one is a hat…a person sitting in front of us was from Africa. I am not sure what the hat was made of, it wasn’t material looked more plastic to me. Her 2 daughters and smaller versions and all there dresses were glittery. Very pretty…..I just couldn’t see.