Photo Every Hour // Track Meet

Yesterday was Colden's first elementary track meet; he is a little pro! I  L O V E D  being able to watch + cheer him and his teammates on as they did each different event. Colden has spent the last few weeks preparing and getting ready to the big track day -- afterschool practices, extra hours spent perfecting baton handoff (conversations I never thought I would be having in grade 1...…..Colden is left-handed and in most athletic situations, his left is his dominate hand. In the week leading up to track meet, the students had a couple of relays as preparation. Colden was quite concerned that if he was unable to use his left hand, his team would come in second because he wouldn't be able to run as fast as he would using his left-hand!) and lots of excitement in anticipation of this milestone!

They had an absolutely perfect day. Lots of sunshine with a little breeze. It was a beauty of a day and I was just so proud of Colden. I have sooo many pics (and videos!) when I was going through the photos for this post it was hard to narrow it down to 1 photo/hour!

six. 

seven. 

All ready to go! 

Silly faces + selfies before we get in the truck

eight. 

nine. 

Team emblem on and all ready for the first event

ten. 

The proper stance for timed sprint

eleven. 

twelve. 

one.

Haesten was an absolute all dream. He loved all the excitement + activities

two. 

Colden whipped through the tires -- didn't even miss one!

three. 

Receiving an excellence award + ribbon for scoring 38/40 on all the individual events

I'm not gonna lie, guys......I cried!! Proud doesn't even begin to describe how I felt watching this self-assured and confident boy earn this prize

four. 

So stinkin' happy! 2nd overall + an excellence honor

five. 

Picking up supper

six. 

Home Sweet Home.

seven. 

Supper

eight. 

This is what happens when your son is a monkey and has energy for days...

nine. 

Literally the last pic I took before I fell fast asleep. Colden tucked into his "nest" surrounded by pillows in mom and dad's bed

The day was lovely but exhausting

10 School Luch Ideas to Get You Through Until the End of the School Year

Its ALMOST the end of the school year! If you are like me, you may be struggling with packing nutritious + filling lunches your child will actually eat. I often find myself packing the same lunch time and time again and struggle to rack my brain and find something creative but actually edible (in the eyes of my 7 year-old!). Do you struggle to find new lunch kit ideas?

I have come up with a list of 10 lunch items that are sure to please yet fill up their little tummies! (and keep parents happy, too!)

With just a few short weeks left, these school lunch suggestions will give you some new ideas to end the school year!

1. Homemade Lunchables: cheese, crackers, + sliced deli meat. You can even add pickles, olives or a little bite-sized treat or chocolate bar (if you are so inclined!)

2. Pack it in a thermos: instead of a sandwich I will often pack, a heartier dish in a thermos. Ideas include -- rice, macaroni & cheese, steamed veggies, or soup.  P R O  TIP: in the morning, fill the thermos with boiled water, let sit 10 minutes, in a separate dish cook/warm-up thermos food. Empty boiled water and add the warmed food to the thermos.

3. Kebabs: The options are endless. Some traditional ideas include: Ham & Cheese // cucumber, tomato, cheese // fruit skewers or let your child pick and choose what to include on their kebab. Enlist your child's help to assemble their skewer the night before. 

4. Nachos: this lunch idea works best if your child has access to a microwave at lunch. Fill a Tupperware with corn chips, add shredded cheese. (There is a possibility that when packed this way, the shredded cheese could end up, all on one side of the container. If your child is not able to rearrange the cheese in the container, you could alternatively send them with string cheese or a little container/baggie in which they would simply have to spread over the chips at lunch time.)

5. Pinwheel Sandwiches: Take your child's fave sandwich and spread it on a wrap! Roll the wrap and cut lengthwise -- TADA little pinwheel sandwiches! At our house, favourites include: pizza pinwheels, and nut-free butter & banana pinwheels.

6. Pancakes: Make these the night ahead. Your child can either eat cold (as Mr. 7 does!) or warm them up for 15 seconds in the class microwave.

7. Bagels: An easy alternative to a sandwich. Send with your child's favourite toppings or keep it simple with cream cheese spread and an ice pack (to keep the toppings cool).

8. Cereal: Send individual packages of cereal (alternatively could send a small Tupperware bowl). Pack milk in a thermos + serve with a spoon!

9. Veggie Taco in a Bag: Purchase the small Doritos bag. In separate small containers pack lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese. You could also do tiny containers of mayo/salsa/dressing or pre-purchase individual packages of each. At lunch time, have your child open the bag of Doritos and add each container, serve and eat with a fork.

10. Muffins: As an alternative to a sandwich, send a muffin! Choose between fruit or a more savory option (ie. pizza muffins, quiche muffins, zucchini muffins etc.).

Are you tried of packing school lunches? What is your child's favourite school lunch?