They will be okay

Our youngest child has started school. It surely was just a moment ago that we found out she was on her way. Time does have a way of slipping away. Bronwyn seems to me so young, so tiny and still a baby. Who would help her with her lunch bag, who would explain everything to her, who would protect her?

These questions and the fears that lie within them were quelled when Ian told me what happened during the morning drop off. Our school has a fenced in area for the kindergarten children. It is affectionately known as the kindergarten cage. Ian dropped her off - no tears for either one - and asked Tavish to stay with her until the bell. Tavish did without any resistance. Bronwyn on one side of the fence, inside the cage with her new teacher and new friends and Tavish on the outside. Bronwyn carefully reached for Tav, putting two fingers through the fence toward her brother, who very slowly reached his own two fingers to grasp hers. They said nothing, just waited for the bell.

I know they will be okay.

The answer is not paper or plastic, it is FABRIC.

I just read Ian's blog about plastic, cluttering up our oceans, killing fish, leaving a disgusting legacy for an awful long time.  School starts tomorrow - yippee!!- and the school has asked for litterless lunches.  That is such a challenge.  Everything is prepackaged, there are only plastic sandwich baggies, what is a busy mom to do?  I googled it.  This is what I found.  You can make little fabric baggies for a song.  (If songs were currency, it would be anything by Jason Mraz, but I digress)  I found a quick instruction for bags that will hold anything dry - goldfish, cookies, pretzels - get me? for a few hours until lunch.  Think about it.  The food is kept in a lunch bag lined in fabric and only needs to be kept out of harms way for about 2 and half hours until lunch.  Easy peasy.  I admit to being addicted to sewing.  This little bags took no time to create and I was able to make about 25 (one for each day of the week, for three kids plus a few extras) in a few hours and for nothing but the cost of velcro and my time.  I surveyed my stash of fabric and found a few scraps kicking around that would work for both boys and girls.  I made them up and they are ready to go for tomorrow.  I know that it may not fix the ocean's plastic issue but I guess that each creative step to eliminate/reduce our plastic usage is one in the right direction.

My camera died - I will buy one this week and post a few photos of the bags but until then, here are some cool sites that have interesting green packaging ideas for lunches.  Give it a try!

 http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-sew-a-reusable-sandwich-bag/2009/06/17/
http://www.wrap-n-mat.com/
 http://www.everythingmom.com/organic-reviews/reusable-sandwich-bags-reusable-snack-bags.html