96 lbs of oranges

This morning was Healthy Snack day at the local public school where a few of us moms chop and count out food to feed the mouths of 700 kids. Snack usually includes fruit and crackers, cheese and dry cereal, veggies and pretzels, etc.

Today could have definitely turned into a crazy snack day (I should have guessed by the rain that something out of the ordinary would happen today). As usual, there are the early shift moms that come in at 8am and leave by 9am. Then there are the moms that trickle in around 8:30am, like myself, to take over and continue the tedious yet rewarding job of counting crackers, chopping food, etc. As I watched the last early shift mom leave, I realized as I was standing there by my lonesome that I could be on my own for the rest of the morning. How the crap was I going to count out and finish chopping food for 700 kids in 60 minutes?! Where are the rest of my peeps? Come on now, don't leave me hangin'. As I'm counting, continuously forgetting what number I'm on and having to recount the plate of crackers yet again (seriously, not helping myself out here), my saviour rounds the corner ready to get into gear. Think room getting dark, spotlight shining on the one single soul walking down the hall, a gentle wind starts to blow and that high "ahhhhhh" from the angels above start singing. Oh yeah! I'm saved. A newbie to boot but ready too work (all too oblivious to what she's in for). We get our butts into gear and work our asses off for the next hour. What the hell would I have done if she hadn't shown up? I can see it now...telling the kids to grab their class bin and line up in a single file so that when I frantically but precisely toss the celery over my shoulder I'll perfectly score a point...toss. toss. toss...it would be like being on an assembly line or one of those automatic tennis ball throwing machines. I'm picturing the Soup Nazi episode from Seinfeld where everyone shifts to the side in an orderly fashion only with me as an overly polite, happy-go-lucky server trying very hard to keep from pulling her hair out.

I have to admit that being paid in smiles is a great reward! The kids love snack day....so far. I fear the day when they say "Aw, the same crackers again". I sure hope we get sponsors for next year so we can afford to keep it running and so we can add more variety to snack day. There's only so much of the smell of Wheat Thins I can take....that lovely dry starchy smell...yum! Don't get me wrong, I'm a Wheat Thins fan but piles of them in front of me before my morning cup of coffee....not so much.

I wonder if Quaker has seen a rise in their Corn Bran Squares cereal? It's one of the kids favourite snacks and I find it very coincidental that the local grocery stores suddenly can't seem to keep their shelves stocked.

Oh, and as my snack partner was getting ready to leave she offered her services if we're ever short on help again. You go girl! Sweet!

Now to come up with a snack for Friday.