Surprise Lunches

I have been flashing back on my life a lot over these last several months...pandemic/quarantine and all....and as summer approaches each year, I tend to look back more often too...on my favorite season and what summer memories look like....

I am not even sure how old I was but I know I was a child..elementary school age and always hanging out with my best friend who also was a neighbor....during the summer we would take turns visiting each other's houses and playing all day most of the time.

Well this one week, we happened to be at her house every day around lunch time...we would be outside playing and her mom would call us in to her screen porch and present us with a "Surprise Lunch."

This only happened one week during one summer and I still vividly remember how exciting this week of lunches was.

She would cover our plates or Tupperware with a napkin and then unveil the lunch at the last minute AND it always included several different items...all "surprising" us...sometimes it would be a sandwich with snacks...other times it would be various snack items and delectable treats...but it was always amazing and I will never forget it...I think my favorite one included a cup of gum drop candies...oh the memories.

Each day of that week, I remember asking myself, "I wonder what lunch is going to be like today!" It was just so fun and magical and a moment in time that left such an impression on me.

As I reminisced about my week of "surprise lunches" recently, I decided that I wanted to do the same for my girls but instead of making it a week full of lunches, I wanted to make it once/week for the summer.

Friends?  It has been a BIG hit...the girls get so excited and can't wait to see what's next.  Also...all I have to say is...that today...Thank GOD for Pinterest...am I right?  

We are a month into our surprise lunches...one week the girls even got a surprise extra lunch when some friends were over so will share that little creation too...here is what they have looked like....

Week One

 Hot Dogs in Crescent Rolls, Cucumbers and Dip, Fruit and Candy Kabobs, Pink Goldfish and Patriotic M and Ms

Week Two

 I used Bento Boxes to keep things really interesting....lunch consisted of....Ham and Mac and Cheese Cups, Fruit and Candy Kabobs, Snack Mix, Carrots and Dip and Peanut Butter Oreos 

Week Three 

 Mickey Mouse Pizzas, Strawberry and Brownie Kabobs and Cucumbers and Dip 

This was the week that they got a bonus fun lunch...there were several snacks on the table and then each kid got a Ham and Cheese Butterfly Quesadilla :)

Week Four

Fruit, Veggie and Marshmallow Rainbows and PF Chang's Noodles

There ya have it!  I am extra inspired this summer to provide more joy than usual...I feel like our kids have been through so much with this pandemic and keeping things fun as much as possible!