School Prep

What a week..it's all been good. I'm counting my blessings as the following are going on:

HUGE prayer request- we need a new septic system put in. We've had one estimate given by Hack Excavating and I about fell over when I read it. Now, keep in mind that when he was here in person NO numbers of this calibar were discussed. John was under the impression that we'd be looking at about $2,000-$3,000. So, needless to say, when I saw the number $7,500 on the formal estimate, I about croaked! Who on earth has $7,500 to put in a new poop system!????
Now, we're calling Gary Cheeseman for an estimate. Do any of you have other suggestions?

Onto the "School Preparation Marathon in the Townsend Household..."

On Tuesday, school registration opened at 9 a.m. and I was the first in line at 8:45 baby! Oh yah!
After many years of experiencing the excitement of registering the kids, I've finally learned to NOT take any of them with me!!!! Don't worry, they still get to go and put their supplies away and meet the teacher on a different evening. For once, I just floated through all of the various "tables" and wrote checks like a mad woman. Can you believe that I had to pay $21 for Emma's annual "snack fee". They don't have kindergartners rotate and bring snacks any longer..now, they just have you pay a fee and the kids go to the cafeteria for snack and milk time. I'm actually happy about the whole milk thing....it worries me a bit that kids nowadays don't have enough calcium each day and since my kids are not going to be drinking milk with lunch (since we are sending their lunch this year). Okay, enough moo moo juice talk! Thank the good Lord that he provided extra work for John this summer through the fair and "project hours" at work, cause
I spent $800 in about 1 hour between all 5 kids. This did include a school spirit t shirt for each of them and the $70 Golden Nuggest Pass which pays for all of Anna and Johnathan's sports fees, gets our family into all games, band and choir concerts for free. It was such a feeling of accomplishment to leave the school and know that we are all set to go!! I say this VERY humbly in case you are all wondering how on earth we can afford school supplies and school clothes, underwear, socks, shoes, etc......our families are very supportive and I keep totes of hand- me -downs. I do have a funny "God-sighting" to share. Last summer, before I even knew that Johnathan would become a part of our immediate family, I was shopping at Dollar General. They had some really nice boys jean shorts on clearance for $1 per pair, but the size closest to Evan's size was a youth 10. I knew Evan wouldn't need them for a few years, but I couldn't pass up this bargain. Thus, I bought 2 pairs of size 10 jean shorts and put them up in the closet. Low and behold, sure enough I have a son now who will be wearing those size 10 shorts to school this fall...isn't God amazing!!!!!!!! Also, last year, I accepted a bunch of awesome size 10-12 clothes from the Gaskin family that Mason had outgrown...and yep...Johnathan will be wearing those too!!!
Let's talk a minute about school lunches. Price for elementary is $1.70 and price for middle school is $1.90. Last year, that didn't seem like to bad of deal since we only had Anna and Abby who ate lunch at school. But, then this year is a totally different ball game!! Now, all 5 kids will need to eat lunch at school. (Emma is in full day kindergarten and Evan was not last year)
Let's do the math , 3 kids in elementary= $5.10 per day or $25.50/wk PLUS 2 kids in middle school= $3.80/day or $19/wk for a grand total of = $44.50 per week on school lunches! That just seemed absurd!!! So, I've been on a mission called "Mission Possible." How do I make each child's lunch for $1 or less per day? For a grand total of just $25/week instead of $44.50.
Here are my requirements: Each meal will contain a main dish item, a side item, a fruit, a dessert and a drink. Thus, each "item" needed to be $.20 or less per serving. At first, this seemed a bit daunting and like too much work...but then, I became obsessed with it and have found much joy in it!!! So, I've made a master list of "ideas" and each idea is catorgized under one of the 5 food item categories. Here are some examples that are broken down into appropriate portion sizes: (Keep in mind that these prices come from either Sam's club, Aldi's or Walgreen's where I get my discount)

Under "Main Dish":
2 pieces of bread-$ .11, but it'll be cheaper when I go to bread store!!!!
Peanut butter- $.05
Grape jelly- $.02
Equals a $.18 sandwich.
Ham or turkey sand= $.27
Tuna salad sandwich= $.25

Sides:
Cracker pkgs from Sam's= .14
Baked Lays= $.20
Animal Crackers= $.07
Granola Bar= .16
Goldfish= .12
Cheerio's Baked Snack mix= .21
Party Mix= .14
Cheese and cracker packets= .20
Fresh carrots, sliced- .06

Fruits:
Raisins- .20
Mand. oranges- .23
Dried apricots-.18
Dried Cranberries=.18
Apples- .15
Applesauce- .20

Desserts:
Gummi Bears- .09 (yes, 14 bears!!!)
Mini fruit snack packs- .11
Lunch time gummy candies- .12 (for 2 of em..those cute little "food" looking gummies)
Nutty Bars-.17
Fudge Striped Cookies- .09
Choc Chip cookies- .09
Oreo off brand- .18
Fudge brownie- .09
Mr. Pudding pre packgd.- .22
Marshmallows- .07

Drinks- ( I bought each one of them a water bottle, so we'll be filling them each time)
Sugar free lemonade mix- .05
Capri Sun's - .19 (can you believe that?)
Apple juice- .33

The above list is just a portion of what I've recorded.)
Now, here's the kicker..trying to keep 6 kids out of special lunch food. I'm going to get a tote
and keep it on the highest possible shelf in our panty and use the fridge in the laundry room.
Anna and Abby's job will be to make all the lunches the night before and put in the fridge.
In the morning, we'll add the ice pack.
Oh my, oh my, what a new schedule we will all be on!!!!
I need to jump off here and make dinner.....farewell friends!!!
love ya,
k