Our Feature Article writer this month is Tracey Pearce. Tracey works part-time as a Human Resources Manager whilst being a full-time Mum of George, 6 and Angus, 4.
If you would like to contribute your stories too for our monthly feature articles, please send an email to addanavo@avocado.org.au
I cannot believe that in a few weeks time school will be back and we are another year up. Once again we ask ourselves the same questions… where did last year go? How can we fill in the days? I wonder what this year will bring… for our family, last year was a year of firsts. Our first year of school, and all that goes with that. A learning curve for the whole family and just when I thought I’ve got it down pat, the year came to an end. Towards the end of last year our routine was familiar, well-rehearsed and coordinated down to the last minute every morning. This year I know that at times when I can grab an extra minute or two to sleep, I will. Those extra minutes can add up. Three extra minutes sleep, five days in a row, is fifteen minutes extra sleep a week, or an hour a month… it has to be worth it.
So as the new school year starts I reflect on last year and the achievements of my little ones, especially getting through the first year of school. New friends, new routines, an endless array of new ideas, and what makes it so lovely as a parent was hearing him tell the stories of his day and what he enjoyed so much. Artwork and creative pieces span our walls, a box filled with his first achievements now has a special place, a photo in school uniform adorns my desk and I hold on to every memory as tight as I can.
I thought filling a school lunch box every day would be an ordeal, but that too became easy, just another part of our routine that George loved to explore every day. We developed a pattern for 
packed lunches and tried hard to not get caught up in the pre-packed snack food world. After so long we now have our favourite treats : chicken, mayo and lettuce sandwiches, avocado dip with carrots and celery sticks, fruit de jour and a crunchy homemade oat slice. The favourite sandwich is always a hit but I can always rely on vegemite if that is all I have. A healthy lunch box snack idea is this easy avocado dip where I mash some avocado with diced tomato (seeds removed), and a little sour cream (only if I have it handy). Add to that a couple of drops of lemon juice that will not only keep it from going brown but adds to the flavour. I put it in a small plastic tub with a small bag of vegetable crudités and he loves his dip’n veg at lunchtime. I cut up whatever fruit I have and finally a small slice of home made oat slice fills his lunch box.
Our healthy lunch box options have been a great success and compliment perfectly the occasional tuckshop option. Have a look in the Australian Avocados Recipe Finder for more Avocado dip recipe ideas that are simple to prepare and a great idea for school lunch boxes.
So after a year that seemed ever so daunting there really has been a lot of successes too. We didn't win any blue ribbon events, but we did compete and we got there in the end. We made a stack of new friends, learned how to share nicely and respect others, learned that reading can be fun and Mum learned that we could let go and things would still be ok.
Related links:
Suggested Lunch Box recipes:
