Preparing kid lunches

This version has been updated for the 2007 California trip. (Previous version is archived here.)

preliminary stuff

7:30-7:45 wake up Zander, if he hasn't woken on his own; dispense meds (sulfur & stramonium)
Fill water bottles if needed
- Z: bottle in green insulator sleeve
- B: normal sippy bottle

1 yogurt
hard-boiled egg, peeled, in snack bag
slice of watermelon - about 3/4" to 1" thick, in sandwich bag - or sliced kiwi (Chapel Hill Whole Foods only)
frozen thingy goes in lid of lunchpack
put lunchbox to left of water in fridge; Z knows where to find it

"Morning Os" + "Rainbow Rings": one snack bag each, in outside pocket of lunchpack
- these have both been unavailable at the CH Whole Foods; we're out of Rainbow Rings, and Morning Os may run out too
2 Fig Newmans - also in outside pocket
meat goes in sandwich bag except hot dog, which can go in snack bag -- see whiteboard for rotation:
- "ham" = 2 slices of turkey ham (Wellshire Kids)
- "meat" = 2-3 slices of baloney from deli (round stuff in white paper); if frozen, microwave for 4 minutes at 10%
- "hot dogs": 1 hot dog
apple -- remove labels; goes loose in lunchpack -or- strawberries in small rectangular plastic container (purple lid)
blue freezer pack in corner of lunchpack main compartment
- water bottle goes next to freezer pack
put lunchpack next to Zander's or somewhere nearby where B can see it

defrost entire pack of Shelton's Turkey Franks
- put in ziplock bag marked "please warm up" (so they know to microwave it)
sandwich bag of veggie chips
3 Sprites -- put his initials on the caps of the Sprites -- put in gallon ziplock bag with his name and date
Fill his water bottle (but do not refrigerate; he won't drink it cold)

Put all this in his backpack.

Mondays and Wednesdays he has swimming, so put his swim shorts inside his towel (rolled-up) and put them in his backpack too (on those days).

~ 6:35: dress Josh - no need to cue for toilet; just tell him to get up, and he'll go.

~~He gets lunch at school, so no need to pack one~~

Get underwear while he's doing that, so you can hand it to him when he gets done with bathroom

2 gummies from yellow-cap bottle, 1 gummy from green-cap bottle

Back to living room for dressing:

socks (had written down "one by one", but he seemed fine with getting them both at once)
pants (he already has changed underwear)
shirt -- do the "how big is Joshy?" thing to cue him, and he might need help getting the shirt off

Back to kitchen for finishing up:

brush his hair (small hairbrush in bathroom cabinet)
"go and get your shoes" cues him to put away dirty clothes
He will get both shoes and put one on, but waits for it to be tied before putting on second one.
Check temperature (to decide if jacket is needed)
Cue for jacket -- he knows where "grey jacket" is
"zip yourself up"
"get your backpack"
He can unlock and open front door

Rinse out Josh's water bottle and leave it to dry overnight
Rinse out other water bottles; kids can refill them if they want to use them (B & Z prefer cold water)
Empty out kids' lunchpacks and rinse out if there are spills
Take out any swim stuff so it can dry