wordless wednesday

a friend of mine whose last child left for college this past fall estimated how many lunches she had packed for her family over the years, and i seem to remember the number was close to 10,000.  ten thousand.  bagged lunches.  TEN THOUSAND.  no matter how many times i say it, i still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the digit one with four zeroes behind it. 

i was on lunch #78 yesterday afternoon (but who's counting?) and was on auto pilot.  sandwich (either ham & cheese or PB&J, put in a green tupperware container).  baggies of pretzels or crackers.  water bottle.  fresh fruit (or applesauce when our produce drawer is bare.)  cheese stick.  dessert.  by this point i honestly think i could do it in my sleep.  and a few times a week, i'll throw in a note with a joke or drawing or message to brighten his day.  i know in a few years, such inserts will probably make him roll his eyes, but for now, he loves to find these little surprises nestled among the other goodies.
 
while i was absentmindedly rinsing out the water bottle to refill, susanna was bent over something at the kitchen table, pink marker gripped in her left hand and a frown of concentration on her face.  and as i began to zip up liam's lunch box, she hopped up from her chair to join me.  "wait!"  she said.  "don't forget his napkin!"

and this is what she gave me:

 (translation: Dear Liam, I love you.  Love, Susanna.)