Friday, August 14, 2009

connecting with my cop

These are some lunch bags that Daisy and Luke have decorated. The brown one says:

This is Daddy's lunch
I miss you!

I discovered early on in our marriage, especially when the babies started popping out, the power of the leaving a note in his lunch- method. Sometimes when I think back on how long we've been together and married, I cut it in half and consider that the amount of time we've actually been together because I hardly see the guy. Since I'm married to a man of few words, it's been hard to know if he likes me doing this or not. But I found out recently that he's been keeping all the lunch bags that the kids have drawn on and the notes that I slip in. The magnets that he wanted for his locker? He wanted to put some of our notes up and pictures of us. Hey, I think HF likey!

Why I think this is a good method:
  1. He has a little something to remember us while he's at work each day.
  2. I get to busy the kids with an art project while I make HF's lunch.
  3. Sometimes the note is our only conversation that day.
  4. The kids see HF's role in our family and his important place in our lives.
  5. This strengthens our bond as a couple and as a family.
  6. It's something fun to do. A little tradition we've created.
HF doesn't always get a paper bag lunch. I guess it depends on the kind of food he is taking with him, but I like to do a little thing called Bento- if I have time! When the kids don't decorate a lunch bag, they might slip in a coloring page they've scribbled on, or give him a paper full of their favorite stickers. Now me on the other hand, this is what I do. And just so you know, I don't do mushy notes. Well, maybe sometimes, but here is an example of the notes I have left in HF's lunches.
  • "Officer, I got your pizzas!" in reference to this movie, written in permanent marker across a gallon ziploc bag filled with, you guessed it, pizza.
  • "Tina, you fat lard, come get some DINNER!" from Napoleon Dynamite
  • "Roses are red. Violets are blue. If you don't eat this lunch, I will come back for you", complete with menacing child-like drawing of a rattlesnake.
  • I wrote, "you are AMAZING" and had words that describe him using each letter of the word amazing. Right now I'm wondering what in the world I came up for the letter Z. . .
  • I wrote things we had done that day and funny things the kids had said.
I'm sharing all this because I think we all have to come up with ways to connect with our cops one way or another. This is just one little way I have found that works for us. I'm wondering what little things you all do each day (or however often) to find meaningful ways to connect.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

All great ideas.

Sara has made a load of goodies... brownies or cookies, and brought them to the station for me and the guys. Taking care of me says a lot, but showing support for my guys too says everything.

Kelsey said...

I do the exact same thing with Marc. I write a nice, one or two sentence note and stick it in the tupperware container with his sandwich. He seems to really enjoy them.

Leah said...

I love these ideas!! Since we don't have kids yet, I imagine I will put the notes in the lunches myself, but I love the art project idea when we do have kids! I think CC would love it!

Anonymous said...

These are all wonderful Ideas... Mr Deputy doesnt take his lunch {Although he should.. need to change that..lol}
:)

Because of Love said...

So cute! I leave notes for Josh sometimes too, but I am loving the bag idea!

Raindog said...

Slip in family photos and magnets for his locker, for most officers, they are talismans of life: the last thing they lock at before starting shift, the first thing they look at when the return.

RD

mrs. fuzz said...

Christopher-I've thought about taking treats to the station, but I don't want to be held responsible for any weight gain that might occur. I'll have to come up with something.

RD- Thanks for saying that! I hadn't even thought about that way before. I think I'll print out some updated photos now.

Anonymous said...

This is such an awesome idea!! Hubs is going to start packing his lunch so maybe I can do this too.

Momma Val said...

How sweet, Cop Dad gets a big old hefty hard sided cooler full of grub. Although we have snuck some colored coloring book pages in with his lunch a few times. Little Buddy just knows that daddy goes to work and puts bad guys in jayo! On a cop budget I pack his lunch almost every day. Granted some days it is a bunch of odds and ends but he gladly eats it and his coworkers are always saying how sweet it is and wonder what he has each day :)

Tara said...

A bit if growing kids gold... Although working for the dads. We also do notes, an idea we got after doing the gkgw course and can't wait for the kids to go to school so daddy can return the favour. Another kid tip from babywise that works with dads too is the 5 minute warning(:

Anonymous said...

That's an awesome way to connect without face time - something that Hubs and I struggle with a lot.
Sometimes it's the smallest things that mean a ton!

Slamdunk said...

Great post and comment ideas. Since I make my own lunch and leave with it before the Mrs. wakes up, I better look for a plan B to get some brown bag attention...

Jillian said...

Love this idea. No kids but I'll try harder to be consistent about putting notes in his lunch. I think DH likes it because one of the hot pink post-it notes ended up on our fridge!

As for connecting with DH... I'll drag myself out of bed to make his lunch, check and make sure his head is completely shaved (so he doesn't get yelled at), and just try to be helpful (with my eyes fully shut and counting the minutes until I can catch a few more ZZZ's).

Natalie said...

I'm still in draft state of a post similar to this, actually! Don't be surprised if I link you when I finally finish it.

My kiddies are too small to do very many drawings (my daughter usually eats the crayons before using them...yeah) but they've done a few and he's kept them all, including my "love notes" telling him he's a wonderful man.

Sometimes I purposely do them to remind MYSELF that he's wonderful, especially when it's towards the end of a set of nights and I'm pretty fried.

I always get a note back as well, so it's a definite win-win.