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So Many Choices (1/1)

"I get to take my lunch to school with me in my new lunch box this year because I'm going to the big kids' school," Angie explained to Kamekona and Esther from her seat on Danny's lap. "The same school DJ goes to."

The entire gang was gathered at the beach house for a pre-back to school barbecue where Angie excitedly showed each person who came through the door the school countdown calendar DJ made for her. More than a few commented how proud they were of the young girl for not stealing any of the cookies ahead of time considering they were pretty much her favorite food. She explained how every morning she and DJ counted together then split the day's cookie.

"That is excellent, keiki." Kamekona rubbed his hands together as if savoring a memory. "You make sure your mommy packs you a peanut butter and pineapple sandwich every day. That was always my favorite."

Danny grimaced. "That sounds more disgusting than pineapple on pizza."

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it." Kamekona wagged his finger. "My classmates were always jealous and wanted to trade lunches with me. That's where my entrepreneurial spirit when it comes to food was born."

"If you ate that every day it explains a lot about how you ended up like you are," Danny grumbled. He looked at Esther. "Does he have you eating that abomination?"

Esther wrinkled her nose and shook her head no.

"Not yet." The big man's eyes twinkled. "But I'm working on her."

"I think I wanna try that sam-wich." Angie looked around and spotted her mother getting a drink out of the cooler. "Mommy, can I have a peanut butter an' pineapple sam-wich in my lunchbox?"

Catherine looked at a grinning Kamekona and couldn't help but smile. "How about if we do a test run at home. If you like it, we can make you one to take to school."

Angie thrust her arms in the air. "YAY!"

Danny glared at Kamekona. "Do you see what you've done? She's gonna become the pineapple sandwich girl now."

"That's right." Kamekona winked at Angie. "And she'll be the most popular keiki in the whole school."

After hearing what a young Kamekona ate during his school years Angie was a girl on a mission.

"I wanna make sure I pack the very, very yummiest things in my new lunchbox," she explained to Cody and Jess. "What did you mommy send for your lunch in your…?" She tilted her head to the side. "Did they have lunchboxes when you went to school?"

Cody's eyes widened. "It wasn't THAT long ago I went to elementary school. How old do you think I am?"

"Thirty-five," Angie answered matter of factly.

Steve barked a laugh. "Life comes at you fast, buddy."

"Don't let it upset you," Catherine said. "Thirty-five is the age she guesses for anyone who's out of school."

"That sounds good to me," Jenna teased.

"Sure it does," Cody chuckled. "Because you're actually…" His voice drifted off when he caught his mother's glare and he mumbled, "Never mind."

"I used to love taking a little container of cottage cheese with 1,000 island dressing on it," Jess said, licking her lips. "I like that better than ice cream."

Cody wrinkled his nose. "What do you mean 'used to love'." He looked at the others. "She still eats it."

"I do." Jess nodded. "It's delicious. You don't know what you're missing."

"I like cottage cheese," Angie said eagerly. "Mommy, can I try it with 1,000s of islands dressing?"

Catherine smiled. "We'll put it on the list to try before school starts."

"I used to love to take potato salad sandwiches with barbecue sauce," John told Angie when she asked him about his favorite lunch box food.

"Notice he said used to," Carrie told Elizabeth who was sitting beside her. "I broke him of that nasty habit."

John's eyes sparkled with mischief. "That's what you think."

"You don't." Carrie's eyes narrowed. "I would know. I'd see the bottle of barbecue sauce in the refrigerator."

John smirked. "I hide it in the vegetable crisper behind the kale."

"That's genius," Carrie conceded. "He knows I'll never look there."

Angie eyed the bowl of potato salad sitting on the bar of the outdoor kitchen.

"You've already had a full dinner," Catherine said as she could see the wheels in Angie's mind turning. "We'll put it on the list."

"My favorite sandwich back when I was in school was pickles and mayonnaise," Joseph said. "I still like to eat one from time to time."

"I LOVE pickles," Angie said excitedly. "I wanna try one of those sam-wiches."

"Didn't any of you eat just plain peanut butter and jelly like a normal person?" Danny asked.

"Wait a minute," Steve said. "You always go on about what great food they have in New Jersey and when we were there you made us try all kinds of pizzas, and pork roll, and sausage and peppers, and sloppy joes. And you're telling me you took plain old peanut butter and jelly to school for your lunch?"

"Yes, I did," Danny said. "Because those other things are boardwalk food and diner food and food for down the shore. Not school cafeteria food. And it's Taylor Ham, not pork roll."

"I bet you always had great baked goods from Nonna though," Elizabeth guessed confidently.

Danny beamed. "Those cookies were like currency for my entire school career. I can't tell you how many times I got someone to do my homework …" He stopped and looked at Angie who was paying rapt attention to every word he said. "I mean do THEIR homework with me while we shared some of Nonna's cookies."

Steve snorted. "Nice save."

"I'll tell you what, angel," Joseph said, heading off his granddaughter's next question. "Since you're gonna be at our house tomorrow while mommy and daddy go to the fundraiser, how about if you and I have pickle and mayo sandwiches for lunch? That'll be one less thing your mommy has to put on the list."

"My favorite thing was ants on a log," Jacob reported when Angie trekked out onto the beach to where he was building an extensive race car track with DJ and Michael.

Angie grimaced. "You eat ants?"

"They're not really ants," DJ explained with a chuckle. "They're raisins. When you put them on top of celery with peanut butter they look like bugs so people call them ants on a log."

"And sometimes," Jacob told her, " if I had a big test or a presentation or something like that, mom would switch out the raisins with M&Ms so I could have a little extra treat."

Michael smiled. "Sometimes my mom gives me extra mini peanut butter cups."

"Mommy gives me extra cheese crackers because she knows they're my favorite," DJ said. "Mommy packs really good lunches."

"I'm gonna ask her if I can try ants to see if I like them," Angie said as she turned to head back towards the deck.

DJ stood up. "I better go with her and tell mommy she doesn't mean real ants."

"I'll come with you." Michael scrambled to his feet. "I think I'm ready for another brownie."

"Me too," Jacob said.

"Mommy, I need to try ants on celery," Angie called out as she got closer to the deck.

"I think she means ants on a log," Jenna said. "Those are Jacob's favorites."

"I'll put it on the list," Catherine promised her daughter who promptly crawled into Grandma Ang's lap and asked, "What did you eat when you went to school?"

Carrie nudged her best friend and smiled. "To paraphrase a famous movie ship's captain, you're gonna need a bigger lunch box."

THE END

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