After my endless whining about the impossibility of packing C’s lunch every night I was thrown a bone. A massive, sticky, sweet bone.

At a school function the children were served sun butter and jelly sandwiches. By some unexplained miracle C bought my explanation that sunbutter is a special peanut butter that was safe for kids who are allergic to peanuts.

She didn’t try it that day and she made a face when I pulled out the jar I had optimistically bought. And then, nonchalantly, two days later, she asked me to pack her a sun butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.

I didn’t question her or hesitate. I grabbed the reusable sandwich wrapper that I’d bought on the off chance that she’d one day let me make her a cheese sandwich and got to work.

The wrapper came back empty and C asked for the same lunch the next day, and the next, and every day ever since. I’ve switched lunch packing duties to morning so the sandwich doesn’t get soggy, and miraculously it’s no longer the bane of my existence.

Who would have thought all it would take was some sunflower seeds.