I used decorative vinyl place mats to cut out a car shape on the Ellison die cutter. I put a piece of magnetic tape on the back of each car (one per student). I generate small labels with the students' first and last names. I put a piece of clear packing tape on 3 large tongue depressors. Each afternoon, my Lunch Counter (student helper) uses a dry erase marker to write the two lunch choices and lunch box on the tongue depressors (tape makes it erasable). I put the choices on my filing cabinet. Each morning, students come into the room and park their car under their choice of the day. The cars that remain let me know who is absent. Since the names are on the cars, the Attendance Taker can write down the absent students on the absentee sheet. The Lunch Counter can count the choices and take the results to the cafeteria manager. With this easy method, my students do the work and we spend no time counting choices over and over and if students forget what they chose, the list is still there and I've written nothing at all.