That is what our children thought of us tonight as we told the waitress at Red Robin "I'm sorry, we're not going to be staying since the kids aren't behaving." We calmly took the kids out. We were calm. The kids...notsomuch. Sarah had to be dragged off the floor and was screaming the whole way and Nathan was stopped in mid-hit and was pulled out of the booth and we left with two screaming banshees who couldn't believe that Mom and Dad FINALLY followed through on the threat to leave.
This has been brewing for sometime. Sarah's always been a good kid going out to eat. Nathan's always not been since he got out of the highchair. He loves fast food because it's fast. He hates to wait. We found out how much he hates on our move out to Iowa. We had 4 days of nothing but sit down resturants. Well, some of us sat down. Other's (Nathan) threw themselves on the floor and hid under the table and whined the most annoying whine we've ever heard. It's his "I want my food now" whine and we've put up with it for so long. But tonight, all bets were off.
Let me tell you, it was one of the hardest things we've ever done. We usually threaten it but Sarah was under the table and refusing to get up. I'm used to Nathan doing this, he's 2. Sarah's almost 6 and I can't believe how she was acting. All because she had to sit by me and not Daddy. So add to that Nathan crying and slapping the crap out of Daddy and we were out of there. I'm not sure the waitress has ever witnessed that before. I felt kind of proud of ourselves actually. It only took almost 6 years to get a backbone.
They were both screaming and crying. Sarah said she'll never eat again if she can't eat at Red Robin. Nathan was whineing about some missed fries. I told Max "this is why parents don't do this, it's hell!" but we had to stick to our guns. Sarah immediatly pulled her shoulder strap off and I refused to move. I started the car but we sat in that spot for over 5 minutes while Max reasoned with Sarah why we left and why she needed to put the seatbelt on the right way. I just sat there and listened to country, waiting for the Prozac to kick in. Max said he'd make dinner when we got home but I said I wasn't hungry and really I wasn't. I wanted Red Robin but I wasn't hungry enough to eat it and that probably is what helped me get a backbone finally.
Each turn we made, Nathan cried. Max said he was holding out hope. He even said we could get fast food and I said no, if we're going to do this, we're going to do this all the way! Sarah went straight to her room and cried and Nathan forgot all about it. Max made dinner for them and I left to go to a Mom's Club garage sale that we're running this weekend. It was so nice to get away.
So, we're the world's worst parents. At least for a few minutes. They forgot about it and still loved on us. Maybe this backbone thing isn't overrated after all. Not that I want to test that theory anytime soon. We're done going out to sit down places with these brats. Max is trying to get his sister to babysit so we can go to dinner next week. After all, why should we suffer just because our kids are kids?
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Read the best and worst book. "My Sister's Keeper" it was the best because it touched me and it was the worst because it broke my heart. Cancer, in any form, can and will tear a family apart. Even without the patient dying, I suppose as I see it happening in our life. It tore my family apart once Dad lost his fight. He was the glue that kept it together. Anyway, this book just ripped my heart out and I'm still shocked. I highly recommend it. And when you think you know what is going to happen, you find out you really had no idea and you weren't ready for it. Go read it. I'll wait.....