Adventures in Parenthood

So there was a ladybug. Yup, a ladybug. Unfortunately it was on Emmalee's menu at the restaurant. And so begins the story of our latest eating out experience with children. Yup, we decided to take all three on our grand adventure with us to Bubba's because all the sitters were at either youth conference or state honor choir. Uh huh. Darn it all. SO we took a family dinner instead. You my think we're crazy but we believe that it is possible to eat out with kids every once in a while, you just have to roll with the punches that come along with it! Inevitably there will be a spill. The kids will not sit down the whole time. The baby will not stay in the high chair the entire time. And the kids will not eat even half their meal because it is murphy's law, I swear to it! But it is possible! We actually had a fairly tolerable time this time. There was a spill, kids did not stay put the whole time, but they didn't irritate our neighboring eaters too horribly bad and we got a funny story out of it as well. So back to the ladybug. The waitress came to take our order and Emmalee wouldn't focus on what she wanted to eat because the ladybug was on her menu. And so dad wiped off the ladybug and Emmalee freaked out that he had "killed" the ladybug. But alas, the lady bug had survived, it was on the table! The waitress had found it. She handed it back to Emmalee calling it a "good luck" symbol and Emmalee of course freaked out again because it was still on her menu where the waitress had placed it. Emmalee coaxed it off the menu onto the table whereupon Blake decided he wanted to squish it and was chided not to, but alas Jarom reached in and did the job for him. Emmalee balled again because the ladybug was squished, but lo and behold, the ladybug was alive! So mom scooped it up into her hand and declared that Emmalee should follow her outside where they could "free" the ladybug to his rightful home. The ladybug was returned to it's natural environment and all was well with the world again. Isn't it fun to eat out with kids?