Ketchup and Alfredo Sauce

Most families love to eat out. Mom gets a night off from cooking; no kitchen to clean up, heaven right?

Not in my house! Now, don't get me wrong, I love to hear the words "Let's eat out" unless they are accompanied by the words "with the kids". Why do those 3 little words drive fear into my heart? Let me share my last dining adventure.

Nels and I were out shopping. Our oldest, Courtney, was babysitting 2 of her 3 siblings. We only had one child, Cameron, with us. So, we decided to be brave and head to Olive Garden.

We ordered...pizza for Nels, fettuccine alfredo for me, chicken fingers for Cameron. Cam's food came delivered with a cup full of ketchup. We haven't introduced the novelty of ketchup to the boys yet, as I am not fond of having it smeared all over during meal time. So now, here I am faced with a 2 year old, with a pudding size cup full of ketchup. I tried to casually remove it, but no, Cameron wanted it back. Not wanting to have WWIII over it, I relented. BIG mistake. Cameron couldn't figure out the concept of red pudding. He tasted it, spilling it onto his plate, and getting it on his chicken. He instantly wailed. So what's a mom to do? Why clean the chicken off with a napkin, of course! There I sat, in the middle of the restaurant, wiping off individual pieces of chicken, not to mention his plate. While I am doing that, he drops the ketchup covered fork right into my alfredo sauce. He starts crying louder, having noticed that now the offending ketchup is on his thumb; the very one he still sucks.

Being the wonderful mom that I am, I quickly wipe off the thumb and point out how mommy has carefully wiped off all traces of ketchup for him. Does he calm down and eat? NO!! He cries for daddy's pizza. So, I get him a slice, and finally get to eat my lunch.

It's then I remember; there is ketchup in my alfredo sauce. I am ready to cry at this point. Lunch has been a total disaster; everyone is giving us that look... (you know the one, "why can't you control your child") when Cameron reaches over, and takes a napkin to my alfredo sauce. He is dabbing up the ketchup and smiling that cute grin of his at me.

Hmmm...now that I think about it...and retell it for you, I've decided I was wrong. Eating out with children CAN be heaven; you just need to define what that is to you.

For me, it's ketchup in my alfredo sauce, and a 2 year old, cloth napkin in hand, making it all better.

Just when you are ready to throw in the towel, they do something so cute, so sweet, that you forget what you were so upset over. These are the moments I want to remember. Snippets in time that serve to remind me what it's all about.

Until the next time, I remain, buried beneath the dirt and chaos that parenting brings, but loving every minute of it.