We just got back from having fast food for our New Year's Eve dinner. As you can probably guess, that wasn't the original plan.
A couple of our friends invited us to meet them at a steakhouse, and we were excited. We hadn't had a chance to hang out with them in quite a while. Plus, they have a son who's only 3 months younger than Biscuit.
Jeff and I used the call-ahead seating option, thinking it would make things easier with the boys, as 2-year-olds aren't known for their patience.
We got to the restaurant, and our friends were already there. They didn't know we had called ahead, so they had put their name on the wait list. We met at 5 p.m., thinking that should ensure us a quick wait before being able to eat (or more accurately, a quick wait before we could feed our boys).
Our friends were told there was a 30-minute wait. And Jeff and I found out the call-ahead seating was baloney. All they did was move our name from the call-ahead list to the bottom of the wait list.
At 6 p.m., we were still waiting, and the hostesses were still telling people it would be 30 minutes as they walked in the door. One of our boys was on the verge of a meltdown, and the other was starting to whine about being hungry.
Our friend made a joke about just going to a fast food place, and the more I thought about it, the better the idea sounded. Even if they had called our name next to take us to our table, we would still have had to wait for our server, then wait for our drinks, then wait for our food. And for toddlers, waiting for an hour to get to the table is bad enough, much less all the other stuff.
So we had some fast food and let the boys play, the adults were able to talk, and we had plenty of room to spread out. We were all getting pretty stressed out at the steakhouse, so I think the fast food place just allowed us to be more relaxed and at ease.
It wasn't exactly what we had planned for our New Year's Eve, but anyone who's had a toddler knows that 2-year-olds are unpredictable, and until they're not toddlers anymore, our lives will be unpredictable, too.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Merry Christmas (a little late)
Biscuit was in a singing mood today, and as we were packing up the Christmas decorations, he grabbed some jingle bells and started singing.
This song will be our official closing ceremonies of Christmas.
This song will be our official closing ceremonies of Christmas.
Happy Biscuit
Biscuit is happy. And that makes Mama happy.
And for those you who aren't familiar with kids' TV, first of all, you're very lucky! and secondly the song Biscuit is singing is the theme song to "Wonder Pets."
"Wonder Pets, Wonder Pets, we're on our way
To help a baby animal and save the day
We're not too strong, and we're not too tough
But when we work together, we've got the right stuff.
Goooooo Wonder Pets, Yaaaaayyyyy!"
And for those you who aren't familiar with kids' TV, first of all, you're very lucky! and secondly the song Biscuit is singing is the theme song to "Wonder Pets."
"Wonder Pets, Wonder Pets, we're on our way
To help a baby animal and save the day
We're not too strong, and we're not too tough
But when we work together, we've got the right stuff.
Goooooo Wonder Pets, Yaaaaayyyyy!"
Christmas extended
Biscuit was so overwhelmed (and we were, too) by everyone's generosity at Christmas. He got books and toys and clothes and musical instruments and ... you get the point.
So we decided to hold back a couple presents from Jeff's parents until today.
It was a good idea.
This "Cars"-themed helmet goes with ...
... this "Cars"-themed scooter." Biscuit tried to ride the scooter like we told him, but it didn't work quite right. So ...
He figured out his own way to do it. Either way, it was a great present, and he said, "Giffin happy."
So we decided to hold back a couple presents from Jeff's parents until today.
It was a good idea.
This "Cars"-themed helmet goes with ...
... this "Cars"-themed scooter." Biscuit tried to ride the scooter like we told him, but it didn't work quite right. So ...
He figured out his own way to do it. Either way, it was a great present, and he said, "Giffin happy."
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Speak up!
I won't beat around the bush when I say I think my son is really smart. But hey, don't all parents think their kids are smart?!?
But I would love to tell people out there in the world that we're not trying to impress anybody when we make our son say "hello" or "thank you" or "I want a sannich (sandwich), please." We're trying to teach him how to socialize with people, how to ask for what he wants and how to do both of those things without being a rude little snot.
I translate when it's needed (like when we're ordering at restaurants), but I encourage him to talk to people and ask for what he wants. When my brother and I were kids, our parents made us order at restaurants. They gave us a couple of choices, and when the server came, we told him or her what we wanted to eat.
By doing that, we learned early on that by looking people in the eyes and telling them what we want, they almost always gained some respect for our independence and social abilities, oh, and they gave us what we wanted!
At the time, I'm sure it was just an ego trip for us because someone was making a fuss over us. But now, I can talk to anyone, any time with no problem. And I relate it directly back to my parents teaching us how to do it when we were little.
So now we're working to do the same thing with Biscuit.
Last night, when we had dinner out, I ordered Biscuit's meal, then said to him, "Can you tell her what you'd like for dinner?"
"Sannich and fries," Biscuit said.
I put my hand up for a high-five and said, "Good job, little man!"
But I would love to tell people out there in the world that we're not trying to impress anybody when we make our son say "hello" or "thank you" or "I want a sannich (sandwich), please." We're trying to teach him how to socialize with people, how to ask for what he wants and how to do both of those things without being a rude little snot.
I translate when it's needed (like when we're ordering at restaurants), but I encourage him to talk to people and ask for what he wants. When my brother and I were kids, our parents made us order at restaurants. They gave us a couple of choices, and when the server came, we told him or her what we wanted to eat.
By doing that, we learned early on that by looking people in the eyes and telling them what we want, they almost always gained some respect for our independence and social abilities, oh, and they gave us what we wanted!
At the time, I'm sure it was just an ego trip for us because someone was making a fuss over us. But now, I can talk to anyone, any time with no problem. And I relate it directly back to my parents teaching us how to do it when we were little.
So now we're working to do the same thing with Biscuit.
Last night, when we had dinner out, I ordered Biscuit's meal, then said to him, "Can you tell her what you'd like for dinner?"
"Sannich and fries," Biscuit said.
I put my hand up for a high-five and said, "Good job, little man!"
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
I'm okay, you're okay
Conversation just now with Biscuit:
Biscuit: I okay. I fine.
Me: I'm glad you're fine and okay.
Biscuit: I happy.
Me: It makes me happy that you're happy, little man.
And it really, really does.
Biscuit: I okay. I fine.
Me: I'm glad you're fine and okay.
Biscuit: I happy.
Me: It makes me happy that you're happy, little man.
And it really, really does.
No more apples? CATASTROPHE!
For the past couple of weeks, Biscuit has had a cold and hasn't wanted much to eat. This week, however, he is making up for lost time.
He is requesting food by name, and woe is us if we don't have what he wants. He doesn't understand how we could possibly be out of something he wants to eat.
Tonight was a good example. We had stewed apples last night with dinner, and Biscuit loves him some stewed apples. He ate two pretty-good sized helpings, then asked for more.
Our friend's grandfather died, so we wanted to go to the funeral home for visitation tonight. I had to work late, so I called Jeff and asked if he could give Biscuit a snack that would hold him over until we could have dinner.
Upon opening the fridge, Jeff spied the leftover apples and figured that would be a good snack.
And it was.
Until they were all gone.
And Biscuit wanted more.
Mayhem ensued, and poor Jeff had the nerve to try to appease Biscuit with apple sauce. Nothing doing. Everybody knows stewed apples and apple sauce are nowhere near the same thing.
The sad part is that Jeff said Biscuit had been in a great mood before that. I felt bad for both of them.
We spent about 20 minutes at the funeral home, and I was really pleased with how good Biscuit was. Even when he got antsy and was ready to go, all he did was say to me, "Ready to go home, Mom." He spoke to all the ladies who fussed over him, and he gave hugs to our friends when we got ready to leave. Then he walked over, grabbed his stroller and pushed it to where we were standing.
After the funeral home, we stopped by a restaurant we like. I figured I'd just let Biscuit pick off of my plate. But he asked for a sannich and fries. I was hesitant because when he was sick, we ordered for him at a couple of restaurants, and he didn't even touch the food. But tonight, he chowed down.
When Biscuit moved into the 2-year-old class at daycare, the weekly rate went down $5. I thought that would be a $20 a month bonus, but if he keeps eating like he has this week, it looks like that cash will be redirected toward the grocery bill!
He is requesting food by name, and woe is us if we don't have what he wants. He doesn't understand how we could possibly be out of something he wants to eat.
Tonight was a good example. We had stewed apples last night with dinner, and Biscuit loves him some stewed apples. He ate two pretty-good sized helpings, then asked for more.
Our friend's grandfather died, so we wanted to go to the funeral home for visitation tonight. I had to work late, so I called Jeff and asked if he could give Biscuit a snack that would hold him over until we could have dinner.
Upon opening the fridge, Jeff spied the leftover apples and figured that would be a good snack.
And it was.
Until they were all gone.
And Biscuit wanted more.
Mayhem ensued, and poor Jeff had the nerve to try to appease Biscuit with apple sauce. Nothing doing. Everybody knows stewed apples and apple sauce are nowhere near the same thing.
The sad part is that Jeff said Biscuit had been in a great mood before that. I felt bad for both of them.
We spent about 20 minutes at the funeral home, and I was really pleased with how good Biscuit was. Even when he got antsy and was ready to go, all he did was say to me, "Ready to go home, Mom." He spoke to all the ladies who fussed over him, and he gave hugs to our friends when we got ready to leave. Then he walked over, grabbed his stroller and pushed it to where we were standing.
After the funeral home, we stopped by a restaurant we like. I figured I'd just let Biscuit pick off of my plate. But he asked for a sannich and fries. I was hesitant because when he was sick, we ordered for him at a couple of restaurants, and he didn't even touch the food. But tonight, he chowed down.
When Biscuit moved into the 2-year-old class at daycare, the weekly rate went down $5. I thought that would be a $20 a month bonus, but if he keeps eating like he has this week, it looks like that cash will be redirected toward the grocery bill!
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