Yesterday Nathan worked from home and was still helping a caller when I came home with Autumn. We hung out in the basement while he finished things up and after the call decided dinner out would be in order. Nathan just bought a coupon book chock full of fantastic BOGO deals, but most of them had a “dine in only” stipulation that would require us to actually leave the house.
We decided on a Thai place not too far from us. We’d been there before, but it has changed hands at least ten times since we were there last. It’s a little box of a place in a tiny strip mall on the main drag in town. In hindsight I realize that even though Thai food sounded mighty tasty, this restaurant was not the wisest choice, coupon or no.
Autumn was fine until she ran out of the snacks we brought. We ordered some chicken satay with peanut sauce that we thought she might like, but she was only interested in tossing the chicken on the floor and dipping her entire fist into the peanut sauce. Her sippy cup kept getting thrown onto the floor with such ferocity that I was sure it would break before we left. Our salad hadn’t even arrived and I was already wishing we could leave.
But I’m part Dutch and the coupon said “dine in only” so we had to at least attempt to eat the entrees in view of the restaurant staff.
Autumn threw fits. She cried, tried to stand up in the high chair and nearly pulled Nathan’s full order of Pad Thai onto the floor by tugging on his place mat. She didn’t want any of the sesame chicken and rice I dished out for her, opting instead to pelt me in the ass with at as I bent over to clean up some of the mess she was making. “That’s it,” I said. “I’m getting her out of here.”
I was pissed, tired and near tears as I tried to sweep together the carnage on the table. “I imagine this is what dinner with Henry the Eighth was like,” I said and tugged Autumn out of the high chair. We exited the restaurant and left Nathan to take care of the bill and gather our meals to take home.
Autumn was silent while we waited in the car. Normally she hates being restrained when we’re not moving, but this time she didn’t make a peep. I think she knew she acted like a Neanderthal. Of course the part of my brain that’s telling me this is also the part of my brain that’s convinced Molly feels guilt over crapping on the floor.
A few minutes later Nathan opened the door and handed me our food. “I’ve never been so disgusted with her as I was tonight, ” I said. “She was horrible!” Nathan agreed and we both decided buffets and fast food places are the only venues for the three of us from now on.
I sighed and said, “She broke me tonight, hon.”
“I know,” he said. “I hate seeing you like that.”
When we got home, we promptly put Autumn to bed and settled in our own room with the rest of our meals. After some ice cream and “Grey’s Anatomy” my frustration had worn off and I was able to put what happened into perspective. Yes, the evening with her was bad, but it will only get worse before it gets better. Some day she’ll have some semblance of table manners and we won’t have to leave an extra tip for the unfortunate soul who has to clean peanut sauce from the carpet.
Some day.
{ 1 comment }
Oh we’ve been there. We’ve decided that there will be no more eating out for us until Squeaks has learned some better table manners. It might have something to do with the fact that we eat in the living room at home!
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