Eye of the Beholder

So, Thursday night, I decided that on Friday I would take Lukin (and Parker too) to the mall to use the arm band from Nickelodeon Universe that he had gotten for his 3rd birthday (seeing as we are less than a month from his 4th birthday). I asked my mother-in-law to join us so that she could watch Parker while I went on rides with Lukin. We had a fun morning, followed by lunch in the food court. Lukin had his old standby of McDonalds, and I had Japanese. (Stacie, they had some good looking Sushi, by the way.) After lunch, Carin wanted to go look for some kind of kitchen utinsel and so I took Lukin and we went to play with the legos at Lego Land for a few minutes before we were going to meet up again at The Children's Place. Lukin and Parker both got some sunglasses. Lukin got some flip flops (or as Weesie calls them fling flongs) and I got a couple birthday gifts out of the way.

Later that night, we went to the other mall to get my ring checked for it's 6-month checkup, and order Daddy some contacts. All in all, it was a pretty busy and fun day.

Next morning, I awaken to find that the sun has already come up. I kind of mini-panic because I can't think of what day it is and whether I am supposed to be ready for work right now or not. I then realize that it's Saturday (I'm pretty sure) and I glance at the clock to see it is 7:00. No one bugged me all night. No 3-year-old came in repeatedly needing to have his covers put back on. No baby cried to be nursed. It was a minor miracle of a night.

But even though I slept through the night, I was still exhausted. So, I tiptoed to the bathroom and tiptoed back to bed. About 7:15, a 3-year-old was at my side. I pulled him up into bed with me as he told me he wanted to watch cartoons. If that meant more sleep for me, here's the remote kid. (I know, bad parenting.) About 7:45, baby woke up. And even though we were upstairs by 8:00, it was a slow-to-get-started type morning. We made some blueberry muffins and then just hung out in the livingroom until 11am.

Parker is asleep from nursing and so I lay him down so I can get cleaned up. I start to feel guilty that it's 11 am and none of us are dressed and ready, whereas yesterday, we were already at the mall by 11:00. So as I am getting ready I try to think of something we can do to get us out of the house.

(Read with dripping sarcasm:) As much as I would enjoy taking me kids, to the zoo, by myself, on a Saturday, I resist that urge (end sarcasm). I contemplate the park, but decide against it. So, the best I come up with is for us to walk to KFC (within 3-year-old walking distance) for lunch, which we do.

Lukin doesn't really seem keen on the idea because a)he doesn't want to walk to lunch, and b)he wants McDonalds (again). I veto his decision because a) I'm the mom, and b) Parker can eat mashed potatoes, he can't eat fries.

We order our food and we get our drinks and we go to find a table while we wait for the food to be ready. Lukin picks a table with a highchair already at it. I just follow him. We sit down and get Parker in the highchair and get ourselves organized before the food is ready and then I go grab our lunch and sit down and get everyone set up to eat and lunch begins.

I don't realize until we are eating that there are people (a lady and her son) at the next booth and they are the only other people in the restaurant. It works to our advantage because Parker is so busy watching the lady that he doesn't shake his head at lunch. He just eats. Lukin eats his little Snacker sandwich and mac & cheese pretty good too. When the lady gets up from the next table to leave, she turns to us and tells me that I am doing a good job with the two little ones. She says that it's hard to try to take two little ones out alone (I hear that!) but that I am doing a really good job. I thank her and we chit chat for a few minutes, then she leaves.

Her compliment sticks with me the rest of the day.

Even though, walking to KFC for lunch wasn't exactly my idea of great parenting for the day, someone else viewed my solo attempt at lunch out with two little ones as being a good effort. I guess perspective is all in the eye of the beholder.