Dave and I don’t go out. It’s not just that we can’t afford it, it’s also that we don’t want to leave Addie. Plus, we’re blessed with the cutest dinner date each night:
Heart bum PJs from Mima!
For Valentine’s Day however, we went on a date. Not ON the 14th… that’s just too predictable, but on the 16th. A more relaxed environment and way less up-selling. We chose Lemongrass for its location close to home and the menu, offering a vast selection including Thai for Dave and sushi for me. It was Addie’s first experience in a highchair at a restaurant. We were excited, and so was she…
You see that cute face? Yeah… with her mouth open like that, sounds coming out were akin to this:
Sounds scary, right? That video was from a different day. At Lemongrass, her pterodactyl screeches lasted 7 seconds. Then she smiled at me and ate some peas. That was it. The tables near us either smiled or stared. You know the stare. The one that people save for the ‘terrible mom who slaps her child in the face on Christmas Eve for wanting a new toy’ OR ‘the child who is enjoying herself at a restaurant at 7pm on a Saturday’. Ummm… are we at Le Bec Fin and no one told me? As far as I can tell, we can have a three course meal (each) and a bottle of wine for under $75 (with tip) here. Please, climb down from your high horse, tell your 12 year old to stop picking their nose (yeah, I saw it) and handle your own. For the most part, Addie was just chillin’:
Yes, those ARE the cutest hands you’ve ever seen.
All-in-all, I will say that going out to dinner less than three times a year brings a certain charm to the evening. Dave was able to relax, there was no kitchen to clean, Addie LOVED being out and she even opened her monster-mouth to catch the big snowflakes that were falling. While I’m sure no one wants to dine with a prehistoric creature, please think to enjoy the 7 seconds of joyful noise from my child, because there is always a table with the baby who cries for the entire meal. Plus… we’re pretty good to look at, too.
If I could choose to go out more often, I would, but not on Valentine’s Day! I spent my morning running on the mill and the rest of the day with my beautiful girl. Celebrating on the 16th might just be a new tradition 🙂
Those are the cutest hands I’ve ever seen 😉
I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying those cute shrieks, adorable, plus she had a gorgeous outfit on :-)… That’s the good thing in Ireland, everyone is VERY laid back about kids in restaurants, well about kids everywhere really. There are very few places where they would have signs no kids after 8 PM , but I think that works for everyone, you avoid those like the plague and enjoy yourself everywhere else…
I can’t wait for Charlotte to be able to sit like Addie! It must make high chairs and grocery carts so much easier! They are growing up so fast though.
SO MUCH easier than lugging the darn car seat everywhere… but now I have to remember the seat cover piece (Addie tries to bite the shopping cart handle- EW!- the barrier and padding are nice). And seriously… I’m planning a first birthday and I am SO not prepared. Where did my baby go?!