ghostrunner wrote:My favorite thing about the Olive Garden is the ads they used to run where the Italian American (I thought we were just American, oh well) families come together to eat... at the Olive Garden. And you know they're Italian because they're gesticulating wildly and kissing each other.
Another favorite thing is when Wart gets indignant. I've avoided this thread for too long.
It has been a while since I have been able to let go, it felt good.
Wart, serious question. Do you not find it is more relaxing (ie, better) to just do takeout? I am stressed out the entire time we're eating out and trying to keep the little one from destroying [expletive]/eating the candle/throwing forks/taking my sake shots/etc.
Here's a pic I snapped at our last attempt to eat out. We were sitting in the bar area, no one else there, at 4:30 one Saturday and we still had to leave. Little man only wanted to play with the sake glass. We had two, one for me and one for Mrs. AW. I just gave him mine and started filling it with water. It worked for a minute, then it was on to just wanting to run around. At that point I had to take him outside and Mrs. AW just got the food. Never again.... FML.
AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:Wart, serious question. Do you not find it is more relaxing (ie, better) to just do takeout? I am stressed out the entire time we're eating out and trying to keep the little one from destroying [expletive]/eating the candle/throwing forks/taking my sake shots/etc.
Here's a pic I snapped at our last attempt to eat out. We were sitting in the bar area, no one else there, at 4:30 one Saturday and we still had to leave. Little man only wanted to play with the sake glass. We had two, one for me and one for Mrs. AW. I just gave him mine and started filling it with water. It worked for a minute, then it was on to just wanting to run around. At that point I had to take him outside and Mrs. AW just got the food. Never again.... FML.
Sometimes the girls get a little out of hand, but not so much that they really bother too many people in a loud restaurant. We also go to Olive Garden a lot because the girls get a bowl of black olives, and they are quiet for a little while as they put black olives on all their fingers...
Our two twins are now 21 months. We really haven't been able to go anywhere as a family since they started walking. Restaurants can work while they are content to be in highchairs. If 1 needs out of the high chair, then 1 adult holds them while the other adult pays the bill or *gasp* has a conversation or whatever. But once both babies want out of the highchair, we may as well go home. They each require the full attention of an adult, and, like most families, we only have 2 adults. If it's a different setting, like a ballpark or a banquet or anyplace where they will want to be free to run around, it's impossible. The only real options are:
1) Get a sitter and leave them at home. Not always an option, and costs $$$.
2) Recruit other adults to come along, so we can all take turns watching them, and take turns doing the thing we actually left the house to do. Sometimes this works.
3) One adult stays home and babysits while the other does the thing we were invited to do. We take turns doing this.
This is not to diminish what parents who have lots of kids go through, but having twins is just a different thing. If instead of twins we had a two year old and a newborn, we'd only have 1 to chase around, and with only 1 being mobile, it would be way easier to go places. Likewise, in 2 years when they'd be 4 and 2, it would also be easier. 4 year olds are a lot more tame. Having two 2 year olds though is tough. The 9 year old gets screwed. Stuff where both his Mom and I used to attend (Little League, basketball, etc), now usually only 1 of us goes while the other babysits.
Before too long they will grow out of this. And this phase is still a lot better than when they weren't sleeping through the night. Perspective.
When you're awakened by your toddler at 5:45 a.m. with screams of "I want to be a bird train," do you laugh, or curse yet another ass-early start to your day?
