Great Expectations
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I am quickly learning I should never make any.
As in, ZERO.
Ever imagine what something will be like in your head only to have reality strike while the universe laughs at your ignorance? This is almost a daily occurrence for me.
The Mister and I have been planning on bringing Bean downtown to meet a few of his co-workers and enjoy a nice family lunch for — well, a long time.
This week was the big one! I left work with ample time to get Bean and make it downtown to Jason’s office before Sawyer’s usual “lunchtime.” I packed his favorite toys and food. He fell asleep on the way down there for a few minutes and I thought “Great, he’ll take a little cat nap and wake up his usual charming self — we’ve got this!”
HA.
As soon as I woke him up, I knew — this would not end well. But he’s been on one nap for awhile now, occasionally catching a few winks in the morning, only to be gently woken within 10 minutes (any longer and he won’t take his afternoon nap).
I managed to distract him with the big shiny buildings and loud buses. But he was out of his comfort-zone, not on his “turf” and … getting hungry. I scurried him up to Daddy’s office where he was a bit shy at first, but eventually came out of his shell and dropped his charm on a few of the ladies 
(the apple doesn’t fall far, people, the apple doesn’t fall far).
Knowing it was getting close to his tipping point, we hurried to our favorite lunch location — the Market. STRIKE ONE – no high chairs.
Onto our next location. STRIKE TWO — having to walk in the heat.
We finally made it to Hodges (it was literally 1/10 of a mile, but felt like a marathon with Sawyer’s snail’s pace in the heat – but there was no arguing, he wanted to WALK!) STRIKE THREE – trying to put him in his high chair before he was “ready.”
And we’re out.
Between the crocodile tears, getting iced tea spilled all over me, trying to prevent Sawyer from walking off the booth, attempting to make Jason (and myself) feel better, pulling out every toy in my purse, and resisting every urge to scream out loud “STOP THE INSANITY!”, I managed to eat a delicious salad in the company of my two favorite people in the world.
Was it ideal? Hell to the no. Was it life — OUR life, to be exact? Every bit of it.
And I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world – except maybe a lovely lunch and a dry pair of pants
I wasn’t in the car for all of 45 seconds when I sent the Mister the following:
Stressing mama and daddy out is so exhausting.
Similar experiences? Please share!
My mother-in-law constantly suggests that we should go out to lunch together on Fridays when she watches Shelby. I constantly make excuses as to why that is a terrible idea. There is nothing that could make me want to subject myself to Shelby’s restaurant behavior on purpose
OMG, I know this too well. We did the exact same thing yesterday and Raffi was SO hungry and SO hot. We get to the restaurant and they have a high chair (score) but the rest of the place is filled with people in button downs and slacks having power lunches. Crap.
Despite being belted in Raffi climbed out of his high chair multiple times, screamed until we gave him every straw on the table, and ate like a chipmunk, dropping food everywhere. It was just one of those days. We dealt with it, laughed, and then thankfully left. He was asleep in the stroller not 1/2 mile away