School's Out Day 31: Friendly's

Welllll... I'm happy to say that the 2009 birthday hoo-plah is officially over. The 14th was Maddy's real b-day we had dinner and cupcakes, then the joint family pool party/BBQ Sunday, Wednesday was Canobie Lake on Ava's real b-day, yesterday was the Ava's "friend" party at Monkey Joe's, and today her gift cards (Justice and Friendly's) must have been burning a hole in her new pink purse because she wanted to use them TODAY. So after we hit the mall and I argued with Ava about what clothes she could buy and hubs chased Maddy all around the store telling me to hurry-up; the four of us went to Friendly's for dinner. We sat down and I said, "Wow, I think this is first time the four of us have gone out to eat!" And about five minutes later I knew why. We sat at a table for four and Maddy was on my right in her high chair trying to unbuckle herself saying, "Me out, me out." And to that I say in my most alarming voice, "No, NO....the lady's coming, the lady's coming, stay in your chair." (works like a charm). Ava was on my left asking me when her grilled cheese was coming and we hadn't even seen our waitress yet. Both of them were talking SO LOUD, it was insane. I have never heard Maddy talk so loud, everything she said - she was screaming! Rolly's across from me shaking the table with his leg because he was so antsy to get out of there! We're both saying, "SHHHHH!!!! SHHHHH!!!!" over and over. Then a pierced tattooed punk rocker type rebellious teenager (please God, spare me this experience, I beg of you) comes in and sits right in Ava's field of vision. Ava is STARING. Rolly tells her to color her place mat. No dice. She's STARING, mesmerized. We try to distract her again....not working. Finally I say, "AVA! Stop staring it's not nice!" And so she extends her arm and points in the girl's direction and yells at the top of her lungs, "I'M NOT STARING AT THAT GIRL I'M LOOKING AT THAT PICTURE ON THE WALL." We reply, "Well stop looking at it." "I'm JUST LOOKING AT THE PICTURE!!" as she points over there again. This go-around happens two more times. Then I feel the demons coming on....my eyebrows turning down, my voice getting low and raspy and I lean over to her and say something along the lines of, "So help me God -- look over there ONNNNNNEEEEE MORRRREEE TIMMMMEEE and I am going to put you in the car and we're leaving and this will be YOUR LAST TRIP OUT TO EAT EVER!!!!!!!!" Then (after what seemed like 6 months) the waitress came and took our order (she's two steps away from our table and Ava said, "Is my grilled cheese coming now?"). Maddy's playing with her straw spraying me with apple juice, then she figures out how to make a whistle sound with it. Rolly's cursing me under his breath, I can see it in his eyes. We give Maddy her toy cell phone and I tell her to call Papa, "Tell Papa where you are." (Meaning Friendly's) She says into the wrong end of the phone, "I'm right here Papa!" Which makes us all laugh -- which makes her completely crack-up with that awesome belly laugh. And then, once again, it's all good.