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Health & Fitness

I Would Run Too If I Saw Us Coming

This past week, we were on vacation.  We ventured up to New Hampshire for four days.  Took the kiddies to Story Land.  Some serious shopping took place.  Too many tantrums went down.

We are a young family of four.  When you have a four year old and a 16-month old, anything can happen.  Jeff and I are constantly in awe of how complex it is to have two children.  Just having children in general is eye opening, but somehow having two has been so much more than we ever anticipated.  We find ourselves clinging to any piece of “normalcy” whenever possible.  Part of that is going out to eat.  We always think that the more we expose our kids to being out in public, the easier they will acclimate.  Sorry, wrong answer.  Avery is great- really no problem.  Jordan is a completely different story.

Sunday night, we had gotten back from the park.  It had been a long day for everyone, but we needed to eat.  The hotel had a great bar/lounge area and we thought it would be perfect for us for dinner.  We rationalized that there would be TVs, so enough noise to mask Jordan’s outbursts.  Enough people to help with what the TV didn’t cover.  We were wrong.  I don’t know where the other guests were, but we were one of two families in the lounge and there were about five patrons at the bar.

Jordan was in a bad mood.  Jeff struggled to get something Elmo, ANYTHING Elmo, on his phone, which Jordan insisted on holding.  When he was holding it, he kept hitting buttons that made it stop.  This would send him over the edge.  The food came.  He had a few bites and then began throwing his food everywhere.  He was done and it was quite clear that we were too.  He then began to scream.  There was no crying involved, he just opened his mouth and the shit hit the fan.  I envied the people sitting at the bar, enjoying their cocktail, without a care in the world.  Jeff had finished his dinner- because we eat at record pace out of necessity- and he took both kids out to the lobby.  I ordered a second glass of wine and took my time as the waitress did as well with bringing the check.  The tidal wave had gone and what was left was an entire entree on the floor surrounding the highchair that my little tornado had been sitting in moments earlier.

When we got back to the room and the kids were in bed, Jeff and I looked at each other and just shook our heads.  This is our world.  We were asleep by 8:30pm.  We had dinner in the room the next night.

Our last night in New Hampshire, we decided to try again and go to this little Mexican restaurant outside our hotel.  We got there at 5pm.  5pm!  What?!
It began almost immediately.  This time, Avery chimed in.  She began her soapbox protest with how she hates tacos, will never eat them and don’t ever expect her to.  The Jordan decided it was go time.

He had a few bites, took his chocolate milk and dumped it down the front of him and then began throwing every morsel of food that was within reach.  A table of four adults arrived and were seated at a booth directly behind us.  Almost immediately, they ask to be moved to a booth a few steps down.  Coincidence, I think not.  But guess what, I don’t blame them at all.

The next thing we know, Jordan decides he is going to only communicate in high pitch screams that will cut your soul like a knife.  It was time for me to take him out of the restaurant or be led out by the staff.  I think I ate, but I honestly can’t tell you with 100% certainty.

I have NO idea what the inside of the restaurant looked like, or what our waiter looked like.  All I knew was that it was fight or flight, and it was on.  We had arrived at 5pm and we were done and gone by 5:45pm.  Seriously.  I think we were asleep by 9pm that night.

We don’t take our kids to upscale restaurants.  We really do weigh the atmosphere before we even step foot in a restaurant.  I promise.  It is something we never anticipated.  I know it seems trivial, but please don’t judge if you haven’t truly experienced what I am describing here.  You make sacrifices when you have children- that is a given.  But, you find yourself clinging to even the tiniest bit of YOUR normal in the midst of all of the chaos.

Having said all of that, I get it.  I completely understand why people don’t want to be around us or other families in similar situations like us.  Request to move your tables.  Enjoy your cocktails in peace.  I get it.  Just please, don’t shoot us dirty looks.  Please don’t roll your eyes.  And PLEASE don’t look and whisper among yourselves while looking at our family.  My guess is, you may have been in our shoes once.  You may have grandchildren who aren’t always on their best behavior.  Please try to remember that.

We are just trying to live our lives like everyone else.  We are doing our best to keep things peaceful.  We don’t want to disrupt anyone as much as anyone doesn’t want to be disrupted.  Believe me, we are way more stressed out than we let on and we don’t even taste the overpriced food we are willingly paying for, just so we can feel like we are among the living.

Just ignore us.  Have a little compassion and let one or both parents run out of the restaurant with the little tornado.  Oh, and a to-go box.

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