My girl and I took the kids to eat at Souplantation tonight. Hey, it's Noah's "favorite restuarant in the whole wide world, Mommmmmmy", so what can I say? When he ask to go, I take him.
So, it was me and my three boys (three the hard way) and my girl 'Special K' and her twins. Mind you, all five kids are four years old and younger.
We ate. We drank and we were merry.
As we were leaving, this guy stops me and says, "I'm waiting for the hidden camera to come out".
I, being the person that I am, one who likes to engage TOTAL strangers in conversation, ask
" Why"?
This guy says and I quote "There is no way you two can take five kids out to dinner, get them to sit and eat, without causing a scene" then he says "C'mon, wheres the camera?"
I smile and give my boys dap and we bounce. But as I was driving home, I wondered what the guy expected?
The guy in the restaurant is the guy, who mutters "Oh great" when we sit in a seat next to or across the aisle from him. It never dawns on me to reply with a resounding "Fuck you" to these kinds of people, because after being at work all day and the kids are hungry and need to eat right away, and they are trying their hardest to be on their best four, three and two year old behavior, at five o'clock, when they have all this stuff they want to talk about, or they want to show you their new Power Ranger stance, but this is not the time or the place for that, and I am trying my best to maintain and get them fed, and home in time for a bath a story and bed.
The guy in the restuarant is the same guy on the plane who does not take into account that , after being on a five hour flight with two kids under two years old (one breastfeeding) , trying hard to keep them occupied with books, songs, made up stories, and finally a 'The Backyardigans' DVD, before cabin fever sets in and they both fall asleep just as the plane lands, which means we have to carry them and our shit off the plane through the airport, becuase we checked the double stroller at the curb instead of at the gate. The guy in the the restuarant is the same guy on the plane, who, after the plane lands feels just so inclined to come up and say "That was not as bad as I thought it would be, (snort), your kids were quite pleasant".
Like I said, it never dawns on me to cuss these kinds of people up and down. I just smile and mount up.
Yeah it is hard raising kids. I know, I used to be one (a kid). And now we are the ones doing the raising, taking out to eat, bathing, schooling, and disciplining (sic). I do put a lot of effort into my kids. They are the way they are because we are their parents and they are a reflection of us. As my mother used to say (God, rest her soul.) "the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree". Whatever the hell that means...
On the other hand, who the fuck are you to judge? Is it too far out their to assume that because you see me, you expect my children to hang off chandeliers in restaurants or run up and down the aisle on an airplane?
I'm just sayin'.