It is only 7 AM on February 14, and it has already been a Valentine’s Day to remember. Well, technically it was a Valentine’s Day EVE to remember. Why, you ask? Because after three-and-a-half years of parenthood, a family outing went off without a hitch for the very first time. In fact, it was downright enjoyable! Now THAT is a memorable event, for us at least! First off, Daddy Mac came home from work early, which is a rare to non-existent occurrence. Off he went to the gym, also a rare to non-existent occurrence for him, much to his chagrin.
And then the three of us — Daddy Mac, Sam and I dared to go out to dinner. And when I say “dinner,” I mean a “real” dinner with a real live waitress, not that there is anything wrong with Sam’s beloved cow-themed fast food place, Chick Fil-A, better known in our household as “Chick-Delay.” (I guess they kept Sam waiting too long for his Kids Meal once and he never got over it.)
So anyway, my two Valentines and I headed out to the new Red Robin at Chesterfield Town Center, next door to “Baba Noba,” as Sam-as-a-toddler used to call Barnes & Noble. Believe it or not, all three of us had a great time with no meltdowns or indigestion from Sam — or Daddy Mac for that matter.
I’ve got to say that Red Robin is a downright fabulous place to bring kids because it is so incredibly loud in there that no one, absolutely NO ONE, could be louder than the din in there. Trust me — there is no tantrum big enough to really embarrass you there. We were lucky to get a booth so we could trap, I mean, seat him next to the wall with Daddy Mac next to him, preventing him from relentlessly wandering all over the place. Plus they have TVs planted strategically around the restaurant playing some Smurf cartoons, which served their purpose in captivating Sam’s attention for a few minutes here and there.
The chicken strips and fries looked oh-so-delicious. In fact, they must have been since Sam calmly ate the entire platter with no need for the usual encouragement, fanfare and/or bribes. Woo hoo! My Cobb salad was really good with plenty left over for lunch today, and Daddy Mac seemed content with his burger.
“Content?” I never thought I’d use that word in relation to any aspect of us dining out as a threesome. What a great Valentine’s gift, and it didn’t even involve any chocolate or champagne!
LibbY