Over President’s Week, our babysitter took a vacation to the beach, so with little help arranged, I took most of the week as an opportunity for some quality mommy and son time.
Meals become interesting for toddlers, as most parents know. They are messy and inconsistent and yesterday’s favorite is often today’s garbage. It’s usually easier to just fix meals at home and keep all shenanigans behind closed doors. But periodically, we do take family meals in restaurants, determined to teach our son what it means to eat in public and be behaved while doing it. My husband and I usually do a pretty good job of tag-teaming and keeping Micah focused.
Today, we found ourselves walking around during our first semi-sunny day in weeks and I suddenly craved Italian food for lunch. “Want some pasta?” I asked him.
“Yes- Pasta!” he exclaimed!
I took his exuberance as a good sign- so we strolled up to my favorite neighborhood Italian bistro and took a table for two. Luckily the place was relatively quiet and the tablecloths were covered with paper, perfect for coloring and stickers. I ordered a smorgasbord of goodies- penne marinara, sautéed broccoli, eggplant rollatini, and tomato and mozzarella caprese- partially my craving, partially hoping some of it would appeal to Micah. While waiting for our food, we stayed entertained by talking, giggling, and exploring our seating area. Micah loved his penne and broccoli and ate a pretty huge portion of both. There was no chaos, no major issues to speak of. I even ate my entire meal. When we left the restaurant, I let Micah hold my hand and walk the whole way home. He looked up at me, sunshine on his little face, and he shouted “Fun Mommy!”
“You had fun with Mommy?” I asked.
“YES!” he shouted, smiling from ear to ear. Is there any better feeling? I don’t think so.
It may seem scary to take your toddler on a date to a nice restaurant, but I’m realizing more and more over time that I need to give him opportunities to be “his best self.” It won’t go that way every time, but if I never open the door for him, how will I know if he can walk through it?
Enjoy these pics of my happy boy enjoying his Italian lunch!
