Sunday, May 6, 2012

Our Restaurant Trip

Austin cover

Yesterday the kids and I watched an episode of The Daytripper, which is a great show highlighting day trips that can be taken around Texas. The host went to Galveston this time and showed us skimboarding, as well as a plateful of different types of crabs to eat. Xander's imagination was captured. He really wanted to try crab. Considering that 1) I didn't have all the ingredients for what I had planned to make for last night's dinner, 2) Xander can be a bit pickier about what he eats than Nick and me, and 3) I figured the three of us could eat out almost for the price of one adult, I decided to take us out to dinner. If Xander was going to acquire a new taste, that was okay with me. I knew his dad might like him acquiring this particular taste, too, as he is a man who grew up on seafood.

There's a highly recommended place up the road from us called CR Surf and Turf. We went there at 4:30 in order to disturb as few patrons as possible. The kids behaved wonderfully, in my opinion, but when the waitress placed a burning hot basket of corn dog and french fries in front of Nick, he screamed to eat them (while I tried to keep them from him) and then screamed when he got hold of one of those piping hot suckers. I had to walk him around the (small) restaurant, looking at decor, until it had cooled down a bit. There were only two other people in the restaurant at the time, and I think they said something about it, but I am proud of my children's behavior overall. It's not Nick's fault that food that could burn him was put in front of him. I don't really blame the waitress either, because she warned us as she set it down and it is generally considered a good thing to bring diners hot food instead of lukewarm, but I do appreciate the restaurants that train wait staff to let kids' food cool down before they bring it. Anyway, we almost NEVER go out to eat with the children, so we don't bother many people. Nick is getting to the age when we can go to a whole lot more places without "baby" behavior. Hurray! (Getting there, not all the way there yet.)

Xander had a corn dog basket in front of him, too, but he was interested in the soft shell crab I ordered. He and I each ate half of it. He loved it! I was so proud. When we left, he wanted to call Grandma Lucy right away to tell her that the first time he tried crab, he loved it.

The kids went to bed right around their correct bedtimes and Nick and I woke up at a decent hour. I think we are all catching up on some sleep. Xander is still asleep and it's about 45 minutes past when he would have to get up on a school day. Last night there was, surprisingly, a big thunderstorm with lots of rain. The lightning and thunder woke me up around midnight. I have to confess I get a bit scared when I hear lightning strike very close to us. We made it, and I was able to fall right back asleep when it passed. Amazingly, the boys seem to be able to sleep through that kind of racket, for which I am heartily grateful. This is the second crashing, booming midnight thunderstorm they have slept through in the last few months.

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